Elite mountain bike enduro competition: a study of rider hand-arm vibration exposure

Authors

  • Lewis A Kirkwood Edinburgh Napier University
  • Mark D Taylor Edinburgh Napier University
  • Lesley A Ingram Edinburgh Napier University
  • Eva Malone Edinburgh Napier University
  • Geraint D Florida-James Edinburgh Napier University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.28985/1906.jsc.04

Keywords:

Enduro mountain bike, competition, hand-arm vibration exposure

Abstract

Limited information is currently available regarding the hand-arm vibration (HAV) exposure for professional off-road cyclists.  Previous reports have suggested that commuting and recreational cyclists are at risk of exceeding exposure limit values (ELV) in a single ride and, therefore, further investigation of HAV exposure in competitive mountain biking is warranted.  Partial and total eight hour exposure data (Ai(8), A(8), ms-2) are presented for a national level mountain bike race.  Assessment of hand-arm vibration meets the requirements of BS EN ISO 5349-1:2001 (BSI 2001) whereby recording frequency was 3.2 kHz and frequency weighting filters were applied (Wh).  The data presented shows that HAV exposure during one day of competitive enduro mountain bike racing exceeds ELV and is greater than the HAV exposure observed in recreational cycling.  This suggests that further work is required to determine the exposure associated with changes in equipment, technique and international racing events in professional athletes.

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Author Biographies

Lewis A Kirkwood, Edinburgh Napier University

School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN.

Mark D Taylor, Edinburgh Napier University

School of Engineering & the Built Environment, Engineering Research Group, Edinburgh Napier University 10 Colinton Road, Edinburgh EH10 5DT

Lesley A Ingram, Edinburgh Napier University

School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN.

Eva Malone, Edinburgh Napier University

School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN.

Geraint D Florida-James, Edinburgh Napier University

School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 9 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN.

Published

2019-06-30

How to Cite

Kirkwood, L. A., Taylor, M. D., Ingram, L. A., Malone, E., & Florida-James, G. D. (2019). Elite mountain bike enduro competition: a study of rider hand-arm vibration exposure. Journal of Science and Cycling, 8(1), 18-25. https://doi.org/10.28985/1906.jsc.04

Issue

Section

Original articles