Benefits of cycling over running?

You might want to ease into it slowly OP & start with 2ish days/week to see if that allows you to run on the other days. You could also shoot for a Sprint/Olympic triathlon & just do something like 2-3 of each sport each week to start. The benefits are similar to running. Doing endurance rides, with some workouts mixed in, will keep you active/healthy. If you switch to 6-7 days/week of biking your running days will be over. I've found in triathlon training that I only need 3 days/week of running, with all of the other training, to be in ~PB open running shape. Running basically every other day keeps me healthy and the other activities keep fitness high. Outdoor riding can be dangerous depending on where you live. Putting your real bike on an indoor trainer & getting something like Zwift is good if you wouldn't find that boring.

I have to disagree on this. I would recommend getting a road bike over a straight handle bar hybrid. I know several people who got hybrid bikes when the started riding, then quickly out grew it and got bored with it.

You can get a real drop bar road bike with a comfortable geometry and fit. Not all road bikes have super aggressive slammed down positions. Most are riding wider tires with lower pressure than the old days of 23mm at over 100 psi.

You can get a road bike that is comfortable enough and versatile enough, yet still be enough bike to keep you exited about and develop as a rider for a long time.

I did exactly this (bought the hybrid). However, my second bike was a mountain bike rather than a road bike.

Riding on the roads is dangerous. I've come way too close to death too many times due to a__hat drivers for me to ever relax on the roads. It is just not fun.

Also, exhaust fumes.

Riding trails or even packed gravel paths is much more enjoyable. It keeps you mentally engaged in the same way that trail running does. Sure it is a little frustrating when the guys on the road bikes race past you when you are on pavement, but seeing the countryside from the trails is worth it.

I'm a runner turned cyclist due to injuries. I miss the convenience of running and how quickly I used to be able to get a run in. Plus, cycling is an expensive sport. I do, however, really enjoy cycling. You can go much father and see more cool stuff on a bike. I race every so often, but mostly I enjoy training and going after Strava KOMs. Racing is a pain, with having to travel with your bike and all that stuff. It's a great way to stay fit, have fun, and see some beautiful countryside if you live somewhere with nice roads.

Now I'm old and tired I probably spend more time cycling than running.

I have the mental advantage in that I've loved cycling from an early age (cheers Dad!) but didn't really do much at all when I was running seriously. Now I mix the two quite nicely.

I'm less interested in running races now but do a lot of zwift racing which is fun and keeps the competitive juices flowing. I feel like I've nothing to prove to myself any more so don't take it too seriously and its a great outlet.

As others have said, the pros are that you can see more, less risk of certain injuries and, to me, its more flexible in terms of retaining a level of fitness thats high enough to enjoy it. If I spend a month with no running its very unpleasant for a few weeks as I get going again. With the bike it feels much the same after a few weeks out, you're just a bit slower.

Cons - expense, time, convenience. If you're expecting to treat it equivalently seriously as your running then you're signing up to a lot of time spent and some hefty bills. Whilst its fun it just isn't as "simple" as running. Depending on where you live mountain biking or off-road/gravel riding might be a good option. Mitigates some of the traffic / safety issues.

For me the "buzz" is about the same. I remember doing certain runs and track sessions where it was easy and running was just great. On a bike the kick comes from being able to cruise along with the sea on one side, mountains on the other and just enjoy the moment.

I hate to sound like a fanboy, but consider an Elliptigo or an Elliptigo SUB (stand-up bicycle). I have a road bike and an Elliptigo, and I almost never use the road bike anymore.

After a hamstring injury, I bought an Elliptigo SUB. It has a lot of the joy of running, just while biking. I get most of the same cardio stimulus. And with a routine of three runs a week and 1-2 Elliptigo rides, I can keep decent running fitness with so much less injury risk. A 90-120 minute Elliptigo ride on a country road is the closest thing you will ever find to the joy of a long run without actually running.

I started running as a kid but then picked up the bike when I was 16. After 15 years of riding and racing, I would suggest to never stop running, even if it is 2mi 4 days per week. Riding a bike is time consuming. The overall attitude amongst cyclist is poor.

My suggestion is to just enjoy it. do not catch the disease and become an elitist. It will probably happen on its own.

"20 minute 5k runner" might be taken as someone who casually races which isn't really a thing in cycling. As others have noted above, racing on a bike is not to be taken lightly.

Casual biking is more like fitness running without racing. One might do it solo most of the time which makes it easier to schedule or one might do group rides. If doing group rides, the group might want to ride a particular pace and you'd have to find a group that rides at a pace appropriate to you ability.

Consider also that a bike is generally a better transportation instrument than running, so one might be able to get in miles commuting to work or running errands, thus more of a lifestyle choice with fitness benefit rather than strictly a fitness activity.

I have friends who "left" running for cycling and quit after their inevitable major fall.

The ones who were physically able came back to running.

I know 4 cyclists who have suffered neck or back fractures from cycling accidents, one who had a broken femur, and another who had to end their professional career due to rib/sternum fractures. My achilles is a bit tight sometimes a bit sore after a long run, but I'll take that over the risk of paralysis!

For me, after running as a kid culminating w/ d1, I have realized I like cycling a lot more than I liked running. Everyone is different, but cycling has a lot of benefits.

1. I can train more (and more flexibly). I like training. With running, I'd build up to 100+ mpw because I enjoy running quite a bit, but I'd often get injured. With cycling, I can easily hop on a 2-3 hour ride on the weekend two days in a row without an issue. The lack of pounding on the joints makes life easier. As a second year cyclist, I built up to like 15 hours per week and it wasn't near as arduous as approximately the same amount of time spent running.

