The feasibility study presented by the German Federal Highway Research Institute (BASt) reports the first experimental use of a bicycle simulator developed in cooperation with the Würzburger Institute for Traffic Science (WIVW). The simulator is a mock‑up that mounts a real Trekking bicycle equipped with sensors on a passively slightly movable carriage. The virtual environment is rendered on ten large displays that provide a 300‑degree horizontal and a 100‑degree vertical field of view, and the driving tasks are controlled by the SILAB simulation software, also developed by WIVW. The study aimed to evaluate the simulator’s suitability for observing riding behaviour, particularly among older adults, and to assess its technical performance, user acceptance, and validity.

The experimental design involved 35 senior riders (age 65–89, mean 72.4, 65.7 % male) and 31 younger riders (age 25–50, mean 38.4, 48.4 % male). Participants completed three training rides to acclimatise to the simulator, followed by four test rides during which speed data were recorded, driving errors were logged by observers, and subjective ratings were collected through self‑assessment questionnaires. The study measured drop‑out rates, simulator sickness, and the perceived realism of the virtual environment (Augenscheinvalidität). While the report does not provide explicit numerical values for drop‑out or sickness rates, it notes that these metrics were systematically evaluated and that the simulator was generally well tolerated. Speed comparison data obtained from SILAB indicated that the simulated riding speeds matched real‑world cycling speeds within acceptable margins, supporting the technical fidelity of the system. Observers recorded a range of driving errors, and participants’ self‑reports revealed differences between perceived and externally assessed performance, highlighting the importance of multi‑source data in simulator studies.

The study also contextualised the relevance of seniors as a target group. In 2020, 18.7 % of all German bicycle accidents involved riders aged 65 or older, despite seniors comprising only 22 % of the population. The risk of fatal bicycle accidents for seniors has increased by 96.9 % over the past four decades, underscoring the need for targeted safety research. The simulator’s ability to replicate realistic riding conditions for this vulnerable group is therefore of particular significance.

Methodological limitations acknowledged by the authors include the relatively small sample size, the use of a single simulator platform, and the lack of long‑term follow‑up. The authors suggest that future work should expand the participant pool, incorporate additional physiological measures, and compare simulator performance with real‑world cycling data to further validate the system.

Collaboration-wise, the project was a joint effort between BASt and WIVW, with BASt providing the research framework and funding, and WIVW contributing the simulator hardware, software (SILAB), and methodological expertise. The study was conducted over a period that encompassed recruitment, training, testing, and data analysis, although specific dates are not disclosed in the report. The findings indicate that the bicycle simulator is a promising tool for investigating cycling behaviour among seniors, offering a controlled environment that can capture both objective performance metrics and subjective user experience.