I usually ride 5-6 days/week, when weather allows it. In contrast to the "no pain/no gain" philosophy, I have found that riding hard all of the time is a recipe for burnout and injuries. It all depends on your goals. At 61, I am not trying to race or be the fastest guy on a group ride. I usually bike commute 3-4 days/week with 1 or 2 longer rides on weekends. My goals are simply to ride as much as I feel like, enjoy myself, reduce the amount of driving I do, and keep myself in shape. I've also been doing a lot more bike touring as I get older, and riding frequently keeps me in shape for that.

The idea behind taking days off relates more to athletes who are striving for top performance. If you are really working out hard, you may need to take days off between sessions or reduce the intensity a lot.