2. Races are more geared to longer endurance. In cycling, a lot of the shortest races you can find might 20-30min long, but most of the races 100km, 100mile, etc. will be in the 3-5 hr range depending on ability. A lot of towns in the US will also have something called Wednesday Night Worlds where it's basically a time trial every week along a known course that people or different groups will do and those are really fun and because your body can bounce back a bit easier, you can still be good for a long ride on the weekend.

3. The race tactics are more entertaining. My first race was this last year and there were >1000 people in it and it was pouring down rain for the first hour or two. I was nervous because I'd never done a bike race before and just spent a lot of time stuck in to the race. It turned out to be super fun and more than anything else I had a lot of tactical issues to consider - do I go w/ one group or another group? do i need fuel/water? when should I take fuel/water? When should I start going for it at the end?

4. If nothing else, it's a good supplement for Running. I still run as a hobbyist and my running has improved from the cycling volume I put in. I know a lot of people cross train, but if aerobic capacity is important to your training, long rides especially are helpful.

I’m in a similar place as the OP and I’m trying to keep this advice at the forefront.

Perhaps unlike the OP, the cycling I’ve been doing has more to do with helping me develop running fitness without injury than becoming a faster cyclist. I figure if I can get 4-6 hours of cardio on the bike in addition to 3 runs a week, I probably won’t touch my PRs, but I might preserve the ability to go out and run 5-10 miles at a good clip, which is something I simply enjoy. Maybe I’ll be able to hop in some half marathons and run low 1:20s for fun.

My bicycle is a ~500 dollar hybrid that really sucks on hills, and I know I’d be faster on a different, more expensive bike. But I really can’t justify the expense, so I’m embracing the idea that it doesn’t matter how fast I go, what matters is the training stimulus. So I’m not gonna wear douchey looking spandex and avoid eye contact with others on the trails—I’m gonna wear (longer) running shorts and t-shirts with a light backpack, listening to music and working pretty hard to average a lousy 16 mph, enjoying the ride while getting a good workout.

This is the correct answer. I switched to rowing just over four years ago because of injuries. Best move I ever made. I row over 100K a week and I have yet to have a single injury. Plus I can lift heavy things really well for the first time in my life.

Depending on where you live, there's a lot to be said for a gravel bike. Some places in the western half of the united states are quite close to effectively infinite amounts of forest roads, which leads to some very peaceful and out there riding with no cars to worry about. maybe not so great for a weeknight little ride, but certainly something to consider. and a gravel bike is a pretty versatile piece of equipment, too.

TGOB /So, you averaged about 100 per week, for 27 years of running, or maybe 50 a week

for 54 years. I’m wondering what kinds of times you ran, and I would bet that you

didn’t have too many serious injuries.

Just keep running but lower the bar. I get so much enjoyment out of the walk/run.

It's not as continuously aerobic as a full on run. But it's super easy to get going, you don't need to change clothes, you can wear sandals or go barefoot. You can sprint, bound, or gently test injured areas and give them a chance to strengthen and your mind to gain confidence in them.

If you want that steady aerobic stimulus, hop on the bike when you have time. But between those times, go for the 20 minute walk/run. Running and walking are basically the same thing, it's just turning the dial up or down. And getting out of the "all or nothing" mindset.

I love going barefoot for these. I keep them completely intuitive. I can feel when my achilles has had all it can handle, then I walk until it feels ready to go again. I leave these sessions feeling incredibly refreshed and healthy. I put more emphasis on the structural aspect (bones, tendons, ligaments) than on the metabolic aspect (heart rate, breathing). It's like a super functional form of strength training.

I've seen people on RAGBRAI ride the entire distance on an Elliptigo! 500 miles in 7 days.

I did crew in college, and I really can't imagine just doing indoor rowing. Indoor rowing is, like the treadmill, a form of torture that allows you to maintain / build fitness so you can enjoy rowing outdoors. Of all the indoor workouts I've done, I think indoor rowing is the most torturous. However, rowing outdoors is not something that's easy or cheap to learn or take up. With that said, if you do have a place to row outdoors near you, it might be worth the hassle, as it's a beautiful experience. What many people don't realize is that rowing, unlike kayaking, is perhaps 70-80% based on leg strength, not arms or back, so you don't need a strong upper body.

After running 25 years without a single major injury, I've been fairly injury prone since turning 40. As a result, I've gotten into biking, and more reluctantly, swimming. Typically, I have a goal race in spring. After that, I do a triathlon in late summer. Therefore, I give my body a break by doing a lot more swimming and cycling for three or four months and only running 2-3 times per week max.

If you can swim, sign up for a "super sprint" triathlon and you can get a casual chance to race.

I am a pretty good runner but suck at biking. I'm not sure why, honestly. For that reason, I still prefer running. But biking has been growing on me. I love that I've never had a whisper of injury. I've had plantar fasciitis and IT band problems and a calf pull that stop me from running but I can cycle completely pain free. I love that I can cover more ground and see more stuff while biking. I like the feeling of free wheeling downhill at high speed. (With that said, be careful. E = 1/2 * m * V^2 ~ severity of injury.)

I live in a place with nasty winter weather and have invested in a trainer (Kickr Core but there are lots of options) and a Zwift membership. This is a downside from running - I run outside in basically all weather, but because of the wind, inclement weather is much more difficult to handle on a bike.

It's worth it to invest in good bike bibs. I bought a bunch of cheap ones and eventually shelled out the big bucks for a good pair that changed the game for me and eliminated chafing. (Another thing I've never had to worry about running.) Also, if your butt hurts, get yourself a decent bike seat. At the end of a ride, your legs, not your butt, should hurt the most.