by - trl · association carried out braking and manoeuvrability tests on a moulton cycle in 19642...

TRANSPORT and ROAD

RESEARCH LABORATORY

Department of the Environment

TRRL REPORT LR 500

THE MANOEUVRABILITY AND BRAKING PERFORMANCE OF

SMALL-WHEELED BICYCLES WHEN RIDDEN BY CHILDREN

by

G.D. Lewis, B.Sc.

Mr Lewis is Headmaster of Longwood County Primary School

Staffordshire. He undertook the work contained in this report with the support of the TRRL.

Road User Characteristics Division

Safety Department

Transport and Road Research Laboratory

Crowthorne, Berkshire

1973

CONTENTS

Abstract

1. Introduct ion

1.1 Origin of the study

1.2 Review of existing information

2. Bicycles used in the test

3. Manoeuvrability tests

3.1 Description of tests

3.1.1 Manoeuvrability test 1



3.2 Manoeuvrability - Results

4. Braking performance

4.1 Description of braking tests

4.1.1 Braking on a dry surface

4.1.2 Braking with wet rims and brakes

4.2 Brake performance results

4.2.1 Braking on dry surface with rear brake only

4.2.2 Braking with both brakes in the wet

5. Conclusions

6. References

7. Acknowledgements

8. Appendices

8.1 Appendix 1 - Accidents during the tests

8.2 Appendix 2 - Comments by riders who took part in the tests

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© CROWN COPYRIGHT 1973

Extracts f rom the tex t may be reproduced

provided the source is acknowledged

Ownership of the Transport Research Laboratory was transferred from the Department of Transport to a subsidiary of the Transport Research Foundation on I st April 1996.

This report has been reproduced by permission of the Controller of HMSO. Extracts from the text may be reproduced, except for commercial purposes, provided the source is acknowledged.

THE MANOEUVRABILITY AND BRAKING PERFORMANCE OF

SMALL-WHEELED BICYCLES WHEN RIDDEN BY CHILDREN

ABSTRACT

Tests were conducted in an at tempt to find out how the braking performance and manoeuvrability of small-wheeled bicycles compared with those of more conventional machines when ridden by children. Six bicycles having wheels of different diameter were used and about one hundred children aged between 8 and 11 years rode them. The results of the manoeuvrability tests showed that, although there was little difference in the ability of a given child to manoeuvre the different machines, there were considerable differences in this respect among the children.

In the braking tests on a dry surface in which only the rear brake was applied, some differences were observed in the braking performance of the different machines but because there were considerable variations in the individual measurements, these differences were not found to be of practical significance. When the wheels and brakes on the machines were wetted, two of the machines had a much better braking performance than the other four; one of them had a hub brake (protected against the weather) and the other had the smallest diameter wheels.

Some minor accidents occurred during these tests and these are described in the Appendix, which also includes the results of a questionnaire issued to the children who took part.

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 Origin of the study

Suggestions have been made that small-wheeled bicycles which have become c o m m o n since the intro-

duction of the Moulton and Raleigh R.S.W. models are not 'as safe as conventional bicycles having wheels o f

larger diameter. The advertisements for small-wheeled bicycles stress that they may be regarded as universal

machines in that they can be used by almost all members of the family. There are also cycles having rather

larger wheels that are claimed as universal machines, as well as cycles of more conventional design and wheel

size made especially for a child rider.

Many children are now riding the so-called universal machines. The aim in this investigation was to

determine whether by so doing, child cyclists were likely to be expose~d to greater risks than by riding machines

especially designed for their use. With this purpose in mind, tests with six different makes o f cycle were

carded out in the playground of a Primary School. About one hundred of the pupils, half boys and half girls,

ranging in age from 8 to 11 years, rode the machines in tests intended to compare the riding qualities,

especially manoeuvrabili ty, and the braking performance of the different cycles.

1.2 Review of existing information

Very little information on the accidents involving small-wheeled bicycles is available.

