Will biking for long distances help with running endurance and vice versa? Or are they sufficiently different that all they won't help with regard to the other?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting to be able to bike my way to running a marathon or anything, I'm just wondering to what degree, if at all, they'll help one last longer in the other.

The best way to get better at a specific activity is to do that activity.  That said, there is a crossover between the two sports.  Riding at a legitimate exercise pace benefits running more than running benefits riding in my experience and that of most of my friends (a bunch of triathletes).

Riding lets you keep your heart rate up for a much longer time than you could running and does not put the impact stress on your body.  Running is more intense and its main benefit to cycling is cardiovascular and weight loss, although running hills/stairs does seem to improve cycling power.

I can run a 4 hour marathon, but I doubt I could stay on a bike that long.

Quoted: I can run a 4 hour marathon, but I doubt I could stay on a bike that long.

I did a 6h 45m ride for 125 miles last Saturday (the day after doing a 75 mile ride/7mile run).  I doubt that I could run for 6h 45m.

If you trained for cycling you could ride for 4 hours far more easily than you could run that amount of time.

Cardiovascularly yes.

Heart rate is heart rate.


Where you will run into problems, is with muscular endurance.  Little muscles.


As my knees went to shit, I obviously did less running, and more biking.


On the increasingly rare occasions that I did run, I didn't get gassed, but had fucking shin muscles give out on me.

I am primarily a runner (half marathons) but recently did the 400 mile Bicycle Tour of Colorado.  What I found when starting cycling was that as stated above, the muscle strength portion does NOT carry over.

However I also found once I got strong in cycling, that my running got better too.  For some reason I feel like I can run faster and have more endurance.  I don't know why.

In arfcomm tradition, do both!  

It doesn't help much. But I've found that the lunge is an exercise the gives great benefits in both. I like to hold a 45lb bar, do five lunges, clean and press 5 times, then repeat for 200m or more.

Depends on your pedal technique. if you're riding platform pedals, you're only transmitting about a quarter of your available power to the wheels.

If you're riding toe clips, or better yet clipless pedals, you can get a lot more out of a cycling workout and ride farther, faster.

You want to think circles, even though your pedal effort will feel like you're drawing a square.

Here's how it works with clipless pedals and some practice:

From 11:00 to 2:00 push forward and down on the pedal, like you're trying to scrape mud off your shoe.

From 2:00 to 5:00 push down naturally

From 5:00 to 7:00 push down and back, like you're trying to scrape mud off your shoe again.

From 7:00 to 11:00 pull up with your calves to start the stroke again. You'll feel this all the way down the backs of your legs if you do it right.

I've been riding clipless for about 7 years, and I'll never go back to platforms or toe clips.

With this technique, an average person can out ride people who are in Adonis-like physical condition, but who use poor pedal technique.

I ride a 32 pound Mtn bike on the local trail, and I can stay on the back wheel of all but the most serious roadies. Nothing gives a roadie more motivation than seeing a 205 pound guy on an off-road rig drafting on his ass for twelve miles.

Different muscles, different tasks.

Try running, biking AND steep uphill hikes.

Cross training is the best.

My heart is still with biking/mountain biking though.
The uphill hiking and running have helped tremendously.

Quoted: Cross training is the best.

Actually, specificity is the best if one is trying to excel at running.

Cross training is better for overall health, but nothing makes somebody a better runner than running.

Quoted: Quoted: I can run a 4 hour marathon, but I doubt I could stay on a bike that long. I did a 6h 45m ride for 125 miles last Saturday (the day after doing a 75 mile ride/7mile run).  I doubt that I could run for 6h 45m. If you trained for cycling you could ride for 4 hours far more easily than you could run that amount of time.

As a matter of fact I went out for a bike ride on Thusday I wanted to see how long a certain course was. I ended up covering 14.5 miles, towards the end I was dying. Saturday I headed out for my run felt good and the last two miles I even picked it up. Covered the same distance but ran it. I think good runners can be ok bike riders but I dont think good bike riders can be ok runners.

Quoted: I think good runners can be ok bike riders but I dont think good bike riders can be ok runners.

As evidenced by Lance Armstrong running NYCM in just under 3 hours and Laurent Jalabert (another former pro cyclist) doing the same thing in 2:55 one year earlier. I haven't seen too many former pro marathoners move into cycling events with anywhere near the success of these folks.  

Take if from this former cyclist turned triathlete, cycling benefits running far more than vice versa.  In college, I was on the 3 mile/year running plan - just for PRT.  The rest of my time was spent on a bicycle, 180-225 miles/week, and I managed to run an 8:50 1.5 mile time.  That's a time that I have only bettered once in the 20-plus years since, and when I did beat 8:50 my running mileage was much higher.

Regarding your experience last Thursday, one ride is not training and the fact that you don't ride much makes me question the mechanical state of your bike, your gearing choices, and position setup.

In training for my upcoming Ironman I have been putting in 12-17 hours/week on the bike and 3.5-5 running, but my long runs have seldom been better - like 16 miles at a barely sub 9 minute pace with HR down in the low 130s - at least until the heat showed up a few weeks ago.

I agree with H46 that cycling will help a little more with running than vice versa, but it won't help much. A cyclist will have large, well conditioned quads that are little more than leg weights on the level run. Up hill they help a bit more, though. I cycled at the national level in high school and college and also ran track in high school. I always felt that my quads slowed me down.

Quoted: Quoted: Regarding your experience last Thursday, one ride is not training and the fact that you don't ride much makes me question the mechanical state of your bike, your gearing choices, and position setup.

I will give you this one. My Bike is not the best set, my gearing choices probably  are not the greatest either.

Quoted: I will give you this one. My Bike is not the best set, my gearing choices probably  are not the greatest either.

I'd be willing to answer any questions you might have about setting things up better.