Impact of Physiological Characteristics on Thermal Comfort of Cycling Helmet

Zixiang Hu, Xiaoyi Cai, Peng Zhou

2025

Abstract

Research on helmet thermal comfort is crucial for optimizing helmet design and enhancing cyclists’ acceptance of helmets. However, existing studies often neglect the impact of cyclists’ physiological characteristics on scalp heat dissipation details. To address this gap, a sweating thermal mannequin head was developed to investigate the effects of physiological factors, including hair, sweating, and variations in head pitch angle, on scalp heat dissipation at typical cycling speeds. The findings reveal that hair obstructs airflow within the helmet, resulting in local thermal discomfort at the back of the scalp and potentially altering the optimal pitch angle for helmet thermal performance. Moreover, sweating amplifies the temperature differences between local ”hot spots” and ”cold spots” on the scalp, with the majority of heat loss attributed to sweat evaporation. Additionally, adjusting the pitch angle can better align the ventilation holes with the airflow, thereby enhancing thermal comfort at both the front and back of the scalp.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Hu Z., Cai X. and Zhou P. (2025). Impact of Physiological Characteristics on Thermal Comfort of Cycling Helmet. In Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support - Volume 1: icSPORTS; ISBN 978-989-758-771-9, SciTePress, pages 178-185. DOI: 10.5220/0013708600003988

in Bibtex Style

@conference{icsports25,
author={Zixiang Hu and Xiaoyi Cai and Peng Zhou},
title={Impact of Physiological Characteristics on Thermal Comfort of Cycling Helmet},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support - Volume 1: icSPORTS},
year={2025},
pages={178-185},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0013708600003988},
isbn={978-989-758-771-9},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 13th International Conference on Sport Sciences Research and Technology Support - Volume 1: icSPORTS
TI - Impact of Physiological Characteristics on Thermal Comfort of Cycling Helmet
SN - 978-989-758-771-9
AU - Hu Z.
AU - Cai X.
AU - Zhou P.
PY - 2025
SP - 178
EP - 185
DO - 10.5220/0013708600003988
PB - SciTePress