How does mountain bike design influence physiological performance? 

This journey began when, as a passionate mountain biker, I began to experience the early signs of Hand Arm Vibration Syndrome (HAVS). Some existing scholarship indicates that mountain bikers experience a harmful amount of vibration, but, despite my own experience, part of me refused to accept that. So, I had no choice but to dig deeper into this topic. This presentation explores my efforts to better understand the impacts of HAVS on mountain bikers, through two pilot experiments, in which I adapted methods, worked to replicate similar results, and identified the limitations of my work.

With this presentation, in addition to my Keystone, I hope to create awareness of the potential long-term impacts of HAVS for avid mountain bikers as well as inspire updated design for mountain bike manufacturers to mitigate the corrosive effects of excessive vibration for their riders.