Cycling with the ache?

[Blue Hills]

I stress that I'm not talking pain or injury, rather the nice ache you get in your legs the day after a challenging ride.

I tend to associate it with my muscles, such as they are, strengthening or repairing themselves.

Is it best to wait a day until this subsides?

I stress that I don't NEED to ride - I don't commute and nor do I wake every day facing stage of Le Tour.

Nor do I care anything for so called training regimes - I am not a racer.

 

[PeteXXX]

I used to like a shortish 'leg spinner' ride after a tough day. Steady start until the malic (?) acid disapates, then up the tempo a bit.

 

[Moodyman]

Muscle use causes small tears in the tissue. Hence the mild pain the day after. They will heal 36-48 hours after exertion, but you can reduce this period by stretching and gentle riding. Gentle exercise stimulates the blood flow and gets nutrients to the muscles to aid recovery.

So, ride if you want and rest if you don't.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

Eat at least 30g of protein after a ride with such aches. To push the legs into more muscle repair rather than loss.

 

[vickster]

DOMS
https://www.bicycling.com/training/a20005623/kick-your-doms-for-good

 

[Ming the Merciless]

The gentle exercise day after is supposed to promote repair through increased blood flow to the damaged muscle.

 

[si_c]

I like going out for a gentle spin the day after a harder/longer ride - I find it helps the muscles loosen up. Not too worried about any training effect or anything, I just find it a pleasant thing to do.

 

[Blue Hills]

DOMS
https://www.bicycling.com/training/a20005623/kick-your-doms-for-good

thanks - I'll skip the cross-training though.
and any other exercise.

 

[vickster]

thanks - I'll skip the cross-training though.
and any other exercise.

Don’t forget weight bearing is also crucial for bone density, important in older adults

 

[si_c]

Don’t forget weight bearing is also crucial for bone density, important in older adults

Ouch. Brutal.

 

[Blue Hills]

Don’t forget weight bearing is also crucial for bone density, important in older adults

if by that you mean weight training vickster, sod that as well.
I feel lucky to have discovered cycling - no desire to do anything else, gym work, body shaping etc.

 

[pawl]

I stress that I'm not talking pain or injury, rather the nice ache you get in your legs the day after a challenging ride.

I tend to associate it with my muscles, such as they are, strengthening or repairing themselves.

Is it best to wait a day until this subsides?

I stress that I don't NEED to ride - I don't commute and nor do I wake every day facing stage of Le Tour.

Nor do I care anything for so called training regimes - I am not a racer.

I don’t know what age you are.I find at my age 79 I do not ride on consecutive days but alternate days.

I ride 15 to 40 miles and find this suits me

 

[wafter]

I like a very low intensity mooch the day after a big one; meaning heart rate zone 0 or 1 and putting in as absolutely little effort as possible into peddling.

The Polar software for my GPS unit makes a big thing of recovery time; which reduces after a recovery ride has been recorded. I like to think that the increased movement and bloodflow has to be good for recovery and on the odd occasion think I've staved off even worse DOMS on subsequent days with a recovery ride; however have no objective proof so it might all be bollocks

 

[vickster]

if by that you mean weight training vickster, sod that as well.
I feel lucky to have discovered cycling - no desire to do anything else, gym work, body shaping etc.

Nope, just weight bearing exercise...ie walking, jogging...unlike cycling which is nwb

 

[Drago]

After squatting 280kg, it takes a bit more than a lot of cycling to make my legs ache.

My arriss, on the other hand...