🧠 DOMS for Mountain Bikers: What Soreness Means, and When to Worry

“Should I still ride if I’m sore from strength training?”

If you’ve ever asked yourself that, you’re not alone. DOMS—Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness—is one of the most common roadblocks riders hit when trying to stick with strength work during the riding season.

This post explains what soreness really means, what’s normal (and not), and how to manage it so it doesn’t affect your bike performance.

💢 What is DOMS?

DOMS is that achy, tight feeling you get 24–48 hours after training. It’s caused by small amounts of muscle damage, especially from new exercises, eccentric loading (slowing down the lowering phase), or higher volume work.

In the off-season, DOMS can be a regular part of building new capacity.But in-season? DOMS is the enemy of performance.

❌ When Soreness is Too Much

You’ve overdone it if your strength session leaves you:

Walking funny for two days
Hesitating on your descents
Losing control on techy terrain
Skipping or resenting your next ride

Soreness that changes how you move on the bike can increase your injury risk and reduce technical performance. That’s not what we want from in-season strength work.

✅ What’s a Reasonable Amount of DOMS?

A good in-season session might leave you:

A little stiff the next day
Aware of your glutes or back working more
Feeling “activated,” not annihilated

You should still feel confident on the bike, even if you’re a little tight at first. If your legs warm up after 10–15 minutes, that’s totally fine.

🔄 How to Reduce DOMS In-Season

Here’s how we program strength in-season to build strength without wrecking your ride:

Stay consistent – 1–2x per week keeps your body adapted
Repeat core movements – Avoid constant novelty
Limit high-rep/slow-tempo work – Great for off-season, but causes more soreness
Use RPE (rate of perceived effort) – Aim for 6–7/10 effort most days
Focus on movement quality – Treat lifts like tune-ups, not tests

🧬 Why Some Riders Get More DOMS Than Others

Everyone experiences soreness differently. Here’s why:

1. Training Age

Beginners get sore more often—your body just isn’t used to the stress yet. That changes fast with consistency.

2. Genetics

Some people are more sensitive to muscle damage or inflammation. It’s not good or bad—it just means you need to listen to your body.

3. Exercise Selection

New movements, eccentric work (like slow RDLs), and high volume = more soreness. Repeating familiar exercises reduces DOMS over time.

4. Inconsistency

DOMS hits hardest when you skip weeks between sessions. Staying consistent makes strength work feel easier.

5. Recovery

Poor sleep, high stress, and low nutrition slow down recovery and amplify soreness.

🧭 When to Ride, Rest, or Adjust

Soreness Level	Should You Ride?	Recommendation
Light stiffness	✅ Yes	Ride as planned—should ease up once warm
Moderate DOMS	🚲 Yes, but easy	Mellow ride or skills session
Severe DOMS	❌ Not ideal	Rest or adjust—strength load was too high

💡 7 DOMS Truths for MTB Riders

DOMS isn’t a badge of honor—it’s just feedback
No soreness ≠ no progress
You can ride with light soreness
You shouldn’t ride if soreness alters how you move
Soreness gets less intense with consistency
Recovery habits matter (sleep, food, stress)
Smart strength work should improve—not interfere with—your riding

Want Help With This?

I build strength programs that actually fit your riding, not fight against it.

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