Unless you have a compromised immune system you can't catch the common cold from riding in the rain, you could catch pneumonia if you get wet and cold for a prolong period of time, but that is even rare. Going back to the compromised immune system, this could be from being something simple like being over tired which what happens is your body, after being exposed for a prolong period of time, gets stressed which causes the body to release cortisone which then effects your blood sugar which in turn effects your immune system, then to have all that happen at the same time you come in contact with a cold virus, then you could be more susceptible to catching a cold.9lines said:I have always avoided riding while it is raining. I fear contracting the cold virus. I don't like riding while wet and shivering. It is generally not good to my health.
I once rode when the weather was fair, when I left home it was 55 degrees by the time I got 40 miles from home the weather turned to wind blowing head on into me, rain and cold (about 40 degrees, and none of the weather stuff mentioned this) and all I had on was a long sleeve jersey and a light non rain proof jacket; needless to say I got very cold and very wet. I was so cold that when I got home and turned on the hot shower to warm up the hot water felt like it was ice cold, it took about 10 minutes of letting the hot water drench me before I could finally get warmed up enough to feel that the water was indeed warm. I didn't get sick though, why? Because I wasn't over tired and thus my body wasn't in stress even though it was stressed by the time I got that cold, and I wasn't around a cold virus.