commuting questions

[Fat Robert]

i'm ignorant

enlighten me

no shower or changing room (other than bathroom) at my school

how does one deal with such a problem?

how do you commuters avoid the clothes-in-the-rucksack rumpled look?

(i'm a razor crease and tie type guy...would need a new 'commuter guy' work wardrobe)

the bike, ok, that would be cool

the logistics of actually using it eff with me

(perhaps of the obtuse school...i prefer my bike as sporting good rather than as transportation)

[Fixed]

take all your stuff one day and ride 4
wash down in the bathroom and your good to go, bro
cheers

[Rapid Tourist]

I don't know how to handle the shower issue. I'll leave that to others.

My commute is 10 miles each way. I fold my clothes neatly (ok, I don't fold the underwear neatly) and pack them in a pannier. I honestly have never been concerned about or experienced a "rumpled" look. Even if a shirt occassionally has an ill-placed wrinkle once I arrive at work, I find that the wrinkle goes away quickly as the day begins. No worries. RIDE ON!!!!

I love using a bike as transportation. Using it that way makes me feel more at one with the efficiency of it all.....

[yeehawfactor]

keep in mind too that 15-18 year olds are not the freshest smelling persons. i'd be more worried about the bike being messed with.

[Ray]

They actually make 'garment bag' type panniers that hang over the top of the rack and keep clothes pretty well pressed. Assuming you have a bike with a rack. Or, as others mentioned, just drive in once a week with a bunch of clothes.

As for the lack of showers, when I commuted by bike, I always showered at home so I was starting off clean, checked email or something while I cooled down, then used some sort of wet wipes, handi-wipes, whatever they call them for a quick wash down before changing. If you start off clean and get the sweat out of the stinky parts before it can really start to ferment, you'll be fine.

These days my commute is between my bedroom and home-office, so no logistics. But I did it for years and liked it most of the time.

-Ray

[davids]

I can't get past the smell issue.

If I had a shower at work, I'd do it when I could, bringing clothes back & forth carefully folded, giving them time to hang the creases out. But I don't.

[Ginger]

Drive one day, take a weeks worth of clothes in (if you have somewhere to lock them...if not, proceed to step two)

I carry neatly folded clothes, cleanup materials including one of those camp towels, and lunch in a camelback HOG. Unlike Rapid Tourist, I just don't wear underwear at work. In my job nobody should be examining me that closely. (I'm joking of course. I fold mine so I can find them.) Of course, standing in front of 30 or so high school students would be a much different situation. Creases and ties and armor like that are probably a good idea.

Shower before you leave the house.
Baby wipes are your freind. I leave a box of them at work to use for cleanup. Cool down before you start cleaning up ...it's just pointless to try to clean up if you're still sweating. I find I need to be in the office around a half hour to be dry enough to clean anything off. I also leave a towel and other cleanup stuff at work just in case I run into a freak storm that leaves me muddier than baby wipes will deal with.

If you are carrying your clothes, at least find a place at work to store your work shoes. That's the heaviest thing you'll be dragging along on any given day.

I hope this gives you some idea.

Oh...if you get in the habit you can leave your cable and lock on the rack at work, that way you don't need to carry that either.

Good luck!

[KJMUNC]

I leave 3-4 pairs of pants at work, along with travel size toiletries to freshen up. Baby wipes are the way to go, as I don't have a shower either and I commute 11 hilly miles each way in the NC heat. Just keep a box at the office and wipe down after your ride and you're good to go.

I leave shoes at work too, so all I need to put in my backpack is a folded shirt and my lunch. It takes some planning ahead, but it's well worth the extra effort.

[Needs Help]

I don't know how to handle the shower issue. I'll leave that to others.

http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/preparednesscenter_1904_8312657
http://us.st11.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/yhst-3786489705811_1906_9819006

[Peter P.]

It's not clear; are you staff or a student?

Student-Explain your situation to the administration and see if they'll give you access to the locker room.

Staff-Should be easier to get a key to the above if you're staff. Commandeer a locker. If my place of work didn't have one, I would buy my own and find a place for it. Change in the bathroom, classroom, locked office, janitor closet; I've done them all.

