Do they compliment each other?

Obviously they’re both going to benefit your fitness. But let’s say cycling is your priority. Would you maintain your cycling fitness if you were to cycle 3 days a week and run 2, rather than cycle 5?

The only reason I ask, is because (and I’m sure plenty of people get this) of those days when you really don’t want to get all your riding gear out. Spend ages getting ready. Go out onto the road in a load of traffic you don’t want to be with, etc. I kinda think every so often it would be nice to just put a pair of trainers on and go for a jolly old jog… Do many on here do this?

I’m not overwhelmed at the thought of running to be honest. I’ve short legs and I’m heavy on my feet at the best of the times. So maybe injury is a concern too. It just seems very convenient…

IMHO running is better than cycling from a purely fitness pov. However of course injury (through exercise) is much more likely.

EDIT :

Do many on here do this?

I haven’t properly since last year because of injury to my foot, through running 🙂

I’m under no doubt that running is vastly harder work effort and gets better results for me, but it kills my ankles due to years of rugby wrecking them.

I do think they compliment each other though.

Good for general fitness, core strength and weight loss but it can be hard on muscles and joints, so you need to work on stretching and invest in decent shoes. Expect to ache after your first few runs so make sure you leave time for recovery. I’ve been a runner since my teens (now 51) but only occassional these days as the intensity of race training often leads to niggling injuries. Have invested in some Hoka One One shoes – although I’m biomechanically OK, I find these easier on the joints.

Yes and no.
Obviously the cardio side works, but your muscular endurance and efficiency on the bike will suffer. Theres a good reason pro cyclists don’t run outside early base building work and triathletes don’t ride as fast as full time cyclists.

Indeed yes and no – contradictory muscles. One of the joys (?) of Triahtlon is the feeling of transitioning from the bike to the run. It’s weird….

Last year after to getting my into my running big time and knocking a lot of time off my runs thought I’d see how it translated onto the bike as I had ridden it all year. First hill I got to found it easier to climb due to less weight but found my leg muscles tiring much before my heart rate got up.

No, they don’t compliment each other.

If you are a runner cycling is a way of getting cardio exercise without exposing yourself to injury.

If you are a cyclist running is a sure fire way of getting injured while wasting time that you could be cycling in.

I’ve done both; if you want to be a runner, run. If you want to be a cyclist; cycle.

while wasting time that you could be cycling in.

The thing is that you will get more out of running for three quarters of an hour than you’ll get from cycling for three quarters of an hour. And if your time is limited running is a more attractive proposition on a cold dark winter’s evening imo.

Last 2 years I’ve had different approaches.

Yr 1 biking and not much running.

Yr 2 a lot less biking and 30 ish miles a week running.

I’m way fitter this year from running, as in I can not ride the bike for weeks and then go and do a fast 50miles, beat all PR’s from last year.

I find riding to running hard on the legs but running to biking easier.

Running gets you fitter for time served, but potentially opens you up to more injury.

Unless your a serious racer id say running really helps more than biking and is also so much less faff !

Plus once you get the bug you can enter races for £2.50 rather than £50 for bike races !

Nope. Bar cardio. I love both and have done several marathons and 100 mile plus sportives etc. When training you pick one. I find each slow the other down. Also having done a few duoathlons the transition from running to cycling gave me horrific cramp if i was pushing hard.

The thing is that you will get more out of running for three quarters of an hour than you’ll get from cycling for three quarters of an hour. And if your time is limited running is a more attractive proposition on a cold dark winter’s evening imo.

If you need three quarters of an hour cardio exercise, running is ok, the injury issue notwithstanding, but if you want to be a cyclist, you need to cycle, not run. If running is a more attractive proposition, you should be a runner, not a cyclist.

Crikey we are not talking about being a pro here….

Unless I’m mistaken OP?

If you do decide to do both, build up your runs and pace, gradually. When I was doing both, I had the cardio fitness from cycling but my legs weren’t used to running, so I ended up with calf strain. I had to limp 2 miles home as I stupidly had no phone or money with me.

