I’ve ridden that sort of volume for considerable time.
I’d definitely recommend a total rest day over a recovery ride. Most people simply don’t know how to execute a recovery ride correctly. If it in any way prevents you from recovering, it’s not a recovery ride. All it is, is additionally pointless strain. The risk is high long term that you under recover without a day off the bike.
There’s absolutely nothing to be gained from riding at 100w for 40mins in regards to fitness. Which is what a recovery ride actually looks like.
Personally, I think the term is idiotic and should be permanently deleted from all cycling discussion.
If you’re absolutely desperate to ride every single day that’s good and bad. Great you’re motivated, bad you have no other physical or emotional outlets.
A vast, let’s call it virtually all self coached amateurs make the same simple mistakes with training. Far too much intensity. Not enough endurance Z2. Not enough sleep. Too many additional life stressors. Not enough true rest. It normally all leads to the same place. Sub optimal long term adaptations.
It all stems from many riders desperation to improve at the highest rate possible by a human. This is often foolhardy. The patient long term approach is the true glide path to peak performance. Without any bouts of over training, injury, sickness, burnout or other training derailments. Long term, you will be a far stronger cyclist.
Your weekly recovery day is almost vital. It drastically reduces the rate of under recovering.
Go for a walk, see a movie, catch up with friends, read a book, lay down all day, do whatever makes you happy.
Most of all, recover on your recovery day.
Leave the idiotically named recovery ride to 20 year old professional athletes. Because, if that’s not you and you’re riding 16-20hrs a week, you need your recovery day. It’s when you improve.
Stress, rest, adapt.
