Ergonomic Analysis Study and its Use in Designing of Adjustable Bicycle Handlebars for Kids

Abstract

Bicycle riders’ position is mostly depends on the position of the handlebars, type of handlebars. If the handlebars are at optimum height , then bicycle rider will get more comfort while riding the bicycle whereas if bicycle handlebars are at lower position compared to saddle position, bicycle rider will get more stresses and pain in his upper body parts like hands, neck and mostly in back. For manage discomfort and fatigue, the cyclist may stop to rest or sit erect without holding onto the handlebars while still riding. By not holding the handlebars, the rider has little control over steering and no control over braking or changing gears. A solution is to adjust the handlebars from the lower to higher position and still allow access to the hand controls. This project objective is to design new parts and extension for the handlebar which can be used to adjust the height of the handlebars as per the anthropometric size of the rider. This project mostly targets the age group of 6 to 9 years as those are the age in which spinal cord system is in development stage and kids mostly start using bicycle. Retaining complete control of steering, braking, and changing gears. Pending positive results from structural testing, the expectation is that the availability of these handlebars will add to the enjoyment of cycling for a larger audience with diverse cycling needs.