I was never a pro, but I took my exercise seriously.
If you want to be a runner, run.
If you want to be a cyclist, cycle.

Serious commitment to a sport requires serious commitment.

If you want to a duathlete or triathlete – do them both. They’re both great. And swimming is awesome too…

You say running is less faff ? If I can’t be arsed getting my cycling gear ready I can go out from the doorstep for a quick ride in my normal clothes,woukd rather do that than run. Althoughtheres the obvious fitness advantage to running as it is many times harder.

So then Crikey, when are you gonna tell the Brownlee’s that either they’re not committed or what they do isn’t a sport?

For cyclists running is great cross training. It’s also a lot more convenient if you’re travelling or short on time.

FFS: “running” – it’s not even running. Everyone who says they go running actually just lollops along the pavement barely quicker than a walking pace. Whilst wearing hi viz. I hope I never get to go running. At least on a bike you can go fast. Just get “all you gear” out and get on with it. You only need a jersey, shoes, shorts and a helmet, it’s not even any more faff than getting ready to go lolloping. And you get to sit down; you don’t even need to try hard if you don’t want to either.

So then Crikey, when are you gonna tell the Brownlee’s that either they’re not committed or what they do isn’t a sport?

Oh piss off. They’re “Triathletes” – any decent cyclist would school them in a race.

After a holiday where I did a lot of walking I noticed a big change in my cycling riding/fitness.

So now every week I go for a brisk (read sweat running down my neck at half way distance) walk twice a week (just over an hour) and I really notice more leg strength with my cycling at weekends.

badllama – Member
After a holiday where I did a lot of walking I noticed a big change in my cycling riding/fitness.

So now every week I go for a brisk (read sweat running down my neck at half way distance) walk twice a week (just over an hour) and I really notice more leg strength with my cycling at weekends

😀

I really enjoy the few occasions that I go running. I’m not convinced it benefits my cycling, though that’s just for fun too. Perish the thought I’d take either seriously.

I loved running,then got in to cycling.
Tried duathlons for a bit,but hated when they were run-bike-runs,horrible feeling.
The only time I have enjoyed doing both,was in CX racing,blast sprints to get up short climbs or when short runs were a better option to get through some sections.
Tri was never an option as I swim like a brick and CBA doing pool time to improve.

Not sure if this has already been said but if you’re already fit from cycling then be a bit careful when you take up running. Your CV system will want to go further than your legs to begin with and its quite easy to do a bit of damage if your legs aren’t used to it.

You say running is less faff ? If I can’t be arsed getting my cycling gear ready I can go out from the doorstep for a quick ride in my normal clothes,woukd rather do that than run.

Cycling can be relatively easy if you don’t put too much into the uniform, etc. But I guess one of the main things for me, whilst I mostly stick to quiet lanes and stuff, there’s often a bit of apprehension about going out onto the road (and I have to do a short stint on an A road to get to the quiet bits). I almost always enjoy it when I get out. But it’s building that motivation to go out in the first place. I thought running would maybe get me out one or two days a week when I’d normally chicken out on the bike… Or just make things a bit easier and more varied…

Having no real interest in running though, I think this thread has suitably put me off…

Try it. You might enjoy it.

At least there’s not much initial cost to get started so you might as well give it a try

If you are an elite level cyclist on an elite level training programme then a 3:2 cycle:run ratio would most likely be working too much on muscles not used for cycling for optimal cycling performance.

Otherwise, for the vast majority of less elite people who are carrying some body fat, potentially carrying a few ounces of muscle unecessary for cycling is insignificant and any cardio work brings cardio/fitness/weight loss benefits, one good cycle ride a week is enough for your body to keep in reasonable form for cycling.

The main benefit of running is tou can just pull on your trainers and run, even if you only have 20-30mins spare you can still get in some exercise. Whereas with cycling there is faff involved getting ready so one is more likely to defer the cycling to tomorrow on any given day – generally some exercise is better than no exercise.

