Nine reasons why runners should try cycling

Yes. It won't help with your gait or technique but cycling does build aerobic fitness, strengthens muscles that running underuses and, most importantly, allows you to get in a load of volume without hammering your joints on the tarmac.

The downside is specificity. For example, you couldn't train for a marathon by purely cycling. You'll still need to make sure you're getting the miles in, but you can swap out some runs for cycling. In fact, a 2026 meta-analysis found that runners who swapped 20 to 50% of their running for cycling saw no drop in their VO2 max or running performance, but did see an impact on their top-end speed.

So think of the bike as a training partner, not a replacement. Used well, it lets you do more aerobic work with less wear and tear.

1. It builds your aerobic engine without the pounding

Whether we like it or not, running is a high impact sport. It's not necessarily the force of each stride that causes it, it's the sheer volume of them. With each one you are sending impact up through your feet, ankles, shines, knees and hips. This all adds wear and tear through your joints. Pedalling doesn't. This means you can add some serious aerobic volume, increasing your capacity with less risk of breaking down.  

2. It strengthens the muscles running neglects

Cycling and running use completely different muscle groups. Running works your hip flexors, hamstrings and calf's a lot more than cycling which is very quad and glute centric. Doing both and you'll have less muscle imbalances, and with stronger quads you'll have more control over each landing and be able to hold your form better on descents.

For a simple strength session on the bike, find a steady climb and ride it seated in a big gear at a low cadence, around 50 to 60 rpm. Think of it as a leg-press session that also works the heart and lungs. Low-cadence work like this is also used to rebuild quad strength after some running injuries.  

Want to build on it? Pair your bike work with a couple of strength and conditioning sessions at a Neilson Beach Club.

3. It helps you recover between hard runs

It might sound counter intuitive, but sometimes the worst thing you can do the day after a hard session is nothing. You're better doing some low impact active recovery to get the blood flowing again and ease the stiffness. This is where a gentle 30 to 45 minute bike ride comes in, it lets you get the legs moving without adding any more stress or strain to the joints.

4. It keeps you fit when you're injured

The fastest way to lose fitness when you're injured is completely stopping. You're better off adapting your training to maintain as much fitness as you can, as long as your physio allows it. This is where cycling can help runners who have impact injuries, slight strains or are returning from injury. It allows them to keep their aerobic base ticking over while they heal or to build little bit of leg strength before they start running again.

5. It lets you train more without breaking down

Many running injuries come from doing too much, too soon. The bike gives you a way to add training volume without adding impact. That's useful whether you're building towards a marathon or just want to get fitter without your knees screaming at you.

It helps if weight loss is one of your goals, too. Running burns more per minute, but you can ride for longer and recover faster, so your weekly total goes up.  

6. It gives your head a break

Running the same loops week after week can get stale. Sometimes you need a little bit of a palate cleanser, so to speak. That's where doing a new sport, with new routes and, most importantly, new people can make all the difference. A weekend cafe ride with a load of lycra-cladded cyclist can be just the change you need to reinvigorate your next run.  

7. It takes you further than your trainers can

A two-hour ride can easily cover 40 to 50km. That's rolling coastal roads, winding countryside lanes, picturesque little villages that you'd never reach on foot in a morning. There's also the opportunity of going off-road on a mountain bike, where you get to explore trails and get the buzz of fast descents down over rocks and roots.

Specificity, specificity, specificity. It all comes back to that. While cycling is a great supplement to running, it isn't running. It's not going to replace hitting the tarmac. Here's a breakdown of why it doesn't help.

It won't make you much faster on its own

Speed is specific. To run fast, you need to practise running fast. Top-end speed doesn't carry over from the bike, so keep your intervals and tempo sessions on foot.  

It doesn't prepare your legs for impact

Cycling is low-impact on your joints (unless you crash, of course). And with it being low-impact it doesn't teach your muscles to absorb load as they shorten and lengthen with each stride. Cycling is almost entirely the opposite, with muscles working as they shorten. It's why runners lose more by swapping running for cycling than the other way around.

It takes longer

Minute for minute, running is the more time-efficient workout. To get a similar training effect from the bike, you'll need to ride for longer than you'd run .  

In summary, keep your key runs as runs, and use the bike to add easy volume, build strength and recover.

If you want to add cycling to your training plan then the easiest way to do that is by swapping one or two easy runs a week for a bike ride. Research has found that you can swap out 20 to 50% of their running with no to minimal impact on their fitness. So you can swap out your easy runs for volumes and keep your long runs, intervals and tempo runs as they are.

To match the training effect, ride for longer than you would have run. A really rough rule to go by is that you should do 1.76 to 1 for every minute. So, a 30-minute easy run should be roughly a 55-minute easy ride.

Below are 3 potential sessions to include:

• Recovery spin: 30 to 45 minutes, very easy, with a light gear and a quick cadence (85 to 95 rpm). Ride it the day after your long run or hardest session.
• Hill strength: 45 to 60 minutes including four to six seated climbs of three to five minutes, in a big gear at 50 to 60 rpm.
• Long steady ride: 60 to 120 minutes at a conversational pace (zone 2) to build endurance without any impact. 

A sample week

Here's how a runner with three main runs a week could fit a few bike sessions in. 

New to riding? Our guide to the benefits of cycling and how to get started covers the basics, and how to get cycling fit will help you build up. 

At our Beach Clubs, most runs and rides head out in the morning, while it's cool and the roads are quiet. That makes it easy to train like a hybrid athlete. Join run club one morning and a guided ride the next, and you've got a balanced week with someone else doing the route planning.

Afternoons are yours. Try some water sports, have a swim, play a bit of padel or tennis or book a recovery massage to look after your legs.

Does zone 2 cycling help running?

Yes. Zone 2 is steady, conversational effort, and it's the intensity that builds your aerobic base. That base transfers well from bike to run, because your heart and lungs adapt whatever sport you're doing. Your heart rate usually sits a little lower on the bike than when running at the same effort, so set separate bike zones or go by feel. If you can hold a conversation, you're in the right place.

Is cycling for 30 minutes better than running for 30 minutes?

Minute for minute, running wins. It's more specific and more time-efficient. But if your legs are tired or you're carrying a niggle, 30 minutes of easy cycling beats 30 minutes of running that aggravates it.

Which burns more calories, cycling or running?

Running usually burns more per minute at the same effort, because you're carrying your full body weight with every stride.  

Can cycling replace running?

No. It's a supplement. Cycling can keep your fitness ticking over while you're injured or add easy volume, but replace too many runs and your running performance will slip.  

Fancy putting it into practice somewhere warmer? Take a look at our cycling holidays or browse our Beach Clubs to find your run-and-ride base. We'll supply the bikes, you can bring the lycra.

Looking for more cycling content then check out our complete guide to cycling in Mauritius, best mountain biking routes in Rhodes and our guide to cycling in Greece.