Ice bath after cycling?

Question

i am training for an 165 mile bike ride which is split up into two days (sat & sun) 100 the first day and 65 the next.. would an ice bath after the first day be a good idea?

Answer 1

I can't imagine why....

After a longish ride I'm generally looking for a hot shower, a beer, and a cheeseburger.  Not necessarily in that order.  

Answer 2

Try this out during your training to see how it affects you. It is used in a lot of sports.  Baseball pitchers ice their arms after a game.  

I had physical therapy after my hip was broken in a skiing accident. They tried cold with me after the workouts.  It just made me cold.  I did not have soreness afterward whether I used ice or not.

Everyone is different.  It is better to find out during training how this affects you than to wait until the race.

Answer 3

I know that many people use these after cycling to prevent soreness and just to recover better.  I agree that you should definitely try this while training to see if it helps, does nothing, or even makes it worse.  The way these work is to tighten your blood vessels, essentially draining the old blood (and built up lactic acid) away.  After about ten minutes or so the blood is fully drained and when you get out fresh new blood flows into your legs and oxygenates your muscles.  I would say that it would probably help you a lot with recovery, but try it first.