Users behaviour: the comparison between real and simulated conditions.

The study aims to improve the safety and stability of bicycles, in particular, in adverse weather conditions. One of the main tasks of the project is to compare the results of the bicycle simulator test conducted at the PICS-L laboratory, at the Gustave Eiffel University in Paris, and the results of a real-life experiment conducted in Stockholm using an instrumented bicycle. As a first step, the importance of simulators and the state of art of bicycle simulators are presented. Next, the first two tests conducted in the PICS-L laboratory are shown, as a brief introduction to the third one, which is the focus of this research. The third test is divided into experiment and simulation. The experiment, conducted between the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, was carried out by 22 participants. After a description of the instrumented bicycle, the analysis of the participants and the main sensor outputs, speed, power, and cadence, were explained. After that, the mathematical model used for the realization of the PICS-L laboratory bicycle simulator and its various components are described. The results of the analysis of the simulation and the main outputs are then presented. Finally, the comparison between the two analyses is reported, with particular attention to the criticalities of the bicycle simulator. It will be possible therefore to estimate the behavioral validity of the simulator. The criticalities of the urban street of Stockholm where the experiment has been carried out are then described