Modeling the Manually Controlled Bicycle

A control-theoretic model of the bicycle rider is developed. The model has its origins in pilot modeling efforts previously reported in the literature. A handling-quality metric that was employed in pilot/vehicle analysis is adopted for use in estimating the task-independent handling qualities of bicycles. The resulting model is parameterized by five gains, two fixed second-order filters, and a preview time. Analysis and computer simulation of the rider/bicycle system are undertaken using six linear models of existing bicycles at three different velocities. The rider's task consisted of a 2-m lane-change maneuver and return. Lane tracking performance was comparable for all bicycles at each velocity. Distinct variations in estimated handling-quality levels were evident in the analysis that indicated that bicycle velocities, rather than differences in the bicycles themselves, dominated the handling-quality predictions. A brief discussion of a rider control model for hands-free riding and a possible approach for model identification concludes this paper.