For health reasons, considering giving up running and bike more instead.

You may want to look into bicycle-motor vehicle accident rates and their consequences before making your final decision.

my 2c wrote:

You may want to look into bicycle-motor vehicle accident rates and their consequences before making your final decision.

Exactly. Bicycling is so much more dangerous. The chances of dying are real. In running not so much.

Runner who cycled a bit wrote:

my 2c wrote:

You may want to look into bicycle-motor vehicle accident rates and their consequences before making your final decision.

Exactly. Bicycling is so much more dangerous. The chances of dying are real. In running not so much.

Amen. I would love to ride more if I had a place to do it out of reach of sleepy/drunk/texting drivers. I live in a small city where traffic is not too hairy, but it's still a level of danger that makes me uncomfortable. Runners get injured a lot, sure, but they rarely get killed or disabled by running.

amkelley wrote:

Runner who cycled a bit wrote:

Exactly. Bicycling is so much more dangerous. The chances of dying are real. In running not so much.

Amen. I would love to ride more if I had a place to do it out of reach of sleepy/drunk/texting drivers. I live in a small city where traffic is not too hairy, but it's still a level of danger that makes me uncomfortable. Runners get injured a lot, sure, but they rarely get killed or disabled by running.

Like with many things, if you just look on the surface the risk can seem pretty high. If you start digging into the statistics, you quickly see just how many of those deaths were either:

1. Drunk cyclists veering into the path of a motor vehicle

2. Uneducated cyclists riding against traffic and/or at night without lights

3. Kids doing dumb things

I’m a near-example of a counterpoint to the above (hit once by a woman presumably on medication of some sort who drove right into the back of me, luckily at low-ish speed but I still wound up with a fractured back from landing butt-first on the pavement) but I have also cycled tens of thousands of uneventful miles including a bunch at night and in all sorts of bad weather as I was a year-round commuter for a while. I have come as close or closer to dying from auto accidents and Lyme’s disease. But I enjoy road cycling so I’ll continue to do it.

Enough is Enough wrote:

I'm 36 and have a running induced foot injury. Three years ago I had a major leg injury that basically crippled me for seven months. Running has given me so much in my life but I am just thinking it's not worth it anymore. I always loved to run and compete but at this point in life I don't want to have my legs and feet screwed up as I get older. I see bike riders riding for hours and hours and having few injuries. I hear about pro riders with resting heart rates in the thirties and I see their veined up legs and I honestly wonder if that's the smarter option. I'd like to be fit and healthy without being debilitated.

As I get get older my ratio of running to cycling has shifted. Through my thirties and until my mid forties, I only ran. I gradually added more cycling and reduced running. Now in my late '60s, I run four days a week and cycle three. But as I continue to age I probably will shift the ratio more to cycling.

Yes, there are dangers. Ride dedicated bike paths and lanes when possible, and riding with others gives you all more visibility. I also have lights and light-colored, reflective cycling clothes. I also suggest that if you need to ride in the rain, only do it with a bike that has disc brakes. They cost more, but bike crashes (even without a car involved) can cause a lot of damage. I'm five years out from a trip to the ICU, so I know what I'm talking about on that subject.

Cycling is a good, low impact activity that you can enjoy into your old age. And if the weather is bad you can get a trainer for your road bike or and exercise bike. Lots of cyclists like Peloton or Zwift to keep them motivated indoors. I'm a pretty motivated guy, and I just listen to music when I'm on the indoor trainer.

Wrong trade. Read “Body by Science” by Doug McGuff, MD and take up WEIGHT TRAINING.

To add to the other posts on here, one of my friends was sadly killed while cycling. She was hit by a 4x4 (SUV) being driven erratically. She was 41.

However I've also been told by a friend that the health benefits of cycling reduce the risk of dying more than the risk of cycling itself (probably true if you compare cycling to no sport, maybe not true if you compare e.g. cycling to swimming).

It sounds like running is causing you pain. At the end of the day life is full of risk, if you want to cycle do it. I am sure there are ways to make it safer, I know you can't make it perfectly safe or eliminate risk. But if you get a lot of enjoyment out of it go for it.

Life is short.

Brian Gates2 wrote:

Wrong trade. Read “Body by Science” by Doug McGuff, MD and take up WEIGHT TRAINING.

