Cycling to work....viable?
Discussion
Hello,
This is my first venture into this forum -so hi!
I am moving house in a few weeks to be within 6 miles of work, I will also then only have local roads on my route rather than motorway at present. I run a 3.0si Z4 Coupe as my daily and I reckon through traffic on my new route we could be talking easily a gallon of fuel a day from cold starts, maybe a little less.
As a consequence I am toying with the idea of getting back on a bike for the first time in about 8 years (I used to do a paper round...), specifically I'm thinking a road bike with flat bars rather than drop bars. I figure I'm close enough to get to work without being too much of a sweaty mess - but my question to all you pedal powered commuters is this.
How do you cope with cycling in if you have to wear a suit at work and maintain the "professional" look??
I believe we have a single shower at work (not sure how much use it gets) but what do people do in terms of getting suits / shirts etc to the office and still looking okay without being scrunched up in a bag?
I would like the idea of saving money and getting some lard off (do I need a fat b
d rear tyre 
!!) but want to ensure it is practical to do so 
Many thanks for any replies in advance - to my admittedly slightly ponderous post!
Cheers,
Alex
This is my first venture into this forum -so hi!
I am moving house in a few weeks to be within 6 miles of work, I will also then only have local roads on my route rather than motorway at present. I run a 3.0si Z4 Coupe as my daily and I reckon through traffic on my new route we could be talking easily a gallon of fuel a day from cold starts, maybe a little less.
As a consequence I am toying with the idea of getting back on a bike for the first time in about 8 years (I used to do a paper round...), specifically I'm thinking a road bike with flat bars rather than drop bars. I figure I'm close enough to get to work without being too much of a sweaty mess - but my question to all you pedal powered commuters is this.
How do you cope with cycling in if you have to wear a suit at work and maintain the "professional" look??
I believe we have a single shower at work (not sure how much use it gets) but what do people do in terms of getting suits / shirts etc to the office and still looking okay without being scrunched up in a bag?
I would like the idea of saving money and getting some lard off (do I need a fat b
d rear tyre !!) but want to ensure it is practical to do so Many thanks for any replies in advance - to my admittedly slightly ponderous post!
Cheers,
Alex
Leave your jacket and shoes at work (if you have to drive just wear trainers).
Roll clothes in backpack, don't fold, helps stop creases.
Leave a towel/wash stuff/deodorant at work and allow an extra 10 mins or do for a quick freshen up and you'll be fine.
Some people drive on a Monday to take a supply of shirts in, but I tend to just take a clean shirt every day as I'm not cycling much at the moment (motorbike much more fun in this weather)
Roll clothes in backpack, don't fold, helps stop creases.
Leave a towel/wash stuff/deodorant at work and allow an extra 10 mins or do for a quick freshen up and you'll be fine.
Some people drive on a Monday to take a supply of shirts in, but I tend to just take a clean shirt every day as I'm not cycling much at the moment (motorbike much more fun in this weather)
Welcome!
Its pretty easy but you have to be organised.
Drive in on Monday with a couple of suits and enough shirts for the week. Find somewhere to keep them in the office. On Friday, stuff them all in your bag and drop them at the dry cleaners on your way home. On Monday, take 5 more shirts in and pick up the original 5. Alternate suits as you see fit. Reckon you'll need the car once a week to do the transfers....
Unless of course you are lucky enough to have a pick up and drop off dry cleaner and you can get shirts and suits dropped off to the office.
I'll give it 3 weeks before you're searching for a much longer route home
Its pretty easy but you have to be organised.
Drive in on Monday with a couple of suits and enough shirts for the week. Find somewhere to keep them in the office. On Friday, stuff them all in your bag and drop them at the dry cleaners on your way home. On Monday, take 5 more shirts in and pick up the original 5. Alternate suits as you see fit. Reckon you'll need the car once a week to do the transfers....
Unless of course you are lucky enough to have a pick up and drop off dry cleaner and you can get shirts and suits dropped off to the office.
I'll give it 3 weeks before you're searching for a much longer route home
Jimbo. said:
Drive in Monday, taking your work clothing for the week with you and leaving it in the office. Bring it home in yer' bag on Friday, wash, rinse and repeat
What he said. Six miles is nothing, really. Even if you bimble along at granny speed you'll be quicker than the traffic.
You'll be happy not to have drop bars, for about 2 weeks. After that point you'll deeply regret not having them. They are a hundred times better than flat bars.
I'd be tempted by something like this
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/publish.asp?what=spe...
with the option to attach panniers to carry stuff. Mud guards are quite important if you are commuting.
I'd be tempted by something like this
http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/publish.asp?what=spe...
with the option to attach panniers to carry stuff. Mud guards are quite important if you are commuting.
If you can keep shoes, ties and and suits and work your life becomes a lot easier. Take one shirt and a pair of socks per day.
