Gerryattrick

Apart from enforced lay-offs due to holidays or injury (too often recently), I aim to ride 2 days a week in the winter and 3 through the rest of the year. My rides are a mix of road/off-road, normally 25+ miles. Sometimes I ride from home, others I use the car to ride further afield.

My not riding is not due to tiredness, but rather having other interests such as hill and coast walking that maintain variety and at the same time stop any boredom with cycling creeping in.

It helps that I do not have any targets for increased speed or endurance and am quite happy for my fitness to yo-yo occasionally as long as I can throw in a couple of 50 mile rides a month through the warmer months.

bbbean 

One of the cues I look for to know when a rest day is needed is notable weight gain not in response to diet. I track my net calories pretty closely, so if I keep my training load consistent, my weight stays in a 2-3 lb range. If it gets above that range for more than a day following a hard effort and in the absence of any dietary reason (alcohol, salt, etc), a day or two on the couch or just walking will give the legs time to repair themselves and lose the inflammation (water weight, whatever you want to call it). If I take 2 or 3 easy days, my weight drops, my legs feel great, and I go into the next ride or race feeling like I have Eddy Merckx's strength.

VNA

WAS riding four to five days a week (hilly 30 to 60 miles) until last week when I finally went to see a doctor about my big toe which was dislocated and broken since New Year's eve but was ignoring it! After surgery with pins sticking out I can't ride for at least four weeks (better than a cast)!
I more or less always bicycled and it is hard not to do it! Can't even walk normally because I can't use a regular shoe! To make myself feel better I am rebuilding a nice old Serotta!

Martian63

Weather and starting a part time job has cut my riding days over the last two months. Lately been down to 3- 30 mile plus rides per week. Ready for some warmer dry weather.

bbbean 

Get on the trainer and do one leg drills!

Rick@OCRR

I'm 64, almost 65; I usually ride every day, at least try to. Looking back on January of 2015 I missed Jan. 2nd but rode every other day.

I also got in 1,069 miles last month, including four centuries. I ride to work Mon./Wed./Thur./Fri. but I take it easy (14 mph approx.) on my commutes since these are functionally recovery rides.

On Tues. I do our evening club ride (about 30 miles, usually) then on Sat. and Sun. I do at least one long ride in the mountains to work on my climbing. On the other weekend day it varies a lot. Last Sunday I did the OCRR club ride but that was only 41 miles and I felt like riding more, plus it was a beautiful warm and sunny day (mid 70's) so I ended the day with 111 miles (and, my first century of Feb.!).

YMMV, of course. Oh, and my wife is a cyclist too, so that helps .

Rick / OCRR

VNA

I wish I could, unfortunately it is too risky with these pins sticking out, one bump could be disastrous!

qcpmsame 

Ouch, jeese that sounds painful, on top of how the dislocation and fracture must have hurt I am surprised you could put off getting it fixed. Please be careful with things, it sounds like you are, hopefully the recover will be complete and no complications will come in to play. Best wishes on your recovery.

Bill

OldTryGuy

65 in July and I try to get out 2 to 3 times a week. Made it 6 times last month for a total of 396 miles of which 102 miles were on the 31st. Got out today for another 76. Hopefully this month will improve. Ironman 70.3 Florida in April with a full later in the year so more time on the saddle is needed.

GravelMN

My job keeps me from serious riding at least one or two days a week. That seems to work out about right for recovery in my case. Even if I could ride every day, I'd probably take a day off once a week or so.

jskash

I ride every day unless I am sick. I don't ride long distances and have never gone farther than 21 miles. I simply enjoy my 14 miles every morning and between 17 and 20 on Saturday and Sunday.

PaulH

Almost all my riding is commuting, so Saturday, Sunday, holidays and vacation are my off days.

VNA

Thank you Bill--bicycling has always been a way and a part of my life--like eating and a few other things!

JBHoren

I don't ride on שבתות וחגים (the Sabbath and Jewish holidays), nor on Sundays -- the former, for religious reasons; the latter, because a two-day R&R makes it possible for me to ride M-F.

spdracr39

I ride when I feel like it and pass when I don't. It usually equates to 4 days a week 30-40 miles average. I have done 5 days in a row before and could definitely tell I was struggling on that 5th day.

big john

I ride weekends only until daylight savings then I ride a little on Wednesday after work.
My job kicks my ass sometimes and I come home wiped out. I do between 5 and 6k miles per year.

Lou Skannon

I take a day off before riding with others. A little bit of recuperation helps me keep up.
I was going to ride today but woke up with a stiff neck. A visit to sports physio put it right with acupuncture.
My first time with needles. I'll be out on the bike again tomorrow.

BluesDawg

I ride when I feel like it. I tend to feel like it more often when it is warmer, drier and the wind is calm than when it is cold, rainy or windy. I make exceptions in both directions. I don't worry about it.

chinkroadrunner

I have ridden 3-4 days a week for the past 3 years. The first 3 years I was riding 5-6 days but found it was too much for my body. I love getting on the road but I am much stronger with more rest.

gpsblake

Now, with myself I have discovered that going to nice walks on days I am not on the bike complements my fitness, works other muscles while giving some of your legs muscles you use for a cycling a break.

tigat

For the 35 plus years I was more of a runner than a cyclist (riding was most often with an infant seat or a trail a bike) 2 to 4 times per week was the norm. Occasionally, I'd rip off some 20 to 30 straight day streaks, but that was rare and usually with some goal in mind. In the past four years, as I've migrated to cycling, days off have decreased substantially. Ten at most last year. One so far this year, and that was caused by work. On the few days I hop on the bike or trainer and don't feel good, I lower the gear and jack up the cadence.

Jim from Boston

I fit all my cycling in around my busy, and long work week. I am motivated to take the time to ride by mileage quotas: 84 miles per week during the winter (total of six 14-mile trips), and variable mileage during nice weather, about 100 to 190 per week prompted by a published century training schedule I follow. My long Saturday Ride is an early one to work, for a few hours at my convenience.

So off days due to work are rather arbitrary, and not planned, and create an unwanted mileage deficit for the week because my training schedule does include some light "rest" days. Sundays [and part of Saturday] are for family activities, and to do certain errands best done by car.

locolobo13 

Not sure days off is the best measure of performance. At least not for me. I ride 5-6 days a week. Mostly commuting to and from work. Average weekly miles around 60 last year. I can tell reading the forums here that lots of people are doing way more miles regardless of how many days they ride or don't ride.

bikejrff

During riding season here in Indiana which I define as May-Sept the only days I take off are rainy days. Normally I get 4-6 days off a month.

Wileyrat

I have no specific cycling goals as long as I'm not training for an event. My fitness goals are to do some physical activity 4-5 times a week, and that's a combination of mtn and road biking along with gym time.

I'm thinking about a new pair of hiking boots, to add to the mix.