Smelliness? I just wiped myself off with paper towels from the dispenser. My locker had an L.L. Bean shower caddy in it. I didn't apply deodorant until I arrived at work, after the wipe down. I even asked co-workers; no complaints about smell.

Wrinkled clothes? Your wardrobe will change to meet your needs; that may mean permanent press shirts, pants, etc.

They say rolling your clothes up versus folding them helps them survive the commute more wrinkle-free. I never had a problem, though I wore ****ies work pants and work shirts.

Logistics of using the bike? If you think of your bike as a sporting good, it's probably too expensive for a commuter. That is, if you're concerned it will get stolen or damaged being left out in the elements all day.

If you can't bring it inside to a secure location, get a cheaper bike for a commuter. Lock it to a highly visible, well traffic-ed location. Lock it to a FIXED object. The type of lock used will reflect the threat i.e.; cheapo cable lock in rural Kansas, Kryptonite lock in NYC. If you think the lock is too heavy to carry, just leave it attached to your locking location every day.

After 28 years of commuting, I've found there's a solution to every problem.

[djg]

Roll 'em. Really. So I learnt this on tv from ... um ... Todd Oldham. Lay out the slacks as if there were going on a hanger. Next comes the undershirt and shorts. Next comes the real shirt. Fold the sleeves carefully across the front, and lay the socks in front of the collar. Roll neatly, from top to bottom. Done right, a pressed dress shirt comes out looking acceptable and the slacks just fine. After you get the hang of it it takes about 20 seconds. If you can keep dress shoes at work you can get everything into a large lumbar pack, which means nothing covering up (and insulating) your back.

There's no easy way around the shower issue. If you shower before you ride, you'll still sweat, but ... well, it'll be a clean sweat. Baby wipes and a towell and ... I dunno, it could work.

[Dekonick]

:butt: It works on a 14 month old arse smeared with poop - It will work on you too!

Baby wipes work - scented or not - your choice. :)

[72gmc]

many good answers here. i now have a locker and showers at work but this is the first workplace with such comforts. my approach in years past: superman in the bathroom stall, wash up well, and stash some deodorant and hair product (if you use it) in your desk or in the bathroom if you can.

think about what to do with your bike clothes when you're not riding. i used 2 hangers and a small fan (for drying) under my less than concealing ikea desk for all those years and very few people even knew i was doing it.

iron your clothes well and pack them snug. slacks are fine but long sleeve dress shirts don't usually work out well; can you go polo? stash extra socks if you can--if not there will be a day when you are not only going commando but wearing your cycling socks. it will happen.

ginger mentioned camp towels. i just switched to 'em and they're great. a little pricey but they dry out very well and are smaller/lighter to transport.

ride in easy. if you must ride hard, do it on the way home.

oh, and do it. bike commuting is the best kind of commuting.

[DavidK]

take all your stuff one day and ride 4

+1

That makes the biggest difference. Do the sweaty carrying thing on Monday morning and Friday evening, and ride with just a shirt stuffed with wallet, keys and phone the other days.

[shinomaster]

I work in a crummy gallery for almost no money....but anyway, there is no shower there either. So I ride 6 miles to work from my girlfriend's house every day . It is a fast time trial with a couple of hills. I pretty much wake up every day at 9:00 am, am on my bike at 9:15......hammmer at 24-30 mph to work. (try to find Japanese coffee in steel cans, that you can suck down before you jump on your bike to leave). I get there either sweaty, or very sweaty, or not so sweaty, at about 9:32, depening on the fcuking red lights, and retard divers.
I keep a locker full of cloths and bring some in my courier bag. I keep a wash cloth, and a towel in the bathroom. Rinse head, towel off, wipe balls and body with cloth. Get dressed. If cloths are full of wrinkles (and they always are), use a plant spray bottle full of watter and mist cloths while wearing them. The mist of water gets rid of wrinkles. I learned this trick from two chicks I lived with on Mission Hill in Boston. I also learned how to get shiit faced from one girls Irish boyfriends. You can also keep shirts at work and mist them on a hanger. It really works. Also keep a stash of razors, deoderant, and toofpast for when you show up at work late and hung over. Don't forget your underwear ,and socks...and shoes. Working in bike shoes is no fun....leave your shoes at work, they are too heavy to schlep on yer back. ...good luck.


xxoo

shino

[Daggett]

Ginger,

How do you deal with helmet hair?