Cardio aside I don’t know if it makes one a better cyclist. I’ve run and cycled for 10 years or so and the reports of injury are overrated, I have to keep my bike in the house and running can be a lot less faff in shit weather or the depths of winter as there’s less cleaning happening.

I do it as I like running I wouldn’t do it as part of a plan to make a better rider

IME running compliments cycling but less so the other way around. A few years ago when I was still running OK (around 34 mins for 10k as a V40) and developed a bad injury I took up road cycling. I found I could match the pace of many of the club riders I stated riding with locally. I couldnt match their stamina however.

Re the injury thing. My feeling is that running off road is much less likely to lead to injury that pounding the tarmac.

Mountain biking is a bit different to road cycling in the fitness requirements, for mountain biking I think throwing in a run or two a week and a gym session is beneficial, especially if that running is off road and includes some hills.

But it all really depends on your goals and life, if you only get to ride once a week then making time to go on a 30 min run one morning a week will probably help. If you get to ride a couple of times a week and you would need to drop a ride to make room for a run, then not so much so. If you have plenty of time to commit to your fitness then mixing it up a bit rather than always just going out on the bike is likely to be the most beneficial.

I can’t really comment because I only cycle. Friends however that do both are getting constantly injured from running and that impacts on their cycling. They have great cardio vascular fitness but seem to get a lot of calf injuries and seem to struggle on longer climbs due to muscle strength.

Re Injuries – I started road running a few years ago but kept picking up niggling knee injuries every 2 or 3 months. I’ve since joined the local gym and have been running on a treadmill and can cope with that absolutely fine. It seems my (47yr old) knees are fine when things are smooth and flat, but any twisting buggers them up.

It can be boring but there’s some nice ‘scenery’ in the gym! 😉

Re running complimenting cycling – if you can’t be bothered with a ride then a 30min run is better than nothing. But running in the rain and cold can still be miserable!

I think in simplistic terms: Yes, running can help cycling from a cardio perspective, but should not be used at the expense of bike training sessions. For training to ride fast or long distances, there is no substitute for riding your bike.

Depends a lot on how much of a priority cycling is. If the choice is a running session or a cycling session, the cycling will be better for your cycling. If the choice is running vs nothing, or if you are interested in general fitness beyond pure cycling performance, then a bit of running starts to make sense.

As a mediocre mamil I’ve benefitted a lot from running in recent years, gives my old neck injury a break from cycling and the cycling means I don’t knacker myself from too much running. Plus, I eventually started to enjoy it.

I’d say yes, but depends what you do. I go through bouts of running, these days* they normally have some hills or stair repeats or on the beach. I feel I climb better as a result. As a bit time crunched a run is a good way to get some exercise in.

*previously, when I was doing triathlons my runs were flat and long and ploddish, these never helped.

I like running, but I find a couple of hours run much harder to recover from than an equivalent – ie longer – bike ride. I think it’s more about impact than intensity to be honest, the repeated battering seems to properly screw up my legs, so I rarely run more than a couple of times a week.

I find climbing translates pretty well from one to the other, either way, but running downhill is a different game altogether – combination of impact and muscles working eccentrically, though barely in control off-road descents are brilliant.

I’d rather run than ride in horrible, pouring rain. It just seems less awful, but I guess everyone’s different. Round here it saves your brake pads being ground away by liquid grit as well.

I’d just give it a go and see how you get on. Fwiw, trail running or off road or whatever it’s called this week is a lot more fun than pounding the pavements, but I guess it all depends on where you live. Start gently and build-up and enjoy the DOMS… 😐

For me it helps. My psoas is in bad shape from cycling and running helps that. My flutes are in bad shape from running and cycling helps that. As previously said running can slow your cycling and I found that did happen for me. It does the opposite for some. Providing I did it in moderation and was careful of knees and calves I liked it