Shepp30 

I haven’t really ridden much for the last 4 or 5 years. I started back up in January on the stationary bike and rode 3 or 4 days a week through the end of February. In March I started riding outside and rode 200 miles averaging 15 miles per ride with a long ride of about 40 miles. In April, I rode 300 miles averaging about 16 miles per ride so far in May I rode 100 miles last week and 20 miles Monday my average ride is closing in on 18 miles and I have ridden outdoors 40 times. Not really experiencing any discomfort other then normal aches and pains associated with riding.

Lately I am riding 5, 6 sometimes 7 days in a row and I feel good. My issue is that I find that when I do take a couple of days off, my legs get sore. The weather has sucked the last couple of days and I haven’t ridden and my legs have become really sore, is that normal? It also happened the last time I took consecutive days off the bike as well. As long as I ride everyday or only skip a single day, I hardly feel sore at all. Is that odd or what? I did not have this issue in March and most of April even though I took consecutive days off often just to work my way up to some miles.
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I am usually low on calories, as I have been losing weight at the rate of a couple of pounds per week since January as well. Don’t think that would have much to do with it but I figured I’d mention it.

ericm979

Sore when you go for a ride next, or sore in your regular life?

I find that my legs are "blocked" as the pros call it after I take a day or two off. They're not sore until I ask for some power, then they hurt in a way that is different from normal. But it goes away after an hour or so of riding.

paulclaude

What you have is a classic case of DOMS

Like Ericm, I get the same problem after a day or two off. One of the worst times I recall, was at a training camp in spain over the winter. After 4 days of 4-5hr hard rides in the mountains, we took a rest day. I sat up, did very little activity. BIG mistake. The next day, we headed out for a 5hr run, it took me over an hour to get the legs "back". You'll find it's worse if you back off after a lot of hard training. Sometimes going for a 30min walk, or turning the cranks super easy for 30mins does the trick to keep the legs "alive". Essentially, it's just your body recovering, though.

Shepp30 

They (high hamstrings, front of the thigh mostly) get sore if I don't ride - so in regular life. I don't/haven't had any issues when I get back on the bike. I typically stretch before I ride and spin a bit to warm up and generally take it easy for the first 15 or 20 minutes to get my legs warm and have never had any issues maybe a little stiffness from time to time.

I do walk on my days off the bike usually and I have walked for the past two, well today would be three days off - constant rain and storms during my would be riding times etc. If I take a long ride (40 or 50 miles) for me, I usually ride an easy 10 miles or so the next day.

It isn't an injury sore it is a weight lifting sore - and the DOMS description pretty much nails it - sounds like I should take more frequent days off or just keep riding every day lol.