CONCLUSIONS

In summary, the results here presented indicate that:

1) in each of the examined experimental conditions, the time the athlete takes to reach the brake levers (lower than 300 ms) represents a small fraction of the total time necessary to stop a bicycle after a emergency signal was perceived.

2) hand postures slightly affect the access time to the brake levers. However, this is true only involving in the comparisons postures where the hands are placed very close to the brake lever mounts. Anyway, it was demonstrated that, even in the worst case, the found posture-induced differences account for less than 10% of total distance the bike travels before coming to rest.

Riding with the hands placed on the clip-on handlebar leads to brake lever reaching-times as much as those measured adopting others traditional postures with the hand placed on the handlebar.

Figure 1. Posture 1 : hands on the lower ends of the handlebar bend

Figure 2. Posture 2 : hands on the lateral side of the handlebar bend

Figure 3. Posture 3: hands on the upper lateral side, close the top of the brake lever mounts

Figure 4. Posture 4: the most comfortable top-bar position for each athletes

Figure 5. Posture 5: hands on the middle section of the top handlebar bend

Figure 6. Posture 6: hands on the clip-on handlebar

Figure 7. Posture 7: hands on the top of the handlebar bend close to the stem