My opinion, not research, is that people of many different physical morphologies can be good cyclists. All it takes, really, is a good engine.

In running, body morphology is much more important, and you might have a huge engine, but your massive calf and quad muscles may be a huge limiter. A smaller subset of people have the right morphology for running than for cycling. Also, it takes a lot longer for your body to develop the ability to handle the impacts of running, so a good cyclist might have all the ingredients to become a good runner but they've just not put in enough miles over enough years yet to develop that toughness.

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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You can fit a bike pretty darn well to most any “morphology”.

There isn’t equipment to adjust for someone running with shorter stouter legs or dimensions that mean you are already losing the genetic lottery as a runner.

How about that.

Kind of like sports like basketball. Very rarely is a short player successful. Sometimes. But rare.

Some of it is mental too.

Back in my youth, I could run all day as long as I was chasing a ball. I'd play 4 full 90-minute soccer matches in a tournament weekend, but I'd struggle to run a 5k without huffing. I hated running then, still do.

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Kotter
Getting back into the game...
Slower than you.

Ahhh, Starky runs pretty darn well all things considered. He plays his strength on the bike and hopes it is enough but we never really get to see how fresh Starky is. He also benefits on the bike specifically with CdA/weight but his weight/watts isn't likely any larger than any one else in the sport, in fact it might be less. So his overall engine might be big, but relatively speaking I would think guys like Hanson have engines that are bigger on a relative basis. But in general you can take a lot of great bikers and many won't run well, and a larger number of great runners won't bike well. Some of it comes down to specificity and sport specific strength.

Regardless races like Kona are giant heat dissipation equations and it isn't a surprise why the bigger runners (Starky, Sindballe, Wuertele) etc haven't performed well while the likes of Crowie, Rinny, Lange have.

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• Shortish achilles,wide lower leg, heal down cycling = Starky
• Long achilles, thin lower leg, toe down cycling = Frodo

I just picked two examples. I see almost no heel down cyclists who can run fast. It's like those heel down speed skaters who can't run either and those toe down XC skiers wh CAN run.

No science in this, but you don't see any short achilles fat calf kenyans either...their achilles and calf work like spring.

I'd love to know this. I have a very good w/kg and w/cda. I'm a strong swim biker. I have a good 5k time. My open mary and ironman mary don't match up with what I can do in a 5k or my engine. I think most of it is due to me only starting volume running in the past 5 years, but it has always pissed me off. I'm not a big bloke either. Every year the run comes down a bit more, but not where I think it should be.

Wouldn't a heel-down cyclist be long achilles, toe down would be short achilles?

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Ed O'Malley
www.VeloVetta.com
Founder of VeloVetta Cycling Shoes
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Interesting question that I've thought about myself as my run is constantly my limiter towards contending for AG wins and worlds slots.I think a lot of it comes down to genetics- the same genetics which generate strength (in terms of pure watts) on the bike are often limiters on the run. Even at my leanest, I still have a thick build and carry a lot of weight for my height. Most of that weight is in my uppers legs, butt, and core, with some in my chest (I basically look like a less strong team pursuit track rider). My build gives me the ability to really crank out strength-based watts (i.e. I can generate a ton of torque without building up lactic acid). As I've build my aerobic base, I've become more efficient at generating watts without burning carbs or fatiguing my muscles.

The problem is that my build doesn't translate to running at all. While I can generate the power to overcome my weight on the bike, running is extremely hard on my quads (especially after a hard bike in the TT position). I've done a ouple of marathons, and my legs just can't withstand more than 2 hours or so of hard running no matter how fit I am. I generate my bike power in my hips, which just doesn't translate to an efficient running stride. I also have a lack of flexibility in my hips and especially hamstrings, which don't hurt my bike but prevent me from having a long smooth stride.

My weight/build also kills my ability to cool myself in hot/humid conditions. I sweat more than anyone I've ever met, and I lose the ability to regulate my body temp or take on enough fluids in hot/humid conditions. In cool conditions (<60F, low humidity), my half PR is a 1:28, while I doubt that I would crack 1:40 or even 1:45 in hot and humid conditions. Since tris are typically in the latter, my run typically devolves into an embarrassment even if I pace myself well (we're talking a sub 2:20 bike split with HR in Z2, followed by a 1:50 run in a HIM).

I imagine for pros that the limiters aren't as extreme since they're still fantastic runners relative to AGers, but they're still there in many cases. Makes it even more impressive when someone like Jan is able to bike with Kienle and run a ridiculous marathon in the heat at Frankfurt.

These good bikers but not as good at distance running,

How good are they at sprints and jumping? Useless in tris I would think

My bike is much much better than my run. But in sprints and jumping I’m much higher/faster than average. Genetically big calves and fairly big quads

Is this the same for other slow distance runners out there?

IMO it's because the bike carries a person's weight and there really is no weight penalty. OTOH low weight matters much more with running, not just the push off but the landing too.

I tried to be a cyclist first and lacked power. When I switched to running I was much more successful because I weighed around 135lbs at 6'.

Good distance runners, while they seem to skim over the ground, can't do a decent standing jump.

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Indoor Triathlete - I thought I was right, until I realized I was wrong.

I don't think so. Those guys whose calves come all the way down to just above ankle vs the guys who have a small calves barely bigger than a tennis ball tucked up high on the leg just under the knee.....depending on who passes you on the bike you know if you're in trouble on the run or not!!! If the legs have a lot of weight near ankles then you may as well be running with ankle weight vs racing flats (that's just the physics of rotating weight). Then there is the mechanical aspects of the function of the achilles and plantar fascia that help some runners spring load from stride to stride while others can't store energy and release it....they just thump along and lose all that mechanical energy into heat.