General Cycling Discussion - I miss riding

I have been off the bike for three weeks now on medical grounds, and even though I rode this morning I wasn't cleared to do so. I felt that my legs were stronger but my heart couldn't take the high RPMs for long. It took me 15minutes to do a 6K course that normally takes me between 10-11min. I had a Max Speed of 46.7 as compared to mid 50s in a sprint. I don't expect to be on the bike for another week or so.

For how long do you dudes and dudettes stay off the bike before losing the touch.

It's like the man says, "You never forget how to ride a bicycle." On the other hand, people tend to lose condition faster than they gain it, so take your time getting back up to speed.

Definitely if you've been ordered off your bike due to an injury or health problem, give yourself the time to get better, otherwise you might find yourself grounded from your wheels for even longer, which we know would suck! :(

I sometimes let my muscles recover for 5 days before a long ride. As for cardio, I have just recently started to track my progress. Going by perception, it seems I lose fitness in about a week off. Age, health, and stress all effect performance and training.
To answer your question, my CTS book states an athlete will lose fitness in 9 - 12 days off of training. Since training is their specialty, I will assume this is correct.
Family amd health should come before training, so get well first.

To a speedy recovery!

Thanx dudes and dudettes for the wish well. I kind of feel stupid now for going against the doc. I kind of now figured out why I was grounded (the hard way) and it has added my off bike time. So as you folks ride, ride a mile extra for me. :D