Cycling to running miles conversion
#26
Senior Member
Join Date: Mar 2022
Location: Missoula MT
Posts: 1,779
Bikes: Handsome xoxo, Serotta atx, Canyon Endurace CF8
Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 906 Post(s)
Liked 1,930 Times
in
858 Posts
depends on the distance and individual effort. I have run 10 marathons 2:48 fastest (portland) slowest 3:00:05 (Boston) and all the rest in the low 2:50's so not fast but not slow. I have done a 10 hour 200 miler. I don't think you can remotely compare longer distances runs to cycling, every marathon took several days before I felt like running again and longer to run pain free, the cycling I could have repeated a long ride the next day in fact we did, I know some do much better than others. But if you shorten the distances to say a 10K in the 35-36 minute range it might compare to a 55 minute 40K. I did a brisk walk yesterday so can't compare it to running but I figure I felt about the same an hour after I got home as I do when I ride 30 miles at a 20mph pace ie I know I did something but not enough to impact the rest of my day or feel it the next. this past summer I did a 110 mile bike ride and the next did a 66 mile bike ride and I am old and fat so I don't think for non elite cyclists or runners you can really do a good comparison.
#27
Rider. Wanderer. Creator.
Join Date: May 2007
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 794
Bikes: Bike Friday Pocket Rocket, Cinelli Hobootleg, Zizzo Liberte
Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 404 Post(s)
Liked 822 Times
in
390 Posts
Having cycled centuries and run marathons and ultramarathons, I've always gone by the approximation that a century = a marathon, more or less. The biggest difference is that the impact of running wrecks your legs in a much different way than cycling. For example, the day after a marathon, walking down stairs can be a challenge. I've never experienced that the day after a big ride. Soreness, for sure. But not that.
One thing that I've also discovered, is that the best thing to do the day after a big run is to go for a light spin on the bike. Seems like getting the blood flowing through your legs really aids in the recovery process.
One thing that I've also discovered, is that the best thing to do the day after a big run is to go for a light spin on the bike. Seems like getting the blood flowing through your legs really aids in the recovery process.
__________________
--------------------------------------
Rider. Wanderer. Creator.
JohnMFlores.com | YouTube: JohnMFlores
Insta: JohnMichaelFlores | TikTok: @johnnymotoflores
--------------------------------------
Rider. Wanderer. Creator.
JohnMFlores.com | YouTube: JohnMFlores
Insta: JohnMichaelFlores | TikTok: @johnnymotoflores
Likes For john m flores:
#28
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2017
Location: Hacienda Hgts
Posts: 2,119
Bikes: 1999 Schwinn Peloton Ultegra 10, Kestrel RT-1000 Ultegra, Trek Marlin 6 Deore 29'er
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 829 Post(s)
Liked 1,968 Times
in
948 Posts
I would think pain tolerance and joint fatigue/inflammation is very individual as well as boredom.
For instance, in my youth I could play four hours of fast paced full court pickup basketball and still be invested in the process.
If road cycling in an majestic part of the country, I could ride all day.
Running, on the other hand, after 30 minutes, due to my wrecked body, I'm done no matter what because I do not have a saddle, handle bars and pedals offsetting the impact on my joints. After two miles of what would be considered a slow jog, I'm done.
For myself, I cannot compare the two to make a logical conversion.
For instance, in my youth I could play four hours of fast paced full court pickup basketball and still be invested in the process.
If road cycling in an majestic part of the country, I could ride all day.
Running, on the other hand, after 30 minutes, due to my wrecked body, I'm done no matter what because I do not have a saddle, handle bars and pedals offsetting the impact on my joints. After two miles of what would be considered a slow jog, I'm done.
For myself, I cannot compare the two to make a logical conversion.
#29
Newbie racer
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 3,406
Bikes: Propel, red is faster
Mentioned: 34 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1575 Post(s)
Liked 1,569 Times
in
974 Posts
Caveat being, there is an issue of pace. Riding a bike is riding a bike, no matter how slow really (assuming you're not going down an infinite mountain). Running no longer really is running below a certain pace, it's walking. The economies of the run versus the walk makes the math different probably once you breach the "walk" threshold. The run is at some point your stride has both feet are off the ground.
One way or another though, time for time, running in most training trackers accumulates more training stress at the same intensity per unit time. Running at the same % threshold as biking accumulates more training stress. Trainingpeaks does. Someone replied to a Slowtwitch topic about this when I asked sometime last year, and the response was basically it's the metabolic cost is higher running at the same intensity as you bike. They used to or did work for Trainingpeaks as the person answering.
#30
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2009
Posts: 1,857
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 515 Post(s)
Liked 669 Times
in
394 Posts
Time and heart rate is how I did it, but there is really no direct conversion, I find fitness transfers well, but power and speed not so much. I hate running, but I've always been naturally good at it, particularly XC or on uneven surfaces.
#31
Grupetto Bob
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,294
Bikes: Bikey McBike Face
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2628 Post(s)
Liked 5,756 Times
in
2,964 Posts
I know that when time didn’t allow me to cycle, I could go out for a quick run and get my workout in.
__________________
Road 🚴🏾♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾♂️
Road 🚴🏾♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾♂️
Likes For rsbob:
#32
Perceptual Dullard
Join Date: Sep 2009
Posts: 2,459
Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 939 Post(s)
Liked 1,201 Times
in
516 Posts
My answer was, "probably between 2.5 and 3.5 miles; the faster the runner the closer to 2.5 while the slower the runner the closer to 3.5." Here's how I got to my answer.
Likes For RChung:
#34
Cheerfully low end
Join Date: Jun 2020
Posts: 1,980
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 646 Post(s)
Liked 1,045 Times
in
668 Posts
Someone once posed the question this way: "A co-worker and myself are having a friendly bike / run contest. What is a good ratio for miles ridden vs. miles run? I know it depends on pace. But I'm curious what a generally accepted range of ratios might be."
