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I've routinely cycled the day after long runs, since my first marathon, and found it good for active recovery. Slightly different story with a long run/long ride combo, but the only real risk is being zonked out for a few days afterwards, which may affect your marathon training for the following week. But I'd be inclined to do the run on Saturday, make sure you keep the pace easy, and refuel loads. Maybe early bed/early start Friday/Saturday to give yourself a chance of decent sleep before Sunday's ride as well. Rather than skipping the ride, which you obviously want to do, the only compromise I'd consider would be cutting the Saturday run down to mid-length (18 -20k?) which would still help top up your endurance.
PhilPub-
Sounds good, thanks @Sainsburys_Ed and @PhilPub. Saturday run and Sunday bike ride it is. The run is more important to me than the ride but I want to do both. I'll have Monday/Tuesday off exercise afterwards so the legs should have a chance to recover for the next week (Wednesday's 10x800m intervals should be interesting, but the next long run the Sunday after is actually 10k at "race pace" which will hurt in its own way).
Looking at routes, towpath to Richmond, up Richmond Hill and through Richmond Park and between Pen Ponds, back up past the ballet school and over to Roehampton Gate and then home gets me bang on 24k.
Speaking of intervals, have 6 x 1km at 5:34/km to do. Hoping my HR will be down on last time I did them a month ago but I've not done a huge amount since then.
Greenbank
What about a long bike ride the day after a long run (whilst mid marathon training plan)? My legs felt very heavy after Sunday's 15k run but cycling seems unnervingly easy with legs heavy from running.
Have a 24km run sheduled for a Sunday in Feb (will be the longest run so far) but I'm signed up for a 100km Audax (with a 75km cycle to start of it, 25km to get home) that day. I like the ride and I've done it 4 or 5 times.
Do I:
a) Sack off the long run (maybe trying to move the distance to other runs earlier that week, I could make my Thursday morning commute a HM or even that 24km) and do the cycle on Sunday after maybe a parkrun on Saturday?
b) Move the long run to the day before (Saturday), HTFU and do the long cycle on the Sunday?
Monday is my rest day, and I can take it easy Tuesday too (will just have a 40 minute 5-a-side game in the evening if I get the train to/from work rather than cycling).
Quite separate is the fact that I've only really been doing ~30km of riding each week (commuting and utility cycling) but I've got through this early year long ride on that fine in previous lazy years. The Sunday ride also requires a 5am departure and I hate mornings.