Originally Posted by
gregf83
Recovery rides aren't necessary. It depends on your goals. If you aren't doing multiple hard workouts in a week as part of a structured training plan you can probably skip the recovery rides.
Probably true. However, my own experience is that the day after a rest day my legs feel dead, and a recovery ride on the rest day seems to prevent that from happening.
That doesn't just apply when training hard. I do a lot of touring, and have the same experience if I have a day off the bike while on tour despite the fact that most touring is low-intensity stuff.