Riding with a head cold

[SteveV0983]

Kind of a simple question, but I'm curious if you tend to keep riding or take some time off with a head cold. I'm rarely sick (first cold in about 4 years), but I came down with a heck of one this week.
If you ride, do you tend to feel as though it prolongs your recovery from the cold or has no affect? Or do you tend to get better faster? Or have a setback? Just curious.

[azrider]

yes i've ridden with head cold and would again in future. i actually prefer riding my trainer with no fan and sweating it out.

ymmv

[Lewis Moon]

Kind of a simple question, but I'm curious if you tend to keep riding or take some time off with a head cold. I'm rarely sick (first cold in about 4 years), but I came down with a heck of one this week.
If you ride, do you tend to feel as though it prolongs your recovery from the cold or has no affect? Or do you tend to get better faster? Or have a setback? Just curious.

YMMV - Got to watch a national caliber half marathon runner tank an entire season by trying to train through a cold. You can do smart training, but don't be that guy.

[thwart]

Currently suffering with a head cold (without fever, body aches, persistent headache), and riding last night was fine... just wear enough clothes and avoid getting wet/chilled.

Strenuous exercise is a great decongestant. Too bad it only lasts a few hours...

[DonH]

Im lucky that I do not get many colds but will usually ride if I have a head cold, as long as there is no fever or nasty body aches. A ride makes me feel better.
If a fever is present I retreat to the couch or bed and lay there and rest.

[45K10]

I used to ride with a cold all the time, but now I just take time off the bike until it clears up normally 3-4 days. In my observations, riding with cold always made the cold last a little bit longer than if I just took the days off.

If you are in decent shape when you get the cold 3-4 days isn't going to matter, it might even be good for you legs.

If your out of shape when a cold hits then your training is going to suffer due to the cold so you might as well sit it out. Just my opinion

[teleguy57]

Rule of thumb I've always heard is above the neck (head cold), OK to train, below the neck (throat stuff, chest congestion) take time off.

Me, I always seem to be right on the boundary, and invariably head stuff ends up as chest congestion so I'm riding fairly often with post-nasal drainage and that hacking post-ride cough that just doesn't seem to clear out the lungs enough.

[Climb01742]

If a cold hits me pretty full on, with runny nose, sneezing and coughing, I'll take 3-5 days off but then ride again. I actually find riding tends to flush the cold out of my system faster. But those first few days of rest are key. And as was said, slightly over-dress those first few rides as you flush the cold out.