Condition assessment of cycle path texture and evenness using a bicycle measurement trailer

Cyclists’ riding comfort, related to pavement texture and unevenness, has not been thourougly investigated, partly due to the lack of condition assessment methods specifically adapted to the speed and space limits on cycle paths. Metrics that better describe the perceived comfort of cyclists, rather than that of car users, are needed. In this paper a novel method, the Bicycle Measurement Trailer (BMT), is proposed to bridge this gap. Eight different cycle path surface types have been assessed with regards to pavement texture and for four of these surfaces the longitudinal evenness was assessed. The accuracy and repeatability of the BMT were evaluated. Finally, five different metrics (Dynamic Comfort Index, Evenness Coefficient, 0.5 m Straight Edge, International Roughness Index and Root Mean Square), were calculated from the collected data and assessed. The main findings suggest that the BMT has a high accuracy at normal and high cycling speeds and a high level of repeatability at normal cycling speed. The surfaces could be ranked according to texture, and the evenness was successfully analysed. In conclusion, the BMT could be a valuable tool to assess the cycle path surface condition in relation to bicycle riding comfort.