Accident statistics such as those provided by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents do

not differentiate between different types of bicycles. Starks and Lister 1 carried out a comprehensive investi-

gation into the safety aspects o f pedal and motor-assisted cycles of several different makes, all of which had

26 inch diameter wheels. They found that while there were only minor differences between machines, there

were considerable differences between the skill of the riders, all of whom were adults. The Consumers'

Association carried out braking and manoeuvrabili ty tests on a Moulton cycle in 19642 and compared the

results with those obtained using a conventional bicycle. Six adult riders took part and the results were in

general agreement with those o f Starks and Lister in that there were considerable differences in the riding

abilities of the different riders but that the differences between the cycles were not significant, although there

seemed to be a difference in the ' feel ' o f the machines. The riders found the Moulton machine more comfort-

able over rough surfaces but more difficult to control over cobbles. They did not like it for climbing hills.

They did not think it was a suitable machine for riders under 10 years of age because the saddle was too high

even at its lowest point o f adjustment. This was an important point because of the claims made in the adver-

t isement about the use of the machine by most members of the family. In August 1968, the Consumers'

Association 3 reported on tests of children's bicycles. All the machines were fitted with small wheels and

ha l f of them were of the 'Fairy Cycle' type having only one brake. The report did not, therefore, compare

small-wheeled cycles with larger wheeled machines but there were some interesting points about the safety

of the bicycles. All twenty-three machines examined needed adjustment before they could be used in safety.

The most com m on faults were loose or slightly buckled wheels; several of the bicycles had sharp edges or

projections which were potential ly dangerous and some of the brake levers were too far away from the handle-

bars for small children to reach. Nearly half of the machines had pedals which gave less than 75 mm (3 in)

o f ground clearance, when the machine banked over on cornering, which was insufficient.

2. BICYCLES USED IN THE TESTS

Six bicycles were used. They were:--

(1) The Raleigh RSW 16

(2) The Tr iumph Twenty

(3) The Triumph Valiant

(4) The BSA Bermuda (f i t ted with dropped handlebars)

(5) The Dawes Dainty

(6) The Moulton Super Four

Details of these machines are given in Table 1 and in Plates 1 - 3. The machines are no longer being produced

but features tested in this investigation are still common on many current models.

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The RSW sixteen cycle was designed for adults but had ample adjustment to enable children to ride

it easily. The Triumph 20 and the Moulton cycle were also capable of being ridden by adults and children.

The BSA was the smallest adult machine whilst the Valiant and Dawes were regarded by the retailers as

children's cycles.

The cycles were purchased from retailers who were aware that the machines were to be used for research

purposes. Before the test began, a trained mechanic examined each bicycle and adjusted it if necessary to

make sure that it was in excellent mechanical condition. During the tests the cycles were frequently checked

by the author and twice by the Regional Cycling Organiser of RoSPA, the main requirements being attention

to the brakes. The cycles each covered about 90 miles during the test period so there was not very much

wear and tear on mechanical parts.

Five of the machines used were fitted with caliper type rimbrakes, operated by Bowden cables. The

Raleigh RSW 16 had rimbrakes on the front wheel but was fitted with an internal expanding brake on the

rear hub. The RSW, Moulton and Triumph 20 machines were particularly easy to adjust to suit the rider;

the handlebars and the saddles on both the RSW and T20 machines could be adjusted without a spanner but

one was needed to adjust the handlebar of the Moulton cycle;

3. MANOEUVRABIL ITY TESTS

3.1 Description of t es t s

3 .1 .1 M a n o e u v r a b i l i t y t e s t 1. This test (see Fig. 3 for diagram) was based on the zig-zag test which

forms part o f the National Cycling Proficiency Test. Parallel lines were marked on the playground 0.9 m

(3 ft) apart. Six skittles consisting of blocks of wood 45 m m x 155 mm (1¾ in x 6 in) were placed 1.5 m