For six miles you won't need a shower, even in summer. Over the years I've learned more about how and why the body smells than you want to know! But the short point is that odour is the waste product of bacteria that live in your pits and groin eating the stuff you sweat. Set off clean after a shower (this is important), then if you can get put of your kit, dry off (a/c and/or moving air is more than enough) quickly and get into your work clothes quickly you won't need a shower and won't smell. Get the sweat off your before the bacteria have time to produce a stink and it's all good. Promise.
For six miles you won't need a shower, even in summer. Over the years I've learned more about how and why the body smells than you want to know! But the short point is that odour is the waste product of bacteria that live in your pits and groin eating the stuff you sweat. Set off clean after a shower (this is important), then if you can get put of your kit, dry off (a/c and/or moving air is more than enough) quickly and get into your work clothes quickly you won't need a shower and won't smell. Get the sweat off your before the bacteria have time to produce a stink and it's all good. Promise.
Assuming you're going to treat your commute as some sort of training session rather than slow and steady transport:
Roll up ironed shirts and into your bag, or if it's really important to keep them in good shape, one of these: http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-folder-15/d/1090... into your bag or pannier. Else I know quite a few people who find a cheap local dry cleaner who'll do a weekly rotation of shirts and return them pristine, although you need somewhere to keep them.
Keep shoes at work, along with tie(s), jacket and trousers. Bring fresh underwear and socks each day (keep spares in a desk drawer just in case). Arrive early, cool down for 15 mins or so before shower. Lots of people who cycle in will fall out of bed and ride off, then shower and have breakfast and stuff at work. Doesn't take any more time overall and roads are usually quieter early on.
Roll up ironed shirts and into your bag, or if it's really important to keep them in good shape, one of these: http://shop.eaglecreek.com/packit-folder-15/d/1090... into your bag or pannier. Else I know quite a few people who find a cheap local dry cleaner who'll do a weekly rotation of shirts and return them pristine, although you need somewhere to keep them.
Keep shoes at work, along with tie(s), jacket and trousers. Bring fresh underwear and socks each day (keep spares in a desk drawer just in case). Arrive early, cool down for 15 mins or so before shower. Lots of people who cycle in will fall out of bed and ride off, then shower and have breakfast and stuff at work. Doesn't take any more time overall and roads are usually quieter early on.
Wow! Thanks for all the responses already - and some really helpful advice!
I have noticed lots of people do it at nearby offices and was wondering what the etiquette was!! Sounds like a bit of planning is the solution! Handily another help is that the OH works within a minute of my office (lift share wouldn't work due to very different time demands of our respective jobs!!) so theoretically I do have a transportation service for shirts etc on a Monday morning! I'll just need to check with my boss about storage but would be surprised if it was an issue!
Thanks again for all the tips so far - and duly noted on the drop bars
I have noticed lots of people do it at nearby offices and was wondering what the etiquette was!! Sounds like a bit of planning is the solution! Handily another help is that the OH works within a minute of my office (lift share wouldn't work due to very different time demands of our respective jobs!!) so theoretically I do have a transportation service for shirts etc on a Monday morning! I'll just need to check with my boss about storage but would be surprised if it was an issue!
Thanks again for all the tips so far - and duly noted on the drop bars
GBDG said:
That looks rather good for what I need actually!!miln0039 said:
That looks rather good for what I need actually!!
Have a look at the Boardman road bikes too - very good value. Skip mudguards (unless you're planning on leading out the peloton). Ditto panniers - the idea is to carry as little as possible. A small backpack or courier bag is ideal. Get some decent lights just before the clocks go back. Have a few sets of bike kit - wear one set of kit per day and wash with bio liquid/powder. If you really want a dose of realism, budget the same amount on "kit" as you're budgeting for the bike itself.
Greg66 said:
Have a look at the Boardman road bikes too - very good value. Skip mudguards (unless you're planning on leading out the peloton). Ditto panniers - the idea is to carry as little as possible. A small backpack or courier bag is ideal. Get some decent lights just before the clocks go back. Have a few sets of bike kit - wear one set of kit per day and wash with bio liquid/powder.
If you really want a dose of realism, budget the same amount on "kit" as you're budgeting for the bike itself.
Thanks. Yes I was expecting to shell out a few hundred for kit and various other items! Some of it can wait a little while until closer to winter though so I'm not too worried about the outlay. If you really want a dose of realism, budget the same amount on "kit" as you're budgeting for the bike itself.
GBDG said:
You'll be happy not to have drop bars, for about 2 weeks. After that point you'll deeply regret not having them. They are a hundred times better than flat bars.
I think that very much depends on where you're riding and when. I love my drop-bar road bike, and for cycling on my own time, it's only ever that or my MTB if I fancy getting muddy.On my commute into central London, however, whilst I like the extra speed at times, the reality is that I don't feel safe using the speed much of the time (not wanting to be all that much faster than often near stationary traffic), and therefore the slightly reduced all round visibility and significantly reduced feeling of steadiness in the rain tend to mean it's not worth the hassle.
I therefore still end up mostly commuting on my home made hybrid. By home made, I mean a light alloy frame with 105 groupset and fairly light wheels to which I've just added flat bars and 28c tyres. It's not as quick, but it's the perfect compromise for commuting most of the time.
