Cycling when you’re ill can result in two different outcomes – either you feel immensely better afterwards or you feel seriously worse for the outing.

Of course, if the illness is of the type consisting of the ‘morning afterwards’ and with no-one else to blame but yourself, I find a good cycle ride can greatly increase your chances of enjoying the rest of the day without so many clouds on your horizon.

However, if the illness is through no fault of your own and your body is being ravaged by some nasty virus or infection, then in all seriousness a vigorous workout is probably not what the doctor ordered.

But what if the illness is not so serious and you can function almost normally? What if your job requires you to jump on a bike every day and consists of balancing when your balance is shot?

Well, this has been my experience over the past week and I am very glad it is now over.

Thanks to an inner ear infection from doing too much backstroke in the municipal pool, I have just spent the past week with not only temporary bouts of vertigo but also temporary bouts of stupidness.

Seriously, I have said things without thinking in temporary moments of dizziness that would make my old school teachers seriously rethink their grading of me.

But more to the point, I had to continue cycling throughout this episode, and we are not just talking a gentle cycle to the local shops or my meagre commute from home each day. No, I have been dolloped not once but twice on a mountain bike and tasked with keeping up.

If you have ever gone mountain biking while inebriated, you will understand – cornering results in a feeling like your brain is left behind on the approach. This can obviously confuse you but, if you stay on, eventually the brain catches up and you can move on to the next obstacle.

You have to pray the dizziness temporarily stops for a downhill section and if it doesn’t, closing your eyes and praying can be just as effective as keeping them open and concentrating.

Dark glasses are a must as your brain just can’t cope with the sun flickering through the trees, plus a better helmet, padded gloves and perhaps even elbow or knee pads won’t go amiss.

If you still don’t understand this feeling I am describing, imagine cycling on the deck of a ship as it passes through a pretty bad storm. It was that bad.

Thankfully the dizziness has subsided now and I feel almost back to normal, apart from a small amount of hearing loss.

Still, contrary to my complaints, I didn’t fall off badly – to be fair, I didn’t cycle as fast as I usually do.

Whatever way you look at it, cycling is all about balance and if you’re not swopping two wheels for three, there is more than a chance you will fall off without it.

I will never moan again when cycling with a sniffle, as cycling without your sense of balance is a whole different kettle of fish.