Should I ride with a cold?

[Grog]

Symptoms from the neck up: ride.

Symptoms below the neck: stay home.

I also find that mild exercise helps clearing up my airways. (Beware of snot rockets and other flying secretions though...)

Just don't get tired. Your body needs energy to fight the cold.

The reason why we get colds in the winter is because we stay inside so much more!!

[mimitabby]

fresh air and a little exercise should make you feel better. If it doesn't, go home.
I think you're the best judge of what you should do.
I ride sometimes when I don't feel so good, and sometimes when i'm done, i feel better than i did when I started!

[Bad JuJu]

Thanks everyone! I've always wondered about that.

I missed the window of sunlight today, but will aim for an "exploratory" ride tomorrow morning.

[elk]

I got a bad cold the very evening of the day I got my new road bike....I waited until I thought i was feeling OK snuck out and rode for a very short while and BOOM I relapsed...

but that was me...I probably wasn't as well as I thought...just eager...

[firenze11]

I had the same experience as Elk. I always thought it was good to exercise with a cold, and I was told to do it at 75% of my normal workout. But I got a regular old cold one year and was not about to let it stop my workouts. Needless to say I ended up with a cold for about a month, I felt awful until I stopped to let my body recover. That might just be how my body works, though. So I recommend going for a ride while you have the weather but taking it easy to see how you feel.

I hope you feel better soon.

[OakLeaf]

I'm a total wuss about it myself.

Years ago I got myself into trouble because I wouldn't stop riding despite a sinus infection. It wound up lasting for 11 weeks, I was miserably sick the whole time (although it never did go into bronchitis the way they usually do with me), and I finally had to take a whole week off work - not just riding - so i could recover.

Exercise does depress the immune system. I might go for a walk outside, but my rule is when I'm sick, I don't want to break a sweat. YMMV. Hope you feel better soon.

[Aggie_Ama]

Everyone has given you good advice but here is my tale of caution. Lower your intensity. I rode (granted it was a century) with what I thought was allergies in August. Ended up with a sinus infection 10x worse than I had ever had because I didn't think anything of it since it wasn't in my chest. I have heard if it is in your chest stay home, in your head go on.

The weird thing is my doctor told me even with bronchitis I can ride, just not in the cold and give myself a few days to enjoy my cough syrup first.