Commuting - how sick is too sick to bike commute?

I feel really bad. I'm at work and will have to ride home. I think I'll make it.
But the next day, I can fake work, or at least get some done if I don't stand up much, but ride? huuummmm.
Well enough to work, well enough to ride in? Or are there limits?

If I'm too sick to bike to work, I'm too sick to work.

What Cromulent said.

I have a really good non-car alternative to get me to work, so if I'm feeling sick I don't ride. When I ran X-country my coach used to say anything from the neck up is A-OK, anything from the neck down warrants some down time. That's probably a good bit of advise.

I don't need my brain to code with. :p
Thus, my rule is if it stays out of the lungs I ride. Then again I have a bus route by my home that takes me to the light rail as an alternative.

Don't ask me. I haven't eaten anything since Saturday night (besides a few crackers and a banana last night). I'm lying here with a New Yorker and a laptop. The Former is for the cartoons and the latter is to try to do some work, though it's just keeping me on bike forums. Food poisoning is da bomb...

Ditto. Too sick to ride == too sick to work. Stay home. One of the things that bugs me the most is boneheads staying at work and getting everyone else sick, sliming up doorknobs with their cooties and making everyone else sick. In the end the amount of work done is less due to you coming to work.

What, work won't be there the day after or something? Stay home and rest up.

Nah. Go to work and give your coworkers a reason to exercise. Bump up that immune system to avoid getting your illness. Just make sure you have meetings scheduled all day. Nice closed meeting room with you hacking up your lungs. yummy!

Seriously: when I am contagious I work from home. However, one can still feel horrible while recovering.

If I'm too sick to bike to work, I'm too sick to work.
+1
It doesn't happen too often but if you are too sick to bike then you probably should not be at work.
Now injuries are a different story.
I very seldom have to stay home and "knock on wood" I havn't had an injury that prevented cycling.
Craig

I feel really bad. I'm at work and will have to ride home. I think I'll make it.
But the next day, I can fake work, or at least get some done if I don't stand up much, but ride? huuummmm.
Well enough to work, well enough to ride in? Or are there limits?

How infectious are you? If you are infectious, stay home.

If not infectious, usually well enough to ride = well enough to work.

I work in a cubicle and don't have to interact much with people. I avoid common areas and wash/sanitize my hands regularly. I can pretty much isolate my germs when I'm sick. We don't really have sick days here, we just take the day off if we need to. I have been sick alot this years and I feel guiltly staying home, Idon't want the managment to think I'm abusing the policy.

FOLLOW UP
Still feel pretty bad, but the time on the bike (going very slowly) is about the best I feel during the day.Here's hoping it doesn't last much longer.

The Neck Rule is a pretty good guideline, you can add <<Fever = No Way>> to the list.

What is this "sick" thing you're talking about?

Never! Bikes are great for being sick, lean over and toss if you need to. Don't even need to worry about getting it out of the window as you would with a car!

In seriousness, high fever's my only rule, and I'd be staying home then anyway. As I haven't had one for 10 years, it's pretty much a non-issue anyway. I've generally found that exercise helps me clear my lungs and sinuses if they're giving me problems.

Generally, the only time I'm too "sick" to work is when I have too many sick days built up and it's 75 and sunny out. Then I'll bike or run or something. ;)

If I'm too sick to bike to work, I'm too sick to work.

That is verbatim to my answer, all the way down to capitalization and punctuation.

I've totally been out on rides when I was too sick to work. I have a bike ethic, not a work ethic.

Too sick to bike to work is not too sick to bike. There's a difference. :P

Still at home with food poisoning.

God I haven't eaten much in a while. Just sitting here with a laptop and nausea vulturing around BF.

I've totally been out on rides when I was too sick to work. I have a bike ethic, not a work ethic.
Well yeah, there is that. If I'm too sick to work, I'm not necessarily too sick to bike.

Heh, for me it is usually the opposite. If I'm feeling sick, I go out for a spin on the bike and I'll usually feel better for the rest of the day. I have been finding this out lately and it works great. (though I have not had been seriously sick yet so :knock-on-wood:).

You all did indeed inspite me. Still commuting while ill. It turns out that's the only time I actually feel OK -- when I'm on the bike. Head hurts, eyes burn, musclues sore. But for that 8 miles I feel better for a while.
Thanks!

Yup, the 20 minutes of commuting and about a half hour aftwerwards are the best I feel all day, when I'm sick. I don't think I'd ride if I were nauseous or feverish, though.

cough --> blood = no ride