My answer was, "probably between 2.5 and 3.5 miles; the faster the runner the closer to 2.5 while the slower the runner the closer to 3.5." Here's how I got to my answer.
My answer was, "probably between 2.5 and 3.5 miles; the faster the runner the closer to 2.5 while the slower the runner the closer to 3.5." Here's how I got to my answer.
Otto
Likes For ofajen:
#35
Senior Member
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: South Carolina Upstate
Posts: 2,109
Bikes: 2010 Fuji Absolute 3.0 1994 Trek 850
Mentioned: 3 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 762 Post(s)
Liked 555 Times
in
322 Posts
without reading the previous threads or doing any calculations I'd say - 1 mile of running = 8 miles of cycling
Likes For Flip Flop Rider:
#36
Method to My Madness
Join Date: Nov 2020
Location: Orange County, California
Posts: 3,758
Bikes: Trek FX 2, Cannondale Synapse x2, Cannondale CAAD4, Santa Cruz Stigmata 3
Mentioned: 4 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2012 Post(s)
Liked 1,517 Times
in
1,051 Posts
#38
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,004
Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3982 Post(s)
Liked 7,433 Times
in
2,989 Posts
#39
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Montreal, Quebec
Posts: 5,962
Mentioned: 16 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1838 Post(s)
Liked 1,711 Times
in
987 Posts
How much running do you do? If almost none, then The answer is not going to be the same as if you run regularly. I hate to run even though I am pretty good at it. This is a totally subjective question
#41
Advocatus Diaboli
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,659
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4760 Post(s)
Liked 1,539 Times
in
1,008 Posts
hmm.. 4.62197 x 7.5 = 34.66.. awfully close. Coincidence?
#42
Advocatus Diaboli
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: Wherever I am
Posts: 8,659
Bikes: Merlin Cyrene, Nashbar steel CX
Mentioned: 14 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4760 Post(s)
Liked 1,539 Times
in
1,008 Posts
There are a lot of folks this time of the year indoor Zwifting etc. Lunchtime or before work who enter a 10-12 mile race. It's a pretty good workout that is admittedly hard to easily do for many folks on the road, out your front door on a bike. How does this compare to a 3-4 mile run?
Likes For jadmt:
#44
Grupetto Bob
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,294
Bikes: Bikey McBike Face
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2628 Post(s)
Liked 5,756 Times
in
2,964 Posts
There are a lot of folks this time of the year indoor Zwifting etc. Lunchtime or before work who enter a 10-12 mile race. It's a pretty good workout that is admittedly hard to easily do for many folks on the road, out your front door on a bike. How does this compare to a 3-4 mile run?
__________________
Road 🚴🏾♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾♂️
Road 🚴🏾♂️ & Mountain 🚵🏾♂️
#45
Senior Member
Join Date: Oct 2023
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 587
Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 381 Post(s)
Liked 284 Times
in
183 Posts
I'm no runner, but I don't understand how people train for marathons by running shorter distances. Doesn't it make sense to go out on a Saturday and walk 3mph for about 9 hours? If you can do it, you have completed a marathon and that is your time. Next time, try to do it a little faster. After a few practices, add some racewalking or jogging intervals to get your time down more.
#46
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2009
Posts: 6,004
Bikes: Colnago, Van Dessel, Factor, Cervelo, Ritchey
Mentioned: 8 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3982 Post(s)
Liked 7,433 Times
in
2,989 Posts
I'm no runner, but I don't understand how people train for marathons by running shorter distances. Doesn't it make sense to go out on a Saturday and walk 3mph for about 9 hours? If you can do it, you have completed a marathon and that is your time. Next time, try to do it a little faster. After a few practices, add some racewalking or jogging intervals to get your time down more.
Likes For tomato coupe:
#47
52psi
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Tucson, AZ
Posts: 4,016
Bikes: Schwinn Volare ('78); Raleigh Competition GS ('79)
Mentioned: 29 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 790 Post(s)
Liked 802 Times
in
391 Posts
Can't coast while running. Comparison should pretty much end there.
__________________
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
A race bike in any era is a highly personal choice that at its "best" balances the requirements of fit, weight, handling, durability and cost tempered by the willingness to toss it and oneself down the pavement at considerable speed. ~Bandera
Likes For Fahrenheit531:
#48
Junior Member
I ran a 5:15 marathon in September this last year, and rode a 6:10 century about a month later. If I was guesstimating I would say the marathon was roughly twice as hard. Two other factors for me, though:
- If I want a quick workout, as little as 15-20 minutes of running is fine, but I don't feel like I've even really gotten warmed up on the bike until close to an hour.
- I'm never interested in running more than 4 consecutive hours again, but if I get the opportunity I'll gladly jump at 8-10 hours on a bike. My endurance limit for running is fatigue, but for a bike it's schedule.
- If I want a quick workout, as little as 15-20 minutes of running is fine, but I don't feel like I've even really gotten warmed up on the bike until close to an hour.
- I'm never interested in running more than 4 consecutive hours again, but if I get the opportunity I'll gladly jump at 8-10 hours on a bike. My endurance limit for running is fatigue, but for a bike it's schedule.
Likes For One Wheel:
#49
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 39,413
Mentioned: 211 Post(s)
Tagged: 1 Thread(s)
Quoted: 18485 Post(s)
Liked 15,780 Times
in
7,409 Posts
#50
Grupetto Bob
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Seattle-ish
Posts: 6,294
Bikes: Bikey McBike Face
Mentioned: 2 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 2628 Post(s)
Liked 5,756 Times
in
2,964 Posts