WJ13US

Though I've read about recovery rides here and in some training books I don't fully understand the physical advantage of a recovery ride. Would not a day off be better? Is there some cut off criteria where one would do a recovery ride vs a day off?

Thanks.

Bill

bhuang61

The theory is that you flush some blood through your legs to clear out accumlated lactic acid and to help repair damanged tissue without doing much additional damage.

Hipcycler

I think it depends on what you call a recovery ride. Depending on your level, you really need to make it a shorter, slower, easy spin type of ride I believe to do you some good without doing damage.

Did one today because it was soooo nice outside.

ed073

Depends on your level of fitness.

my58vw

I did a "recovery ride" this morning...

Whenever I do a real hard interval session a nice spin at low speed (less than about 12 MPH) for a little helps kill the soreness in my legs substantially. I always do recovery rides unless I have an aerobic day planned, then I still stay under about 19 MPH...

manual_overide

Hehe. I was planning on doing a recovery ride, but it turned into a regular ride real quick. Someone passed me so I started chasing him, I caught him and thought about drafting for a while, but then I realized that I'm supposed to be on a recovery ride and not out chasing people down at 25 mph on the 20 mph MUT. I also thought 20 or 25 would be a good distance, but rode 30 instead.

Oh well, I did take a day off yesterday, so I guess that counts for something...

my58vw

It is called discipline... you build it with time...

TheKillerPenguin

can't wait until I learn of this "discipline" which you speak of, human.

Penguins need not discipline. Penguins need fish. Fish and guns. To kill whales.

Hipcycler

HA! I did this EXACT same thing several times last season.
This season I've only been tempted once, and I didn't take the bait.
It's my ride.
It's my plan.
Stick to it.
Let 'em go.

I know it's difficult, but you're training the mind too, not just the body.

RiPHRaPH

active recovery is great for all the reasons listed already. i feel that an easy spin is a great mental exercise. you can burn out if you are laying down the hammer with every ride.

WJ13US

First of all thank you all for your responses. Maybe I should have characterized myself and question more in my original post. I’m a 45 y.o. male in, I think, good to very good shape. I’ve been biking seriously for about two years. I try to get 100+ miles in a week with 30-60 mile rides on weekend (time permitting) and 14-24 miles on week days (again time permitting – usually about 3 weekdays). I’m not overweight or anything (5’7” -148 lbs..at least last time I weighed myself).

Last Sunday I did a longer ride but mostly it had more hills than usual as well as it being the first real HOT day here in Maryland. On Monday my legs felt fatigued. The best way I could describe it is they felt “heavy.” There was a slight twinge of soreness later in the day Monday, but not what I would call sore. I was thinking should I take Monday off…hence my post.

I must admit I have a bit of a bias since I’ve been a weight lifter for a number of years (for fitness not to look like Arnold). In the ‘sensible” weight lifting community it’s not good to work sore, tired muscles. As far as I know all the muscle growing/repairing takes place during rest. Lifting is only to “stimulate” growth.

I’m not sure if endurance sports are different and how a recovery ride is better (in some situations) than a day off. Or where you should one over the other.

FYI – I took Monday off.

Bill

Voodoo76

WJ13US, to answer your question the difference in endurance sports is the idea that circulation is increased through a low level of exercise, speeding recovery (often compaired to massage in effect). I think where most people go wrong is in judging effort, riding too fast.

Some days just not riding is better from a pshycological standpoint IMO. Keeps you from becoming a slave to the bike.

timmhaan

yeah, you'll have to disregard a few things from the weightlifting world. my natural inclination (because i used to weightlift too) is to ride hard, take the next day off, and then repeat. most serious cycling programs have you on the bike 6 to 7 days a week however. at least a couple of those days are longer, slower rides for active recovery. i need at least 2 days a week off the bike just so i feel like i have a life.

jslopez

My laymans term of it is that if I take a day off after days of hard riding I find myself even stiffer once I get back on the bike versus just doing a recovery ride.

A HRM may help guide you you in terms of how much effort you should be putting out on said recovery day

Hipcycler

That's a very good idea.
I might try that, if I ever again have a really big ride to recover from!

timmhaan

yeah, FechtMan - good idea. why are the best ideas so simple? and why didn't this occur to me after years of bike riding? in fact i have a second bike which would be perfect for just that use - plus it has no computer which helps a lot too.

Voodoo76

addict 1: to devote or surrender (oneself) to something habitually or obsessively