The City of Helsinki aimed to increase cycling’s share of urban transport. To support this goal, the city launched a city bike program to provide residents with bicycles for short-term use and journeys within the city. Following an earlier unsuccessful experience, particular attention was paid to riding comfort when selecting the bikes. With the city bike network now significantly expanded and usage having risen sharply, it is clear that the initiative has succeeded.

One of the evaluation criteria in the city bike tender was usability. LINK designed and conducted usability tests and analyzed the results to score the bikes. Participants tested the three bike models that had reached the final round and evaluated their usability against a range of criteria. A purpose-built test track incorporated all the key factors affecting riding comfort.

The usability evaluation of the city bikes demonstrates how design methods can be applied and residents can be involved as early as the tendering stage of a public-sector procurement process.