(5 ft) apart halfway between the lines. There was a slight slope on this part of the playground so that the

riders were travelling uphill in one direction and downhill on the return run. They were asked to ride uphill

first, going in and out of the skittles (Hate 4). They were then allowed to take as much room as they wished

to turn round before repeating the process in the reverse direction. Any of the following incidents counted

as one fault: if a skittle was knocked over: if one wheel touched or went over one of the white lines: if the

rider was forced to put a foot down or if a skittle was missed out. Six children at a time took part. They

were chosen for each session on the basis of height to minimise adjustments to the cycles. Having chosen

their mounts and had the saddles and handlebars adjusted to suit them, the children were encouraged to ride

round for a few minutes before being called upon to take the test. When all six had taken part, they exchanged

cycles and repeated the process. The intention was for each child to complete the course six times, once on

each bicycle* but no two children in any one session rode the bicycles in the same order. This was thought

to cancel out the 'practice' effect as far as the machine was concerned. The number of faults scored by each

child on each cycle was noted by the author.

3 . 1 . 2 M a n o e u v r a b i l i t y t e s t 2. An attempt was made to find the extent to which the control of the

cycles was affected by a bumpy surface by putting thirteen of the more skilful riders through the zig-zag

test again. This time, however, 7 laths 0.9 m (3 ft) long, 38 mm (1½ in) wide and 13 mm (½ in) high were

placed across the course half way between each pair of skittles and two feet from the end ones.

4

This was not strictly so, as 18 of the 105 children, mostly girls (16) refused to ride the BSA which was

larger than the others, had a dropped handlebar and was fitted with a crossbar.

3.1.3 Manoeuvrability test 3. Thirteen children were asked to ride the cycles as slowly as possible.

After 15 seconds they were stopped and the distance travelled was measured.

3.2 Manoeuvrability - - Results

Manoeuvrability test 1

The children taking this test were considered in three groups, boys, girls, and children who would not

ride the BSA. Results are tabulated below.

TABLE 2

Scores on different bicycles

Boys

Girls

Children riding only five cycles

Boys

Girls

Children riding only five cycles

No. of riders

54

33

18

RSW

Total faults

278

251

154

Average faults

5.14

7.60

8.55

Total faults

268

223

163

Average faults

4.96

6.75

9.05

Total faults

297

224

162

T20 Valiant

Average faults

5.50

6.78

9.00

54

33

18

283

198

BSA

5.24

6.00

280

228

141

Dawes

5.18

6.90

7.83

Moulton

284 5.25

222 6.72

142 7.88

It can be seen from this table that the boys were better at manoeuvring cycles than were the girls and

those who were unwilling to ride the BSA were less skilful than those who rode all the machines.

An analysis of variance of the test results quoted in Table 2 is given in Table 3. This shows that there

was no significant difference in the manoeuvrability of these cycles as measured by the test. On the other

hand, as might be expected from the results of Starks and Lister 1 , there were highly significant differences

between the performances of individual riders.

5

TABLE 3

Analysis of variance of test results (zig-zag test)

Mean square* Significance Source of variance Mean square* Residual

54 Boys

Between rows 1.6 .3 Not significant i.e. between cycles at 5% level

37.28 7.16 Between columns i.e. between children

Residual 5.2

Significant at 1% level

33 Girls

Between rows i.e. between cycles

Between columns i.e. between children

8.6

39.1

Residual 5.4

1.59

7.24

Not significant at 5% level


Children who only rode five of the bicycles (2 boys and 16 girls)

Between rows 6.25 1.38 Not significant i.e. between cycles at 5% level

17.06 3.76 Between columns i.e. between children

Residual 4.53


Note: The mean squares are measures of the parts of the overall variability of the data which are due to (i) real differences between riders and residual variation, (ii) real differences between cycles and residual variations and (iii) residual variation. The residual variation includes all variations not attributable to differences between riders or between cycles, and would be large if some important factor had been omit ted in the experiments.

Where the significance level is given as 5 per cent, it means that if the factor (cycles or riders) was not a source of variation in the results then such a large apparent variation would only occur by chance on less than 5 occasions in 100. Five per cent is the highest probability usually accepted as showing a significant effect for results of this nature.

6


Thirteen children, mostly boys, took part in this test which, as explained above, was similar to Test 1,

except that the children had to ride over bumps. The faults they scored are shown in Table 4.

