Using an Alternative Forced-choice Method to Study Shock Perception at Cyclists’ Hands: The Effect of Tyre Pressure

Abstract

In road cycling, tyre pressure has an influence on both performance and comfort of the cyclist. In this paper, the relationship between tyre pressure and shock perception at the cyclist's hands was quantitatively analysed by measuring the Just Noticeable Difference in Level (JNDL) of tyre pressure. The JNDL was determined by using a three-alternative forced-choice (3-AFC) method. The measurement was carried out on seven healthy subjects exposed to shock-type excitation on a laboratory bicycle treadmill. The dispersion of the measured tyre pressure JNDL (69 to 241 kPa; mean 155 kPa; SD 73 kPa) shows a large variability in the hands’ perception of shock in the cyclists tested. This suggests that some cyclists have a better capacity than others to differentiate impact sensory inputs at the hands, making them more likely to discern subtle differences in bicycle response dynamics.