I have been commuting all summer and have plans to ride this winter. I commute about 15 miles each way. Now I have a headache and a scratchy throat. I have driven the old metal cage the last two days and am missing the ride. My question is, Do any of you keep riding even when you don't feel very good or am I just being a wimp?

I do, because it generally makes me feel better. Especially if it is a head cold. It will clear my sinuses better than hot pepper. But, if you have a fever or at least a high fever, then it is probably not a good idea.

There are no stead fast rules to commuting. Either you do or you don't. If you don't feel like you should ride because you are sick than don't. I've ridden when I have felt sick. I have also driven when I have felt sick. You might miss your commute, but better to not risk your health. It just depends.

Like daveF, I find it generally helps to make me feel better, especially when it comes to congestion, which a good commute seems to help break up. Be careful spitting it out, especially on a windy day or at high speed, though!

My commute is pretty non-strenuous. 7.5 miles of pretty flat terrain, save overpasses and bridges. I figure if I'm too sick to ride that, I am probably too sick to be going to work anyway. Knock on wood, I tend only to get a head cold once or twice a year at that and haven't had a bad flu in many, many years.

I would think You would be a carrier of your germs into the job site, and spreading infection your co workers.
isn't that what sick leave is offered to prevent?

wear a mask and/or sneeze into your elbow at least.

my wife and kids are all sick. I've been waking up with a scratchy throat and it goes away when i get to work. I'm convinced my daily rides in the cold air are keeping me healthy

When i'm sick, I don't go to work. Pretty rude to get your coworkers sick.

When I had a 16-mile one-way trip, I didn't ride everyday. Sometimes due to time, other times because of not feeling well. By all means, do what you feel you need to.

Now that my one-way trip is a whole 3.5 miles, if I'm too sick to ride, I'll stay home.

I usually ride with a cold. Not a big issue, and as mentioned it clears out your sinuses pretty well!

Agree, ride through that cold!

I actually dug up some studies once upon a time. Exercise helps colds (you recover faster). It's not good for flu's. If I don't have a fever I usually ride.

It looks like at least one study recommends exercising with both a cold and a flu.
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/e...cle/002083.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/he...on/25best.html

I get exposed to a lot of bugs at work and used to get 4-5 colds a year. Not flus.
Since riding to work I get less than 1 a year now.
I can't tell how many times I've felt a cold coming on and the ride seems to burn it right out.
I tend to dress warm and ride fast though. I think getting my body temp up and blood really moving does wonders.
If I get any symptoms I generally dress warmer and ride slower. Seems to help.
However if it really gets into your lungs don't ride (and stay home).

Cold - yes
Flu - no

Sometimes flu symptoms resemble cold symptoms, so you have to be careful. I had to ride home one day after feeling really unwell and it did me no good at all. I thought I had a cold, but it was probably the flu since I got chills and fever as soon as I got home.

I got a bit of philosophy on this forum I've taken to heart, and it's served me well.

Too sick to ride in, too sick to work.

Simple, but it really works. It's stopped me from going in when I really shouldn't. And if i do feel good enough to ride, then working is OK.

Works for me.

I'll ride with a cold, otherwise, I'm too sick to work.

If I'm too sick to ride, I'm too sick to work; and vice versa.

I think if it's just a cold, riding helps me recover faster.

me too. Although I think a big part of that is not being stuck on the rolling germ hotboxes they call mass transit.

I tend not to ride my fixie so I can coast a bit. But I did one day drive two weeks ago when I wasn't feeling up to biking, but couldn't bear missing another class.

I tend to favor being a wimp and not riding when sick. I was off the bike for three weeks in September because of a stubborn cold, and went to work via mass transit instead. I do like cccorlew's "too sick to ride, too sick to work" philosophy though...

Ride, but gently... Riding will help to get any mucus from your cold out of your nasal cavity and replace it with fresh mucus, the exercise will help to bring fluid out of your lungs. I read once that light exercise is better for a cold than treating with coldfx or vitamin C..

The NIH info says exercise can help avoid colds/flu or, if you get sick, you will be less ill. Doesn't say anything about exercise after you get sick.

But the times article does, keep reading

What's sick leave?

extra vacation time. if you're a teacher like me, You Show Up.

A head cold or sinus cold doesn't make me feel lousy enough to miss a bike ride but I do take ibuprofen for the headache. But if I have the flu I don't ride since I get dizzy sometimes -- not safe for riding. With a chest cold I'll avoid strenuous routes except for a gentle bike ride does seem to help break up chest congestion.