Runners Can't Hold a Candle to Cyclists

Let's focus on this quote "This is absolute and complete rubbish. I can hop on a bike with platform pedals and do a steady state climb at or near FTP. "

I genuinely would love to see good data on this. I'd love to see a serious cyclist match an FTP or higher effort with platform vs clipless, especially on a 5%+ climb.

When I on occasion commute without cycling shoes, I find that my quads tire much more easily than with. I also find that it's harder to push a big gear.

And that it's also more tiring to spin at high cadence. Likely this is because it is necessary to apply a very light downward pressure on the pedal as the pedal rises, so that my foot doesn't come off the pedal especially at higher cadences. This obviously is in opposition to the efforts of the opposite leg, and would be avoided by being locked in.

Let alone climbing even a short section over 8%.

You've got to be kidding me! Are you trying to tell me that pros aren't pulling up on the pedals and engaging their hip flexors on steep climbs out of the saddle?!

Climbing out of the saddle on platforms is just awkward, and the pause at the end of every incomplete pedal stroke is a very obvious lost source of propulsion.

"This is the quintessential pedaling drill, the one you should do a lot in the early weeks of Base...The first thing you’ll notice is that getting through the top of the stroke, the 12-o’clock position, is difficult. Focus on smoothing this top transition. At first you may only last a few seconds before the hip flexors fatigue."

"“Hip flexors are a huge source of power and trouble for most cyclists. It’s a muscle group that’s constantly being used and shortened throughout a workout ... "

Where's Kombucha?

He actually knows what he's talking about, and whether he agrees with me or not that platform pedals are not going to get you a good climbing performance, I'm sure we'll all learn something.

greasy sausage wrote:

The length of this thread alone speaks volumes about many LR's ppl insecurities. If you run, run, if you bike, bike.

Couldn't agree more. This thing needed to die 10 pages ago.

greasy sausage wrote:

The length of this thread alone speaks volumes about many LR's ppl insecurities. If you run, run, if you bike, bike.

And if you are a triathlete, complain about drafting.

This thread was started by an insecure person.

The best people to discuss cycling and running are duathletes. They know what's what.

Why would we hold candles for cyclists? You're strange.

Golden Time wrote:

Why would we hold candles for cyclists? You're strange.

So that their body hair gets either singed or waxed off. You can't cycle without smooth limbs. It's impossible. Any cyclist will tell you that.

What kind of runner doesn't shave their legs and armpits? It looks especially disgusting when you wear running shorts and singlets.

While the thread probably should have died a month ago, it's pretty entertaining. Guarantee if cyclists and runners went to an adult aged party, they'd get along a whole lot better than either would with the Miller Light/Jim beam chasing bro who used to play Beer League Hockey.

Hockey Bro- So what do you do for a living, Me-"I ride bikes professionally" Hockey Bro-Eyes light up," like motorcycles!" Me- No the pedal kind...Hockey Bro "Oh that's cool" slowly slinks away....

Hockey Bro-So what do you do for a living Runner-I'm a professional runner. Hockey Bro- running? Dude I was pretty good at running, I ran like 3:50 in a mile around our soccer fields in high school" Runner- Thinks to himself.... FML

See, look how much alike we are!

As for the dress, few things.

I love "fans" who buy my team's jersey. It's pretty cool and I don't think anything less of them. He's out riding a bike. I actually couldn't care what they wear.

Do people get carried away with the matching helmets, kits, socks, shoes. Yes. Of course. Man, some people spend so much money on that crap it blows my mind. But good for them...Flow money into the industry. Runners do the exact same thing with new spikes, glasses, hats compression socks. Etc. It's just a little bit less of a degree.

I don't care if you wear a visor on the road, or if you have a mismatched kit. Or the best matching kit. All I care about is if you don't do stupid crap and make cars hate us even more. When I show up to a local race ride, when guys start to gutter onto the other lane, I'll go to the front and just change the direction of the pace line. That's a big pet peeve of mine. Don't be dangerous.

Matching kits and local clubs is the exact same equivalent to the local running group. It's a camaraderie and something that a lot of non pros join for the social and competitive aspects.

There's bad apples in every sport. It's so easy to put one group into a box and just assume they all fit the same mold. That's fine, and that's just human nature in general.

As far as the clips vs. clipless debate. A lot of different people can have different pedaling styles. But I will tell you one thing. Let's completely remove any sort of power numbers. I use my clipless pedals to race my bike because I turn with my hips and knees. The bike control I have is greatly affected by being attached to the bike.

And I did see something about saying you only use the upstroke when you "accelerate". Even if that is the case, a long steady climb in the pro peloton is essentially a giant microbursts session. Accelerations, to sitting, to accelerations to sitting. I use my hip flexors and upstroke plenty.

Maybe the result would be the same if I stayed seated at one pace for a 20k six percent grade climb, but that's a pretty unnatural thing to do.

Story time. Descending at 50+mph and we hit some sort of road split, and you have a curb in front of you. I have watched guys bunny hop crap so far last minute that if they hadn't been able to just "pull up" they'd be dead.

Wise One wrote:

What kind of runner doesn't shave their legs and armpits? It looks especially disgusting when you wear running shorts and singlets.

Serious runners. They don't care what they look like.

Which is best – cycling or running?

....

What this study shows, however, is that even at moderate intensities, running causes far more muscle tissue breakdown and inflammation than does cycling – something that partly explains why endurance runners generally have much weaker and less powerful leg muscles than their cycling counterparts and why runners are more prone to injury.

It has now been scientifically proven that cyclists are better than runners.

cycling makes your legs bigger so your pants fight better.

running does more to keep you from getting fat, unless you have all day.

Both running and biking are aerobic exercise. This means that these sports can be used as a means to lose weight. In this respect, running is much more effective than bicycling.

This is the pinnacle of runner style. The only question is, how did Galen know?

https://www.podiumrunner.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/Rupp_GalenMask-USAout.jpg

Dial it up wrote:

jTjg wrote:

The only cyclists I know personally couldn't cut it as a runner.

Then you don't know any real cyclists. I've run at a higher level than 99% on this site and now am a competitive cyclist and cycling is MUCH more difficult both physically and mentally.

Then you were not a high level runner and you are not a competitive cyclist.

I do both.

15 warm up cycle

30,45 or 60 minute run depending what day of week.

20-30 minute cool down cycle.

Yoga 2-3 times a week, should do more.

Last night I rode to the track, ran a few laps to warm up further, did straights/curves for a while, did a few laps on the infield slowly, then rode home.