TABLE 4

Scores on the different bicycles (Bump test)

No. of riders

Total faults

RSW T20 Valiant

Average faults

Total Average faults faults

62 4.76

Total faults

Average faults

13 72 5.53 53 4.07

BSA Dawes Moulton

13 4.30 48 3.69 60 4.61 56

Although this table suggested that there might be a significant difference between the RSW and the

Dawes on this test, when the analysis of variance test was made the results shown in Table 5 revealed that,

as before, the only significant difference was between the ability of the different riders.

TABLE 5

Analysis of variance of test results

10 Boys, 3 Girls

Source of variance

Between rows,

i.e. cycles

Between columns,

i.e. children

Residual

Mean square

5;2

29.66

4.55

Mean square Residual

1.14

6.51

Significance

Not significant

at 5% level

Significant at 1%

level


This was the test in which the children were asked to ride as slowly as possible. Thirteen children took

the test. Once again the analysis of variance showed highly significant differences between the ability o f

individual riders but no significant differences between machines. This analysis appears in Table 6.

7

T A B L E 6

Analysis of variance of test results (Slow riding test)

10 Boys, 3 Girls

Mean square Significance Source of variance Mean square Residual

Between rows, Not significant 44.4 0.87

i.e. cycles at 5% level

Between columns, Significant at 645.3 12.67

i.e. children 1% level

Residual 50.9

4. BRAKING PERFORMANCE

Good brakes on a bicycle are essential for safety. Differences might however be expected between riders as

regards their ability to apply the brakes quickly and sufficiently firmly to obtain maximum braking. Differ-

ences might also occur in the mechanical efficiency o f different designs of braking systems. Measurements

were therefore made of the performance of the brakes on the different bicycles when these were ridden by

the same children who took part in the manoeuvrabili ty tests.

There are several ways of measuring the efficiency of brakes. One of the simplest that gives results which

may probably best be understood by most people is to measure the distance that the cycle travels in being

brought to rest from a given speed by the application of the brakes. This distance is commonly known as the

braking distance; it must not be confused with another term in common use, viz., the stopping distance, which

takes into account the so-called reaction time or thinking time of the rider. I f a cyclist brakes in an emergency,

it takes a certain time for him to decide that the situation requires emergency braking action; an additional

time is then taken up by putting this decision into effect. The total time is usually known as the reaction time

and it varies considerably from one person to another and also for a given person, presumably depending on

the circumstances at the time. Thus the distance travelled from the instant the emergency appears to the

instant the machine comes to rest, which is the sum of the braking distance and the distance travelled during

the riders reaction time gives the so.called stopping distance. However in this article we are only concerned

with the braking distance.

4.1 Description of braking tests

4.1.1 Brak ing on a dry surface. The braking measurements were made on the school playground on a

level site which had a good asphalt surface. The tyres on the different cycles were in good condition and were

properly inflated and the brakes were adjusted. As is now standard practice, all six cycles used in the test had

the front brake operated by the right hand lever and the back brake operated by the left hand lever. The speed

of the cycles just before the brakes were applied was measured with a timing device supplied by the Road

Research Laboratory; this registered electrically the time taken for the front wheel of the cycle to pass in turn

over two rubber tubes fixed to the playground and sited parallel to each other at a known distance apart.

8

The braking distance was measured using equipment supplied by the Road Research Laboratory; (Plate 5A)

it is the one described by Starks and Lister 1 in which a switch, operated when the brake lever was applied,

completed an electrical circuit and fired a small fuse which projected a chalk pellet to mark the road surface.

The distance from the chalk mark to a spot directly below the firing device when the cycle had come to rest

gave the braking distance for the speed registered by the timing device.

The riders were instructed to apply the brakes as quickly and as firmly as possible as soon as they had

passed over the timing tubes.

At first the switch firing the fuse and chalk pellet was operated solely by the rear brake. After sixteen

riders had taken part, it was realised that some of them were applying the front brakes well before the rear

brakes. In one case for example, a girl had almost stopped her machine before the back brake fired the fuse

with the result that a braking distance of only 230 mm (9 in) was indicated.

