A Novel Instrumented Cycle Ergometer with Automated In-Situ Capabilities

The objective of the research outlined in this paper is to develop a novel cycle ergo meter that incorporates (1) a faster, more accurate automatic bike set-up and adjustment for individual cyclists with greater repeatability and (2) the personalized torque, angular displacement and angular velocity profiles generated via mathematical models of cycling performance from experimental road trial data using SRM or Beru cranks. This ergo meter allows fitting adjustments whilst cycling and aims to reduce the set-up time to about 80 seconds for the first set-up and 17 seconds for the subsequent set-ups as opposed to 30 minutes (required by the end-users current ergo meter). Instrumented cranks have been fitted in to monitor the torque generated by the crank movements and the perpendicular force. Eccentric cycling for muscle strengthening can be readily incorporated into the torque producing capability of the system.