Smoothing the Ride: A Surface Roughness-Centric Approach to Bicycle Routing

Abstract. This study addresses the impact of surface roughness on bicycle route planning, emphasizing the combination of vertical acceleration and speed. The approach introduces an index derived from surface roughness that is used as an impedance in existing routing algorithms. The study evaluates bike routes based on real and modified edge lengths, revealing differences in surface roughness. Challenges, including bike variability and accelerometer limitations, are discussed. The method effectively captures regions with higher surface roughness, offering valuable information for bike route planning. Its reliance on smartphone accelerometer data makes a step towards widespread applicability.