What if there's no showers?
Discussion
I want to continue cycling to work, even if it's just in fair weather, but the main thing I'm concerned about is when there are no showers the other end. My current ride is only 4-5 miles, and taking it easy I don't really get sweaty so it's no problem... But it would be nice to go a bit faster if I was going to do it. Is there a way to deal with this?
Also, does anyone do it wearing a suit or similar? I've no locker at work, so it's a right pain, and I end up just wearing a jumper to make sure I don't look like I've slept in my clothes!
I'm all very new to this, but even riding in the freezing cold and pissing down rain, I actually quite enjoyed it!
Also, does anyone do it wearing a suit or similar? I've no locker at work, so it's a right pain, and I end up just wearing a jumper to make sure I don't look like I've slept in my clothes!
I'm all very new to this, but even riding in the freezing cold and pissing down rain, I actually quite enjoyed it!
ewenm said:
I used to wash in the sink in the disabled toilet at one site when there wasn't a shower.
Work clothes carried in a rucksack - shirt carefully folded. Trousers, shoes (and jacket if required) left at work.
I reckon I could probably get away with leaving my suit jacket and shoes at work, so that's not a bad idea actually. I hadn't thought of that. Is there any 'special' way to fold the shirt inside a rucksack, or a way to protect it?Work clothes carried in a rucksack - shirt carefully folded. Trousers, shoes (and jacket if required) left at work.
The sports centre at my local Uni charge 50p for use of the showers with no need to join the gym.
louiebaby said:
Cycle lightly to work. Avoid being sweaty.
Go nuts on the way home. Get home looking like you swam back.
Job done.
Agree!Go nuts on the way home. Get home looking like you swam back.
Job done.
My commute is 5-6 miles but with an elevation change of 180m. Luckily it's my house that's the high point, work at sea level, so I have an easy roll (mostly) downhill into work with no sweatiness. I then beast it up the hills on the way home
I'm considering doing this - work has showers so that's not an issue. The only issue is storage - I can leave the jacket in a cupboard near my desk but do people just travel forwards and back with trousers and shoes? I don't fancy going from 3rd floor to basement and back to third floor to put away my shoes every night and the reverse every morning 
Any ideas?
Quite tempted to see what I can arrange with the gym over the road - how much can I offer a central london gym to let me change, shower and store clothes in a locker?
Any ideas?Quite tempted to see what I can arrange with the gym over the road - how much can I offer a central london gym to let me change, shower and store clothes in a locker?
If you can afford the £40 use the gym and get on the treadmill to improve CV fitness quicker and weights to both equalise upper body strength to your legs plus some weight work on legs to get some more power.
Work and shirts - either get enough of them in to work and use a local laundrette/shirtcleaning service (yes you can tell most of my work is London-based!!
) or take a couple of days worth in and find a hook somewhere to store them.
Trousers - get a hanger for your jacket that has a clamp to hold you trousers, clamp at bottom of trouser leg and creases drop out. Have 2-3 pairs to alternate and allow creases to drop out of fabric.
Getting changed and back/forth - take bike kit to desk in bag (hang it up somewhere if it needs to air but not right next to desk if it's starting to whiff!) then get changed in toilets on same floor (if lucky enough) and just go downstairs in bike kit. You can also use a pair of flip flops, light shoes that can be squashed in a bag if needed to get from office to showers/kit.
I used to follow this procedure at one office:
1. Cycle to office chain bike in car park
2. Up to desk, out of bike shoes, leave shoes, helmet, gloves at desk, change in to trainers, take rucksack containing shirt/undies and trousers and go to gym (2minute walk)
3. Shower up, get ready and hang up cycling kit in gym locker
4. Back to office
Then at some point during the day I'd go and pick up cycle kit from locker then just change in work toilets.
Sounds like a right rigmarole but in reality it added no more than 15-20 minutes faffing to the day and meant I rode 24 miles round trip 3-4 times a week in addition to gym work.
Work and shirts - either get enough of them in to work and use a local laundrette/shirtcleaning service (yes you can tell most of my work is London-based!!
) or take a couple of days worth in and find a hook somewhere to store them.Trousers - get a hanger for your jacket that has a clamp to hold you trousers, clamp at bottom of trouser leg and creases drop out. Have 2-3 pairs to alternate and allow creases to drop out of fabric.
Getting changed and back/forth - take bike kit to desk in bag (hang it up somewhere if it needs to air but not right next to desk if it's starting to whiff!) then get changed in toilets on same floor (if lucky enough) and just go downstairs in bike kit. You can also use a pair of flip flops, light shoes that can be squashed in a bag if needed to get from office to showers/kit.
I used to follow this procedure at one office:
1. Cycle to office chain bike in car park
2. Up to desk, out of bike shoes, leave shoes, helmet, gloves at desk, change in to trainers, take rucksack containing shirt/undies and trousers and go to gym (2minute walk)
3. Shower up, get ready and hang up cycling kit in gym locker
4. Back to office
Then at some point during the day I'd go and pick up cycle kit from locker then just change in work toilets.
Sounds like a right rigmarole but in reality it added no more than 15-20 minutes faffing to the day and meant I rode 24 miles round trip 3-4 times a week in addition to gym work.
I drive in on Monday with a week's worth of shirts, pants and socks and take them home on a Friday in a daysack. They sit on the back of a door in a suit carrier; I get changed in the loos.
I'm very lucky in that there's a small s
tty shower at work, but if it wasn't there, I would just use wet wipes and shower in a can spray.
I'm very lucky in that there's a small s
tty shower at work, but if it wasn't there, I would just use wet wipes and shower in a can spray.So long as you're clean before you get on the bike then it's only going to be relatively clean sweat anyway so you won't need a shower. Sweat by itself doesn't make you smelly - it will only if you get or are dirty at the same time.
I often have a shower at home before doing a 15 mile ride into work. When I get there I just change into my suit that is already at the office. For shirts I either take about 10 of them in a suit carrier every couple of weeks or I use a non-iron one that rolls up in my rucksack.
I often have a shower at home before doing a 15 mile ride into work. When I get there I just change into my suit that is already at the office. For shirts I either take about 10 of them in a suit carrier every couple of weeks or I use a non-iron one that rolls up in my rucksack.
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