This is Roadman’s cyclist-first bike-to-run guide. It serves riders preparing for duathlon or another multisport event while running is still the newer discipline. For the broad definition, evidence and long-course decisions, use the complete brick-training guide.
Before the first brick: can you run comfortably?
A cyclist may have a large aerobic engine and little recent exposure to running impact. That combination makes it easy to run faster or longer than the tissue is prepared to tolerate.
Before adding a transition run, establish that you can complete the proposed duration comfortably on fresh legs. If eight easy minutes is not comfortable alone, putting it after a ride does not make it a better first step. Use the first 5K plan for cyclists to build the running base and the cycling-and-running weekly schedule to keep impact days visible.
New or worsening pain, altered gait or a return from injury changes this plan. Use an appropriately qualified clinician when assessment is needed.
What running after cycling may change
A 2022 systematic review of 39 studies found that most studies reported worse performance when running followed cycling, while biomechanical and physiological findings were mixed across different protocols.
That evidence supports practising the sequence. It does not support Roadman’s previous claim that every untrained cyclist runs 10–15% slower and then reaches a 1–5% gap within weeks.
In one 2019 crossover study, ten trained non-elite triathletes covered 195 m less in a maximal 12-minute run after cycling, with a 0.1 m reduction in stride length and no difference in several other measured variables. In another small study, eight well-trained triathletes ran 10 km more slowly after a 65-minute ride than in an isolated run. Those results describe the tested groups and protocols, not every cyclist.
The eight-week cyclist-to-duathlete progression
This is a conservative coaching example, not a validated universal protocol. Keep the transition run easy and progress one variable at a time.
| Weeks | Bike | Run immediately after | Question to answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | 45–60 min easy | 8–10 min easy run-walk | Can you transition calmly and run normally? |
| 3–4 | 60 min easy | 12–15 min easy | Does effort settle without chasing pace? |
| 5–6 | 60–75 min with familiar steady work | 15–20 min easy | Does a modest bike load change control or symptoms? |
| 7–8 | 75–90 min at event-relevant effort | 15–25 min controlled | Can you rehearse your opening duathlon run plan? |
Weeks 1–2: learn the switch
Set out safe running shoes before riding. Complete an easy 45–60-minute ride, stop and secure the bike, then begin an easy run-walk. Record transition time, effort, pace, discomfort and next-day response. The goal is not speed.
Weeks 3–4: repeat before extending
Keep the ride and run aerobic. Remove some or all walk breaks only when the run remains comfortable. Repetition makes equipment and pacing less chaotic without adding a hard training day.
Weeks 5–6: add one bike variable
Add familiar steady work to the ride or extend it modestly, then keep the run easy. Do not extend the ride and accelerate the run in the same session; you would no longer know which change altered the response.
Weeks 7–8: make it event-relevant
Use the bike effort expected in the event, practise the real transition and run the planned opening effort. A successful rehearsal is controlled and repeatable. It is not the fastest possible first kilometre.
Cadence and form: avoid magic rules
Roadman previously told cyclists to spin a high cadence before transition and aim for a fixed 170–180 running cadence. Neither is a universal rule.
Cadence research is conflicting. A 10 km run study found no overall performance difference after low, preferred or high cycling cadence, while a different time-to-fatigue study favoured a lower-cadence finish under its protocol. Use the cadence you can sustain for the event and test deliberate changes individually.
On the run, use simple control cues: easy effort, stable posture, quiet contact and no forced stride. Cadence depends on speed and the runner. Pain or a gait change is a stop signal, not a cue to force faster feet.
Fuelling without the sloshing-stomach rule
Fuel the complete session from its duration and demand. A short easy starter brick may need little or no during-session carbohydrate when the rider begins adequately fuelled. A longer event-specific session may need a written carbohydrate and fluid plan.
Do not empty a bottle or force a gel at a fixed time just because the run is approaching. Use the in-ride nutrition guide to set carbohydrate, fluid and sodium separately, then practise the products and quantities expected in the event.
When to progress—or pull back
Progress when the transition is calm, the run remains controlled, normal gait is preserved and recovery does not compromise the next key sessions. Repeat or reduce the session when effort spikes, pain appears, form changes or next-day recovery is materially worse.
The full brick-training guide covers race execution, long-course rehearsals and the evidence behind the bike-to-run effect. This page remains the narrower route for cyclists and first-time duathletes.
Last reviewed 26 August 2026. Submit corrections through the Roadman corrections page.