These results were therefore discounted and the remainder of the measurements, made by 89 children,

were carried out with the front brake removed.

4 .1 .2 Braking w i th wet rims and brakes. Because the performance of brakes can be affected by wet

weather, some tests were carried out with 13 of the more proficient riders. They repeated the braking tests

already described but this time both brakes were in operation, switches being wired up in parallel to both

brake levers so that whichever brake was applied first would fire the chalk pellet. The wheel rim and the brake

blocks Of the bicycles were thoroughly wetted before the rider took part in the test (Plate 5B).

4.2 Brake performance results

4.2.1 Braking on d r y su r face wi th rear b r a k e on ly . It is not proposed to give all the detailed results

but to summarise most of them in Fig. 1 and 2. It is plain from Fig. 1, which related to the Moulton Super 4

machine, that there was a considerable scatter in the individual readings. The line on the Figure represents

the best fit; it was derived using standard statistical procedure. Similar scatter was observed for the Dawes

Dainty and for the two Triumph machines but for the BSA and the Raleigh RSW machines, the scatter was

much greater and made it meaningless to quote a reasonable line of best fit.

Fig. 2 shows the braking distance-speed relationship for the four machines for which a reasonable line

of best fit could be obtained. From this figure it may be inferred that the braking distance from a given speed.

increases approximately with the square of the speed and it is thus possible to refer to an average overall de-

celeration; this is indicated on the curves in the figure.

The results shown in Fig. 2 indicate that there were differences in the average braking performance of

four of the machines but when account was taken of the individual variations in the recorded measurements,

it was found that there were very little real differences between the braking performances o f these four machines.

In fact, to establish whether there were real differences and to assess their magnitude, it would be necessary to

repeat the observations with several machines of each make and for each machine to be ridden by each rider

and to record the results obtained by rider as well as by machine.

4 .2 .2 Braking w i t h b o t h b rakes in t he wet . Although there were considerable variations among the

individual observations, two of the machines gave a very much better braking performance than the other

9

four. Table 7 shows some o f the results observed when the machines were travelling past the timing device

at between 15 and 17 km/h (9½ and 10½ miles/h).

TABLE 7

Braking performance in the wet at about 10 miles/h

Cycle

RSW (16)*

T20 (20)

Valiant (24)

BSA (26)

Dawes (24)

Moulton (14)

Number o f tests from this speed

4

6

3

4

3

5

Aggregate braking distance

4.0

10.5

12.4

16.8

14.3

5.3

Average braking distance

m ft

15.9 48.5

63.3 193.2

37.2 113.6

68.1 204.2

42.9 130.5

26.4 80.4

m ft

12.1

32.2

37.9

51.1

43.5

16.1

Average overall

deceleration

g

0.29

0.11

0.09

0.07

0.08

0.22

* The figures in brackets denote the wheel di,ameter in inches

The reason for the superiority in the braking performance of the Raleigh RSW machine in wet weather

is not hard to explain; it is almost certainly because the rear brake is of hub type and therefore protected

from the weather. The good performance of the small-wheeled Moulton machine may be because the rims

are more likely to be wiped dry by the rlmtype brake blocks as the wheel revolutions per unit distance are

greater than for the larger wheels o f the other machines. Another, perhaps related, explanation may be based

on the f'mdings of Starks and Lister 1 who showed that one way of improving the braking performance in the

wet of caliper brakes operating on the rims of 660 mm (26 in)-diameter wheels was by increasing the length

of the brake blocks (i.e. in effect increasing the ratio of brake block length to rim circumference).

The results shown in the Table clearly emphasise the poor performance of rim type brakes in wet weather

and confirm the earlier results o f Starks and Lister. It seems obvious that the only satisfactory way Of im-

proving wet weather brake performance is by keeping the brake blocks dry; this implies a hub type brake.

5. CONCLUSIONS

The results of the manoeuvrability tests showed that, although there was little difference in the ability of a

given child to manoeuvre the different machines, there were considerable differences in this respect among

the children.

