fusilierdan

I just started commuting to work 5 miles one way. I try to go a little further on the way home just to get some miles. I used to do long weekend rides 30-40 miles. But now I've been commuting 5 days a week and although it's only 10-15 miles each day I feel like I need a day off from the bike. At the moment I don't have an extra vehical so it's not possible to drive to work any day. I'm jonesing for a long ride.

Dan

dobber

Then go for a long ride.

I use to commute 20 miles round trip, 5 days a week. A couple times a week I'd change the inbound or outbound leg and take it up to 30 or 40 miles. Maybe once or twice month I'd go 50, really a nice post work ride (I'd leave my pack at work).

The weekends I'd leave to my fancy. I'd usually plan on riding at least one if not both days. Often I'd just start out the door and see where I wound up. An 80-100 ride was not uncommon. Sometimes it was 20. And some days I'd just take a day off.

If you want to go ride, go ride. But don't feel you have to ride. And don't feel guilty taking a day or two off. I've always felt best if I rode even just a mile or two on a day off, kinda keep the limb all limbered up.

tcmers

If your body is telling you that you need a day off, you probably do. On the other hand, 10-15 miles per day, as long as the pace is moderate, is not a lot of mileage. Take is easy on your last two commuting days and you should be fine with a long weekend ride. Just be sure to build mileage slowly. Most people will say not to add mor than 10% per week. Personally, I think that is a little low, but I'm no expert. I've been putting in about 150 commuting miles per week (riding 3 days). This does give me a couple of rest days during the week, but I still put in another 100-150 on the weekends. Try a moderate distance ride this weekend and see how it goes. If all is well, try a longer ride next week.

Machka 

When I lived in Manitoba, my commute was 13.4 kms round trip (8 miles). I did that commute 4-5 days a week, and on about 3-4 of those days, I headed out and did an extra 20-50 kms. Then I rode metric centuries, centuries, back-to-back centuries, double centuries, and brevets on the weekends.

Your body can handle a lot of cycling ... a lot more than most people think.

But you also have to listen to your body ... if you start to feel like you really don't want to ride one day, you're very tired, your legs ache, etc., take a day or two off. I used to take "rain days" ... if it rained on a Tuesday, for example, I'd take the bus, and take the day off because I knew my body needed a rest now and then. If it poured on a Sunday, I'd take that day off. If it went several weeks without rain, I'd just pick a day and take it off.

Oh, and get a good night's sleep, and eat well.

newbojeff

When I started my current 16 mi RT commute I probably needed the weekend off for at least a year. I would just wear down over the week. In the past few years, though I've been doing loads more weekend riding and adding at least one longer ride during the week. The commute now seems ridiculously short, but it does get me on the bike every day.

Push it a bit, but also listen to your body.

JeffS

Turn your ride home on Friday into a 40 mile ride. Rest on Saturday.

nowheels

Dutting comutter season I ride less miles on the weekend. But no the flip side I do more things with my son that take away from riding time. If I a long ride it will be with him .

DataJunkie

I ride more on the weekend and less during the week. Commuting is inadequate at training for the climbing I like to ride. However, the main issue is the fact that the rides on the weekend tend to cause issues for commuting. My century yesterday left me with a sore knee so no commute today.

tarwheel 

If you're too tired to ride weekends with a 10-15 mile commute, you might be trying to ride to fast on your commute. Try taking it easy some days, particularly Friday. For example, instead of hammering the hills and trying to keep a 17 mph average speed, back off on the hills and keep your average to 15 mph. These are called recovery rides and can make a huge difference.

If you are new to bike commuting, it might just be that you need to get in better shape, and that will come in time.

mike

There is a lot of truth to the idea that weekend rides have less appeal when you bicycle every day.

I think it is a lot like going for a Sunday drive by automobile when you go to work by car every day. The novelty wears off.

Now, I still do go for rides with friends, but usually, if I am not doing something practical or going somewhere with a purpose, just meandering about town on a bicycle doesn't make any more sense than meandering in an automobile.

I get so much riding just by bicycle commuting and shopping that I don't need to just roll around on the two-wheeler for giggles.

jpdesjar

This past weekend I took it easy since the weekend before I put in like 60 miles or so over the span of three days and then commuted all week. The ride this morning felt energized and when I was taking off from a light my legs felt really strong. I like to mix it up a little on the weekends too, I went for a run 1st thing Saturday morning and last night went for a walk with my girlfriend and we tossed the frisbee around a bit.
I like to ride with someone else on the weekends or ride to run errands or ride to have dinner out.

huhenio

I have a regular schedule.

3 times a week I turn my 12 mile mileage into a 24 mile sufferfest.

That forces me to rest.

DataJunkie

I am the inverse of this. The more I ride on the weekend the less appeal commuting has for me. However, I have a nice mass transit system at my disposal.

For instance this week looks like this:
Sun: organized century with a club
Mon: recovery day due to sore knee
Tues: local loop training ride after working from home
Wed: commute
Thurs: repeat of tues
Friday: short commute
Sat: 120 mile ride with the same club

pinkrobe

I would do the long ride on Saturday, then sleep in and go for brunch on Sunday. Your legs will be all healed up and likely stronger when Monday comes 'round.

newbojeff

After a long weekend in the saddle, I tried to take it very easy into work today: average was < 14 mph. It is very hard to stay slow in Boston traffic.

Planning to crawl home tonight, and I'll see how I feel on a group ride tomorrow morning. My commute is so short, I can't bring myself to take a day off. Maybe next weekend...

CACycling

I commute 5 miles each way 4 days a week (on 4/10s every weekend is a 3 day weekend) then take a 10 - 15 mile ride with my wife Friday morning, longer ride with my wife on Saturday (40 miles this past weekend) and a 10 - 15 mile recovery ride on Sunday (with or without my wife - depends on how hard I pushed her the day before). I'm keeping my weekly mileage over 100 at this point and working to increase it slowly over time (just returned to riding late last year after a 30 year hiatus). I try to avoid taking a day off from riding if possible. I've managed to only miss 5 or 6 days so far this year.

CliftonGK1

I ride 100-120 miles during the week on my commute, and I do a long ride (50-125 miles) on most weekends.

I worked my way up to doing that with a short commute and long weekend rides, then I moved and had a long commute so I cut back my weekend riding and gradually built the weekend miles back up. Now I can ride a difficult century on Sunday and be back on my commute for Monday morning. I might average only 12mph on Monday morning, but the commute isn't about being fast...

Sometimes, though, your body just tells you when to take time off. I did that last week after 2 tough weekend century rides and a week of commuting in between. I'm notorious for taking a few days off the bike, even when I haven't done a long weekend ride, just to keep myself refreshed.

Scubachisteve

THIS.

I did 55 miles yesterday (a lot for me), and the commute this morning felt great; accept for the uber-painful sunburn on my shoulders. Wear sunblock!

Don't forget to eat more and you won't bonk out.

Jarery

Im late 40,s and do 50km a day commuting, and 100 km fast group rides on sundays. I take saturday off. Every few weeks I usually take off one more day also. Takes a few months to build up to it, but it isnt bad.

noisebeam

I still enjoy 85mi over five workdays a week, 55mi Wed, 40-50mi Sat and 50-75mi Sun plus the odd errand here and there. Strangely my fastest commute is usually Monday as my pace is fired up from the weekend rides.

Rec rides and commute are so different mentally I find them to compliment each other.

Al