The implications of low quality bicycle paths on gaze behavior of cyclists: A field test

• There were remarkable differences in the viewing strategies among the cyclists.
• Attention is directed more to the road region when cycling on low quality track.
• Low quality tracks may affect the alertness of cyclists to environmental hazards.
• Results underpin flexible use of compensatory and anticipatory steering control.

Unlike for car driving and walking, the visual behavior during cycling is poorly documented. The aim of this experiment was to explore the visual behavior of adult bicycle users ‘in situ’ and to investigate to what extent the surface quality affects this behavior. Therefore cycling speed, gaze distribution and gaze location of five participants were analyzed on a high and a low quality bicycle track. Although there was no difference in cycling speed between the low and the high quality cycling path, there was an apparent shift of attention from distant environmental regions to more proximate road properties on the low quality track. These findings suggest that low quality bicycle tracks may affect the alertness and responsiveness of cyclists to environmental hazards.