Sniffles blossomed into a full blown lung infection. That was it. If I can't breathe, I can't exactly bike. Spent three days at home trying to recover. Still having coughing fits so I'm just going to wait until they subside before I ride again.

What's the worst you've subjected yourselves to before resorting to days off or car?

I've had some pretty severe colds. Nothing like frozen snotsicles on your face when you get to work.

That said, most of the more severe colds I've had in the past few years have been during driving season (ie dead of winter).

Tongue scraper

Ancient Chinese prevention

I find there is a very fine line between riding while sick making you feel a bit better (opening up your lungs and sinuses) and pretty much making you feel like death...the trick is knowing where that line is

+1

I've been fighting a cold for two weeks ... and haven't ridden at all.

Today was the first morning I felt somewhat "ok" ... after feeling like absolute garbage last night.

Last year I tried to "ride through" a cold and ended up worse than I started.

Fine line indeed, but this year I'm erring on the side of caution.

+2 a kill or cure method :-)

I don't think I've gotten really sick since I started riding.

Me too; I've only been bike-commuting since the beginning of 2013, and I was just noting to my wife the other day that it's been a long time since I've had a cold. I wouldn't be surprised if bike commuting (and any other regular outdoors exercise) decreases sickness. (Indoor exercise maybe not so much, especially if you are trapped in a gym with elevated inhalation of other peoples' exhalations)

Anecdotal, but I haven't had anything more than a minor cold for the last 3 years, and even those have only happened once or twice per year at most. I do think commuting year round in all weather builds a strong immune system.

That said, if you do get a respiratory infection, I think it's better to rest than to ride and draw these microbes deeper into your lungs. No need to turn what would be a 2-3 day cold into a month-long bronchitis.

I've been lucky this year (or maybe it isn't luck) to not have any cold or flu/flu-like symptoms (probably jinxed it now!). Maybe the amount of riding I've been doing this year has strengthened my body, in more ways than one.

Vomiting or fever and I stay home. But if it's just a stuffy/runny nose or cough, I will usually ride. And for what it's worth, I have had really good results with sinus saline irrigation. I prefer the the squeeze bottle; others like the neti pot.

I'll ride with just a cold, but flu symptoms quickly demotivate me.

Just got over a cold. I rode 33 mi while I had it. I felt terrible before and after, but felt great while I rode! Well, I guess this was atypical. Hate getting sick but I get less so with lots of riding.

Cheers

I stay home when I'm sick; if you're too sick to ride to work, you're too sick to work. And honestly, when I see coworkers come to work sick, I don't appreciate it at all. If you go to work sick, you're not taking one for the team; you're being a vector, and you're probably not going to be that useful as a team member anyway. Stay the f*** home and get better faster.

No Sick leave, so you go in and spread contagion to everyone else at work .. what a country!

If I can perform my job, I can ride to get there, and vice versa -- can't ride, can't work. That's the standard I use.

I've missed no more than 1 day here and there for illness over the past 6-7 years or more. My SUSTAINED absences have been due to injuries, usually involving bones.