It really varies for me. I walk, bike, and run. I bike 1 to 3 times a week depending on the temps (hotter = biking over running). I work out 5 days a week and run at least twice a week.

What are your goals? If you're training for something, then that will dictate how often and how long you ride. If you are just trying to get in better shape, then fit your riding into a balanced workout routine. If you are riding for the fun of it... then do whatever is most enjoyable.

I am new to biking so I have read a lot about it. It seems that your muscles need time to recover after a workout. Some articles have recommended that you take a day off in between rides. I only get out 2 times a week so this has never been an issue with me. But I have noticed that cyclists seem to ride on most days. I also have noticed that some advice conflicts with other advice.

Not as often as I'd like to!

This week has been a good week and I have ridden almost everyday since Sunday, today is my last day then I am probably off the bike until next Tuesday.

If things worked out better, I would ride at least 3 times during the week with a nice long ride at the weekend. There is defo nothing wrong with having days off, it really does help recharge those legs!

I'd happily ride every day, if my body was up to it. But it isn't. I've found that if I train (note - train, not just get on the bike to the shops, or for a pootle around town) more than 3 days in a row, on the fourth and subsequent days my metrics (average speed, power, times over specific "sections") all start to get worse. By the 5th day, I'm pretty much just churning out "junk miles". So - for me - the way I work is a 4 day routine...

Day 1 - normal ride
Day 2 - as day 1 (plus maybe 5-10%, either in distance, speed or climbing)
Day 3 - as day 1 minus 5%
Day 4 - Rest day (could be a walk, or maybe the "gentle pootle around" as mentioned above, but nothing strenuous enough to bother with a HRM

and repeat.


For someone who's actually serious in improving cycling, a similar approach, but working on a 4 x 4 days routine is a great way to build. For this you'd take

Day 1 - 4 - as above
Day 5 - 8 - as above +3%
Day 9 - 12 - as day 5 - 8 plus a further 3%
Day 13 - 16 as day 1 - 4 MINUS 2%

then repeat the cycle as follows

Day 17 - 20 - as day 5 - 8
Day 21 - 24 - as day 17-20 +3%
Day 25 - 28 - as day 21-24 plus a further 3%
Day 29 - 32 as day 17-20 MINUS 2%

and again days 33-48 (again building on the 17-32 data by +3%).

Ideally, you'd then take days 49-64 as a repeat of days 17-20 - allowing another resting cycle, which is ACTUALY still harder going than you started with on days 1-16, but will feel like a day at the beach by this time

So you're progressively loading your system a little harder each of the first 3 of the 4 day cycles, then taking a "rest" cycle - which in effect is actually a little harder than the original starting point of the previous 4 day cycle. Perfect, in theory, but difficult to actually stick to, with family commitments, and of course it needs to be fitted in and around any "sportifs" or "challenge rides" - ideally so that you're coming off the back of the resting cycle just before the "big one" of the season.

(I hasten to say, before anyone checks my Strava or Garmin Connect profiles, that I simply can't keep to this kind of continual build routine, I'm too old, too fat, and too long out of training - I'm actually working a more gentle version of it, which involves basically doing the same routines, but the only real build has been in distance over the last year - I'm finally getting to a point however, where the "i'm too fat to do that" excuse isn't really working anymore, so I'm going to try and see if I can work in a couple of the 16 day cycles before the summer finally ends - just to build a decent fitness base, so that when I end up indoors on the "turbo trainer" I CAN start a properly structured plan over the Winter!)

5-6 days per week. 1 day at 50 ish miles the others tend to be in the 20-25 mile range.
Rest days are vital, however rather than scheduling them in i try to listen to my legs. Sometimes all i need to do is go easy, othrr times i need to stay off the bike. All depends....

Twice a week. I also go to the gym 1 to 2 times a week. Been riding since May 12th. I am up to 40 miles on Saturday and do 15 during the week. On the shorter ride I work on cadence and speed. On the longer ride I work on endurance.