Originally Posted by
spectastic
however, I realize running uses totally different muscle groups than cycling. so what's your take on off season training on a time budget?
Nah - they are the same groups. Patterns and ratios may change but they are the same muscles. The mitochondria and capillaries don't care what you are doing.
Originally Posted by
grolby
Nothing will touch cycling for increasing your power on the bike. You can probably train your aerobic energy systems very well via running, rowing or XC skiing, but you won't help your speed at all. Basically you can build good endurance, but speed on the bike will be a problem.
I disagree provided you actually run fast. I recall a paper where they took elite cyclists and replaced some of their off-season riding with running and their power increased more than the controls who actually did more total training. Lots of cyclists bash running because they can't do it for more than a few minutes without getting hurt.