Training & Nutrition - Become sore during rest days????

I haven’t really ridden much for the last 4 or 5 years. I started back up in January on the stationary bike and rode 3 or 4 days a week through the end of February. In March I started riding outside and rode 200 miles averaging 15 miles per ride with a long ride of about 40 miles. In April, I rode 300 miles averaging about 16 miles per ride so far in May I rode 100 miles last week and 20 miles Monday my average ride is closing in on 18 miles and I have ridden outdoors 40 times. Not really experiencing any discomfort other then normal aches and pains associated with riding.

Lately I am riding 5, 6 sometimes 7 days in a row and I feel good. My issue is that I find that when I do take a couple of days off, my legs get sore. The weather has sucked the last couple of days and I haven’t ridden and my legs have become really sore, is that normal? It also happened the last time I took consecutive days off the bike as well. As long as I ride everyday or only skip a single day, I hardly feel sore at all. Is that odd or what? I did not have this issue in March and most of April even though I took consecutive days off often just to work my way up to some miles.
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I am usually low on calories, as I have been losing weight at the rate of a couple of pounds per week since January as well. Don’t think that would have much to do with it but I figured I’d mention it.

Sore when you go for a ride next, or sore in your regular life?

I find that my legs are "blocked" as the pros call it after I take a day or two off. They're not sore until I ask for some power, then they hurt in a way that is different from normal. But it goes away after an hour or so of riding.

What you have is a classic case of DOMS (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delayed_onset_muscle_soreness) ;)

Like Ericm, I get the same problem after a day or two off. One of the worst times I recall, was at a training camp in spain over the winter. After 4 days of 4-5hr hard rides in the mountains, we took a rest day. I sat up, did very little activity. BIG mistake. The next day, we headed out for a 5hr run, it took me over an hour to get the legs "back". You'll find it's worse if you back off after a lot of hard training. Sometimes going for a 30min walk, or turning the cranks super easy for 30mins does the trick to keep the legs "alive". Essentially, it's just your body recovering, though.

Sore when you go for a ride next, or sore in your regular life?

They (high hamstrings, front of the thigh mostly) get sore if I don't ride - so in regular life. I don't/haven't had any issues when I get back on the bike. I typically stretch before I ride and spin a bit to warm up and generally take it easy for the first 15 or 20 minutes to get my legs warm and have never had any issues maybe a little stiffness from time to time.

I do walk on my days off the bike usually and I have walked for the past two, well today would be three days off - constant rain and storms during my would be riding times etc. If I take a long ride (40 or 50 miles) for me, I usually ride an easy 10 miles or so the next day.

It isn't an injury sore it is a weight lifting sore - and the DOMS description pretty much nails it - sounds like I should take more frequent days off or just keep riding every day lol.