Ask Ethan: Why Is Biking A 4-Minute Mile So Much Easier Than Running One?
Most of us will never run a 4 minute mile. But on a bicycle, almost anyone can do it.
As human beings, we often take for granted how our bodies work. So long as we position our center-of-mass directly over or between our feet, we can easily maintain our balance. When we walk, the force between the bottoms of our feet and the ground upon which we stand propels us forward, and the swinging motion we involuntarily make with our arms helps balance the left-right forces our two feet periodically create. And when we jog, run, or sprint, we’re forced to alter our body mechanics to not only maintain our equilibrium, but to achieve the maximum speeds and most efficient uses of our energy expenditures as possible. No matter how fast you are, however, no human on foot is capable of outpacing that same human being on a bicycle. Why is that the case? That’s what Robert Adler wants to know, writing in to inquire:
“Why can I easily bike a sub-four-minute mile, while I would never be able to run a four-minute mile? Or, more generally, how is it that a bicycle converts my energy output to miles covered so much more efficiently than running?”
There are a few reasons why this is the case, but in order to understand why biking is so…
