You may also want to read a Research Report on Rider Fatigue by the Department for Transport (2008). One of its conclusions was:
"The paucity of scientific studies specifically into rider fatigue and evidence-based countermeasures means that current knowledge is based largely on: generalising from driver fatigue or general fatigue research; the judgement of researchers; or the opinions of riders or rider interest groups. The extent to which research on driver fatigue and its countermeasures will generalise to rider fatigue is unknown, as is the effectiveness of the rider fatigue countermeasures described in published guidelines."
Therefore, given this massive knowledge gap, my research is going to be quite useful to motorcyclists. We are part of the society that funds universities, right? So it is time that some research is done on rider fatigue, not just car and lorry drivers. By the way, I am going to put quite a lot of my own money into this research project.
I think your article is fatally flawed. It does not mention for example the positive effects of acclimatisation to altitude, it assumes that you are dumped from sea level to altitude which is rarely the case. The studies involved just that - a chamber so sea level to altitude and back again. No ascent, no descent. With gradual ascent comes acclimatisation and hence less effect on brain and body function.
By the way, with a motorbike people can get quickly to altitudes that can have a significant effect on VO2max and can even induce acute mountains sickness (2,500 and above). For example, I can go from Turin in my native Italy (sea level) to Col de l'Iseran in France (2,770 m) in 90 minutes. No time for the body to acclimatise!!!
Check it out:
Similarly, if one rides and lives for a couple of weeks at 2,500 m (well acclimatised at 2,500 m) and then goes quickly to 5,000 m with a motorbike, he/she will also suffers the acute effects of hypoxia. On the top of that, there is also evidence that VO2max remains lower at high altitude even with acclimatisation (see my previous reply).
Therefore, given that many of us ride up and down high passes, the acute effects of hypoxia on aerobic fitness are very relevant to adventure biker riders.
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