I had exactly this dilemma. I have showers at work but not much storage.
Suit Jacket: I have 2 suit jackets at work permanently.
Ties: Keep a load of these in my desk drawer and rotate them occasionally.
Towel: Renewed weekly and stays at work for a week hanging up in the underground carpark.
Shoes: Take in on Monday, take home on Friday (rotated weekly to get even use out of the pairs I have).
Suit Trousers: Take a different pair daily to rotate colours (I have a few pairs per suit jacket) - just folded in half 3 times and lightly placed in the bag for the 30 minutes it takes to get there before being hung up again.
Shirts: I use TM Lewin non-iron shirts, iron them before taking them in, folded (I use a Shirt Shuttle, to be honest, it's not great but it does the job. Not sure I'd want to use it on a shirt that creases easily though but fine for my non-irons.
It's taken quite a lot of expense to get fully prepared for commuting by bike but I love it and it's saving me £120/month so
Suit Jacket: I have 2 suit jackets at work permanently.
Ties: Keep a load of these in my desk drawer and rotate them occasionally.
Towel: Renewed weekly and stays at work for a week hanging up in the underground carpark.
Shoes: Take in on Monday, take home on Friday (rotated weekly to get even use out of the pairs I have).
Suit Trousers: Take a different pair daily to rotate colours (I have a few pairs per suit jacket) - just folded in half 3 times and lightly placed in the bag for the 30 minutes it takes to get there before being hung up again.
Shirts: I use TM Lewin non-iron shirts, iron them before taking them in, folded (I use a Shirt Shuttle, to be honest, it's not great but it does the job. Not sure I'd want to use it on a shirt that creases easily though but fine for my non-irons.
It's taken quite a lot of expense to get fully prepared for commuting by bike but I love it and it's saving me £120/month so
Hi all - again, thank you so much for all the replies.
I think I will be able to get a couple of suits into the office and have room to hang them up, then it is just a case of getting 5 shirts to work on the Monday (can get OH to get them most of the way) then shove them in my bag each night and bring them home along with the coat hanger. Wash and iron over the weekend and repeat until broken! The shower in the office works, so I just need a second wash-bag located at the office and a small back pack to put all my things into each day. There's also a dry cleaner within walking distance so I can rotate the suits there (may investigate the shirt service but the idea is to save money...so not sure getting shirts done that way is perfect)
So - thank you to all who provided advice - sounds like my pipe dream could well work out nicely!
Now, I just need to work out what type of bike I want for my needs....!!
I understand the comment on mudguards, but to be honest, if it's really wet - I may just jump in the BMW as that's water tight...and it's not exactly a hardship(!)
As for drop bars, I do like this style of bike but understand the comment on speed. However, I'm not commuting in London, but instead near Southampton (from the countryside into and industrial estate) and cycling will probably be the same in terms of journey time, although slower when the traffic is good and MUCH faster when there's an accident on the M3/M27!! The roads are mainly 40mph limits with few signals and there's one town area which is a real pinch point but it's not massive. So I don't know if the drop bar bike would be such a draw back as it could be in London?
I am interested in the hybrid idea though as I know the OH is showing willing to get a bike and do some riding at the weekends with me - but would imagine she might not be so keen on doing all of her riding on the road (I'm not saying off road but the occasional gravel track shouldn't be a show stopper!!) so maybe a hybrid would be better?
I am completely open to suggestions - but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers again all
Alex
I think I will be able to get a couple of suits into the office and have room to hang them up, then it is just a case of getting 5 shirts to work on the Monday (can get OH to get them most of the way) then shove them in my bag each night and bring them home along with the coat hanger. Wash and iron over the weekend and repeat until broken! The shower in the office works, so I just need a second wash-bag located at the office and a small back pack to put all my things into each day. There's also a dry cleaner within walking distance so I can rotate the suits there (may investigate the shirt service but the idea is to save money...so not sure getting shirts done that way is perfect)
So - thank you to all who provided advice
- sounds like my pipe dream could well work out nicely!Now, I just need to work out what type of bike I want for my needs....!!
I understand the comment on mudguards, but to be honest, if it's really wet - I may just jump in the BMW as that's water tight...and it's not exactly a hardship(!)
As for drop bars, I do like this style of bike but understand the comment on speed. However, I'm not commuting in London, but instead near Southampton (from the countryside into and industrial estate) and cycling will probably be the same in terms of journey time, although slower when the traffic is good and MUCH faster when there's an accident on the M3/M27!! The roads are mainly 40mph limits with few signals and there's one town area which is a real pinch point but it's not massive. So I don't know if the drop bar bike would be such a draw back as it could be in London?
I am interested in the hybrid idea though as I know the OH is showing willing to get a bike and do some riding at the weekends with me - but would imagine she might not be so keen on doing all of her riding on the road (I'm not saying off road but the occasional gravel track shouldn't be a show stopper!!) so maybe a hybrid would be better?
I am completely open to suggestions - but any help would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers again all
Alex
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