In the braking tests on a dry surface in which only the rear brake was applied, some differences were

observed in the braking performance of the six machines, but because there were considerable variations in

the individual measurements, these differences were not significant and more elaborate tests would be neces-

sary to f'md whether real differences exist. When the wheel rims-and brake blocks on the machines were wetted, however, two of the machines had a much better braking performance than the other four; one of them had a hub brake (protected against the weather) and the otl/er had the smallest diameter wheels.

10

6. REFERENCES

1. STARKS, H.J.H., and R.D. LISTER.=Some safety aspects of pedal and motor assisted cycles:

Road Research Technical Paper No. 38.

2. Report on the Moulton Bicycle. "Which" magazine, August, 1964.

3. Report on children's bicycles. "Which" magazine, August, 1968.

7. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The writer wishes to acknowledge the help received from: Messrs. G.S. Whitting, E.T. Bannister, B.A. Jones,

H.P. Murphy, T. Davies, J.C. Fernyhaugh, G.N. Freestone, Miss G.A. Surtees, Miss R. Cattell, Mrs. B. Deakin,

Miss C.K. Lewis and Staff of the Transport and Road Research Laboratory.

8. APPENDICES

8 .1 A p p e n d i x 1 - - Acc iden t s du r ing t he tes t s

In the course of the tests described, no serious accidents occurred but some minor ones did. Some

particulars of these are described below.

Nineteen minor accidents occurred.

Eight of these were with the BSA Bermuda, probably because it was rather large for some of the children

and they could not put their feet down easily. Some children did not ride this bicycle but most of thetn were

anxious to do so. They called it the "racer" because of the dropped handlebars. All the incidents occurred

during Manoeuvrability Test 1 when children tried to turn too sharply or got a skittle under the wheel.

There were another four minor accidents on this bicycle because the chain guard kept catching in the

chain wheel. This problem was cured by removing the chain guard.

A similar guard was used on the Valiant, Dawes and Triumph 20 but only on the latter did it give trouble,

causing one incident, although the child did not fall off. This type of guard is effective as long as it is firmly

adjusted but it would seem, that unless a better method of fLxing is devised, it must be regarded as a potential

danger.

During the first few braking tests the children were asked to ride around the playground to get up speed

before crossing the timing strips. There were two falls during this period, both caused by the pedal touching

the ground as the child took the corner at speed. The cycles involved were the Moulton Super 4 and the

Triumph 20. This bore out the comment previously mentioned. It seemed that there was a tendency for

children cornering on these two machines to lean over further than on those with larger wheels o r o n t h e

cumbersome RSW16.

The remainder of the braking tests were completed on a straight course and only one further incident

happened. On this occasion the brake of the Moulton Cycle was applied just as the back tyre crossed the

11

rubber timing strip. A skid ensued and the rider, who was not particularly skilled, failed to regain control,

falling heavily.

On one occasion, a child, unfamiliar with the working of the three speed gear, failed to get the RSW

moving fast enough and fell.

One child fell off the Valiant when engaged in Manoeuvrability Test 1. This was due to a skittle getting

j ammed under the back wheel. I t could not be blamed on the cycle but on other occasions when it happened,

the rider was able to put his foot down without falling.

On two occasions, children riding the Tr iumph 20 and the BSA Bermuda too fast while waiting to be

called for the Manoeuvrability Test 1 collided with a wall. The impact was not head on and no damage

resulted, apart from scraped knuckles.

Skids occurred during the braking tests when the back wheels locked. This happened most frequently

on the BSA and the RSW 16, but no rider had any difficulty in keeping the machine on a straight course. There were no falls.

Some information about accidents* which the children had had was obtained from the questionnaire

which each of the riders filled in. The following tables give the relevant information.

T A B L E 8

Cycling accidents

YES (have had an accident)

NO (have not had an accident)

Boys Girls

23 17

33 34

8.2 Appendix 2 -- Comments by riders who took part in the tests

A questionnaire (as shown) was issued to all children who had taken part in the tests. The writer

explained the purpose of the questions and went through them, one by one, to the children who were seated

in the School Hall.

