Cycling as a mode of transport for people over 30 years old on a mountainous town

Abstract

[EN] The relationship between active transportation and its role in health of population motivated the continuation of a pilot study evaluating the use of bicycles in a mountain town. The objective was to evaluate people over 30 years old, with different physical abilities, in a predefined route and check if the relief was impediment. The studied divided the riders into 2 groups: active and sedentary. It was performed a comparison of the physiological impact (heart rate, blood pressure) and a subjective perception (modified Borg's scale), ranking the degrees of difficulty during route stretches. The participants filled in a form before and after the course. Most sedentary participants, despite having greater difficulty and reaching higher heart rates on certain stretches, managed to make the trip. It suggests that the current technology of the bike allows people less physically conditioned to be able to use the bike in mountain cities.