LET’S GET PHYSICAL
The act of riding normally on the road is not physically demanding; sitting on an R1250GS or Ninja 1000SX doesn’t require much more exertion than sitting in a chair drinking a cup of coffee. And while the brain uses up to 20% of our normal daily energy just for thinking, for an experienced road rider on a standard road ride, that percentage is likely to be substantially higher. And when returning from a prolonged riding absence, it’s likely to be higher still — so mental fatigue tolerance will be much lower.
But what does make us physically tired on a bike is muscle tension, from stress — and after a riding lay-off, that’s the stress (conscious or unconscious) of an unfamiliar (and risky) routine. That’s why a
‘Mental fatigue tolerance will be much lower
physically-fit novice off-roader tires more quickly than an unfit experienced off-road rider. The greater our technique, the less energy we need to exert.
Riding stress fatigue usually manifests in tiredness or pain in neck and shoulders, and sometimes a pinched nerve in the neck can actually prevent full head movement, which isn’t much fun for a lifesaver. Anti-inflammatories, like ibuprofen, will help.
And it’s also true that some muscle groups — notably in the quads across the top of our legs and the forearm muscles regulating grip — will ache after the first ride for a while. This is because, after the gluteus maximus (our arses), forearms and legs support the remainder of our weight while riding.