12

For this purpose (see Question 1(3) any incident in which a child reported falling from a bicycle was

regarded as an accident.

Questionnaire used by children taking part in the tests

l . Which of the six bicycles did you like best? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2. Why did you like it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

- .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • ,

3. Which of the six bicycles did you like least? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4. why? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . ° . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Which was the easiest to ride? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Which was the hardest to ride? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

which had the best brakes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Which had the worst brakes? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

°

6.

7.

8.

9. Put these bicycles in order o f s a f e t y : -

Tr iumph 20

Valiant

RSW 16

BSA Bermuda

Moul ton Super 4

Dawes Da in ty

10. Have you ever fallen off a bicycle and hur t yourse l f or had any o the r cycling acc ident? . . . .

11. How did i t happen? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . • • • ° • • • • • • • • ° ° • • , ° ° • . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ° . . . . • . . . . . . • • • ° • •

. . . . . ° . . . . . . . . . . . - , • • • • ° . . . . . . . . . . .

• • . . . . ° ° ° ° • ° • • • . . . . . . . * • • • • • ° • * • • •

12. What type o f bicycle was it? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . , , , , , • • • • • ° • • ° ° . ° • ° ° • ° • • • • ° °

The results are tabula ted overleaf.

13

TABLE 9

Favourite bicycle - number of children choosing each model

RSW

B G

7 2

9

B

2

T20

G

14

16

Valiant

B G

3 8

11

BSA

B G

34 7

41

Dawes

B G

4 11

15

Moulton

B G

6 9

15

Total

B G

56 51

107

T A B L E 10

Least liked bicycle - number of children selecting each model

RSW

B G

19 13

32

T20

B

6

Valiant

G B G

4 4 2

6

BSA

B G

13 16

29

Dawes

B G

2 1

Moulton

B G

16 15

31

Total

B G

56 51

107

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19

T A B L E 19

Totals from Table 18

Total favourable Total unfavourable X - Y Cycle choices (X) choices (h0

RSW 50 102 - 5 2

T20 52 37 15

Valiant 51 35 16

BSA 106 105 1

Dawes 82 55 27

Mo~ilton 79 57 22

Rank order

4

3

From these tables it may be seen that the RSW was the least popular bicycle. This was probably chiefly

because it was big and heavy. The twist grip three-speed gear control although smooth and precise was un-

familiar and the general impression was one of sluggishness. The writer found it a pleasant machine to ride

and used it once or twice for personal errands from choice. But what was suitable for a fifteen-stone man

might well be unsuitable for a ten-year old child.

The BSA aroused passions for and against. Even those who disliked its handling characteristics tended

to be impressed by its glamour for the bigger boys had christened it "The Racer". Although it was not a

lightweight cycle, had no three-speed gear, and was not especially fast, its dropped handlebars gave it a sport-

ing appearance. Although eighteen children refused to ride this machine in the tests, only six named it as the

bicycle they liked least. On the other hand 49 said it was the hardest to ride.

The Dawes was thought by some boys to be a 'kid's bike'. Although its dimensions and colours were

similar to those of the Valiant the latter was infrequently selected as the least liked machine while the Dawes

was so chosen 29 times. Perhaps the name "Dain ty" had some influence. The bicycle was frequently picked

out as the easiest to ride. The Regional Cycling Organiser for RoSPA pointed out that minor adjustments in

the positioning of the saddle for example could make a bicycle easier or harder to ride and that such adjust-'

ments included fore and after movement and tilt as well as the usual vertical adjustment. The colour did not

seem to affect the children's judgements much.

The children's opinions on brakes and safety seemed to be biased by prejudice in favour of their

favourite machines. Probably they found little to choose between the machines in most respects but where

there were definite qualities which enabled them to differentiate sharply between the cycles as in the case of

the BSA and RSW they could make reasoned judgements. Thus although 41 children liked the BSA best,

only 21 placed it first for safety.

20

The total marks in favour o f a particular cycle were totalled; so were the remarks against. The second

total was subtracted from the first as a measure o f popularity. The figures are given in Table 18. The con-

ventional but smaller sized bicycles did well by this measurement.

