Finite Element Analysis of Bicycle Saddle Based on Ergonomics

Seating comfort is an important factor for bicycle-rider. It was shown that riding on discomfort saddle could affect the blood circulation system, genitourinary system of human, and harm to their health. In this paper, detailed finite element model of seated human associated with a prototypical bicycle saddle were established, and contact pressure between human body and the saddle was analyzed quantitatively. Then two positions of the saddle were considered, which included horizontal saddle and the one with an upward degree of 15. The contact pressure and the Mises stress over the polyurethane model and the industrial polypropylene model, as well as the buttocks and the perineal area of human body were obtained. The results show that contact pressure is centralized in body's buttocks and the perineal area, especially in the buttocks. Mises stress over human is lower when the saddle is horizontal compared with the upward raked one, in other words, horizontal saddle can improve seating comfort of human.