Weight lifters get fat as soon as they stop.

Enough is Enough wrote:

I see bike riders riding for hours and hours and having few injuries.

To me, that's the issue with bike riding.

You have to bike for an hour to get the same benefit as running for a half hour.

It's a more time consuming way to maintain fitness.

not sure wrote:

Brian Gates2 wrote:

Wrong trade. Read “Body by Science” by Doug McGuff, MD and take up WEIGHT TRAINING.

Weight lifters get fat as soon as they stop.

Umm ..so do runners/cyclists get fat af once they stop; you’re welcome.

Why not try adventure racing? That way you can both train upper and lower body, still run but stay injury free? Running, cycling and kayaking are good together. Else you can try cross country skiing with rollers? Most xc skiers run or cycle one a day

how many miles per week have you been running? Just drop it down

Perhaps biking combined with weight lifting is healthiest? Biking is very good from a cardiovascular sense but the one thing it lacks is loading or impact to strengthen bones and structure. Assuming you lift in a reasonable manner maybe you can check that box. I actually had a friend in his fifties who biked and lifted and after a while he decided to take up running.

my 2c wrote:

You may want to look into bicycle-motor vehicle accident rates and their consequences before making your final decision.

That's been greatly reduced due thanks to mask wearing. If only everyone knew about the benefits.

my 2c wrote:

You may want to look into bicycle-motor vehicle accident rates and their consequences before making your final decision.

Runner who cycled a bit wrote:

Exactly. Bicycling is so much more dangerous. The chances of dying are real. In running not so much.

amkelley wrote:

Amen. I would love to ride more if I had a place to do it out of reach of sleepy/drunk/texting drivers. I live in a small city where traffic is not too hairy, but it's still a level of danger that makes me uncomfortable. Runners get injured a lot, sure, but they rarely get killed or disabled by running.

Indeed, cycling outside is extremely dangerous and I stopped doing it several decades ago for that reason. However, riding indoors removes almost all of those dangers. I have a good indoor bike now that I ride every day when not running, and I never go cycling outside.

Enough is Enough wrote:

I'm 36 and have a running induced foot injury. Three years ago I had a major leg injury that basically crippled me for seven months. Running has given me so much in my life but I am just thinking it's not worth it anymore. I always loved to run and compete but at this point in life I don't want to have my legs and feet screwed up as I get older. I see bike riders riding for hours and hours and having few injuries. I hear about pro riders with resting heart rates in the thirties and I see their veined up legs and I honestly wonder if that's the smarter option. I'd like to be fit and healthy without being debilitated.

I gave up running due to injury in my mid 40s. I do the Stairmaster instead. I also lift weights. I miss running, but quitting was the right decision for me. Best of luck to you.

I am in the same boat at 42, I can still run decently fast but get injured easily. Maybe thats my curse, my body hasnt slowed down but it breaks down easier. Right now I bike maybe 50 to 80 miles a week, run maybe 15 and do crossfit style workouts. I find the weight lifting helps my running.

It is hard to accept when to hang them up but I now enjoy cycling almost as much.

I just had a friend recently put into intensive care while his friend was killed while they were riding. I try to stay on bike friendly roads and paths

track chick wrote:

To add to the other posts on here, one of my friends was sadly killed while cycling. She was hit by a 4x4 (SUV) being driven erratically. She was 41.

However I've also been told by a friend that the health benefits of cycling reduce the risk of dying more than the risk of cycling itself (probably true if you compare cycling to no sport, maybe not true if you compare e.g. cycling to swimming).

It sounds like running is causing you pain. At the end of the day life is full of risk, if you want to cycle do it. I am sure there are ways to make it safer, I know you can't make it perfectly safe or eliminate risk. But if you get a lot of enjoyment out of it go for it.

Life is short.

Probably true.

I do a good chunk of my "cycling" on a trainer indoors, so no risk of crashing on those days. It also lets me bike on really hot days, rainy days, or when my kids are sleeping and I finally have a break but can't ride outdoors. I usually only ride outdoors mid week during working hours when there are few cars on the road.

Exactly - there are good ways to make it safer.

I've gone over the handlebars twice. I was fine both times, not sure how (I was scratched up the first time as it was onto rocks).