21

U a,-

o

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o L nn

40-

3 5 -

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5 10 15 k m l h

I I I 1 I I 2 4 G 8 ~10 m i l e l h 12

Speed

Fig.1. BRAKING PERFORMANCE OF THE MOULTON SUPER ~. (REAR BRAKE ONLY APPLIEO)

20

a) g

c- O

"0

C

0 E.

m

4 0 -

35

30

25

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Mou l t on , s u p e r 4

T r i u m p h 20 end

The f i g u r e s in c i r c l e s d e n o t e t h e o v e r o g e ove ro l l dece le ro t ion

i n g

J i

10 I I

6 7 8 Speed

15 k m / h 20

I I I I 9 10 11 m i l e / h 12

Fig. 2 BRAKING PERFORMANCE OF BICYCLES (REAR BRAKE ONLY APPLIED)

(CURVES OF BEST FIT)

of cycle

1.5m ~--- (Sft)

0-9 m --_ (3ft)

White lines

-•1-5 m (Sft)

J 0 SkJttles J

FI9.3. MANOEUVRABILITY TESTS ! ABO [! OOTTEO LINES SHOW POSITION OF

LATHS FOR TEST ]!

PLATE 1 (a)

The Raleigh RSW 16

PLATE 1 (b) The Triumph 20

PLATE 2(a)

The Triumph Valiant

PLATE 2(b)

The BSA Bermuda

PLATE 3(a)

The Dawes Dainty

PLATE 3(b)

The Moulton Super Four

/

PLATE 4(a)

Manoeuvrability Test I in progress

J

.0

S

; - - L

. - ~ .~...i~!a -

~ I ~

~",-~L ~.'-' ~L-~:-;--,'... " ~ i i i ~ ' i ' " ~e.'.--: PLATE 4(b)

Manoeuvrability Test II in progress. Helpers are waiting to put up any skittles which are knocked down.

PLATE 5(a)

The device for firing the chalk pellets. The battery is in the saddlebaa.

..., ' ": ~ % , V - q f ~

t /

PLATE 5(b)

Pouring water on the wheels of the BSA Bermuda in preparation for Braking Test III.

l"

(1735) D d 8 9 1 7 9 6 3 ,500 12/72 H P L td . S o ' t o n G 1 9 1 5 P R I N T E D 1N E N G L A N D

ABSTRACT

The manoeuvrability and braking performance of small-wheeled bicycles when ridden by children: G D LEWIS, BSc: Department of the Environment, TRRL Report LR 500: Crowthorne, 1973 (Transport and Road Research Laboratory). Tests were conducted in an attempt to find out how the braking performance and manoeuvrabili ty of small-wheeled bicycles compared with those of more conventional machines when ridden by children. Six bicycles having wheels of different diameter were used and about one hundred children aged between 8 and 11 years rode them. The results of the manoeuvrabili ty tests showed that, although there was little difference in the ability of a given child to manoeuvre the different machines, there were considerable differences in this respect among the children.


Some minor accidents occurred during these tests and these are described in the Appendix, which also includes the results of a questionnaire issued to the children who took part.

ABSTRACT

The manoeuvrability and braking performance of small-wheeled bicycles when ridden by children: G D LEWIS, BSc: Department of the Environment, TRRL Report LR 500: Crowthorne, 1973 (Transport and Road Research Laboratory). Tests were conducted in an attempt to find out how the braking performance and manoeuvrabili ty of small-wheeled bicycles compared with those of more conventional machines when ridden by children. Six bicycles having wheels of different diameter were used and about one hundred children aged between 8 and 11 years rode them. The results of the manoeuvrabili ty tests showed that, although there was little difference in the ability of a given child to manoeuvre the different machines, there were considerable differences in this respect among the children.


Some minor accidents occurred during these tests and these are described in the Appendix, which also includes the results of a questionnaire issued to the children who took part.

by - trl · association carried out braking and manoeuvrability tests on a moulton cycle in 19642...

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