[deechee]

Since I work in tech I dont care how my clothes look. I keep clean shirts and pants in my drawer. Trust me, I sweat like a dog but I haven't gotten any complaints about only wiping myself down in the bathroom. But a shower is nice (which I have across the hall)

For portable ironing, this: http://www.sunbeam.com/productdetail.aspx?PId=41
works pretty well.

Oh yeah, and my friends use baby wipes after a workout before getting back into the car - it'd probably help you be less stinky (if that's your concern).

[Samster]

How do you deal with helmet hair?get a crew cut.

[Samster]

no shower or changing room (other than bathroom) at my schoolstart earlier, ride slower. a towel and some extra rightguard will do fine. if you hammer it... you really need at least a sink and and a semi private stall to soap the pits. never used baby wipes before tho... that's a new one for me... wet wipes may also be appropo atmo.

[Ginger]

think about what to do with your bike clothes when you're not riding. i used 2 hangers and a small fan (for drying) under my less than concealing ikea desk for all those years and very few people even knew i was doing it.

That is a good point...I have nowhere to dry my clothes, *and* I'm not fond of putting wet stuff on...so I bring a change for the ride home. If I were only going 6 miles or so, it wouldn't be such a big deal...but 20 miles one way and it gets sort of icky.

-if not there will be a day when you are not only going commando but wearing your cycling socks. it will happen.
HA! Yes. Yes it will.

ginger mentioned camp towels. i just switched to 'em and they're great. a little pricey but they dry out very well and are smaller/lighter to transport.

My first one was an expensive camp type one, then after I ruined that one running it through the dryer (by accident) I found that they have the same stuff at the automotive store a lot cheaper...A few I have came from Army/Navy surplus, I think I paid $3...maybe.

[CNY rider]

I'm fortunate enough to have an office. The benefit is I can bring in 4 or 5 days worth of clothes and hang them on the back of my door. I carry fresh socks and underwear each day. I've also got a spare set tucked in a drawer because I guarantee there will be a day you forget one or both.

I ride in 7 miles, and immediately get in my office, get all my bike clothes off and hang around buck naked for 15 minutes or so. Don't spend an extra second in your bike gear, cause that's when funky stuff starts to happen. I usually sit on a towel and read email and sign notes during that time. One I'm dressed, I don't even really notice any difference having ridden in. Never had an odor problem.

[Ginger]

Ginger,

How do you deal with helmet hair?
My hair is naturally curly... It probably looks a little better behaved when I ride in.

[Daggett]

I have very straight hair. It looks flat and icky after a ride. Maybe Samster is right...I need a crew cut. :rolleyes:

[Ginger]

Nah, answer is the same as everything else. Stash a blow dryer and some hair stuff of preference at work. Fluff and go.

[72gmc]

at least in my locale, a buzz cut is half the price (or less) of a style cut. more comfy under the helmet and less time looking in the mirror... the only downside is everyone can see if you have a weird head.

[Tom]

My hair gets sucked up out the vents so it looks like I have three horns.

I leave it that way. It makes people leave me the hell alone.

[Kevan]

Here's a problem:

I recycle my riding wear for the return trip. I have a 20+ mile commute each way and during these hot days, such as yesterday's, my apparel gets absolutely soaked with sweat. I haven't had the nerve to ask management for the installation of a washer/dryer, nor have I strung that clothesline in the kitchen. I'm left with a hanger on my back door to try to dry things out. I just had to rinse out my du-rag.

I can't tell you how uncomfortable and down-right skeevy it felt pulling back on those wet shorts. Bucknaked would have been more enjoyable riding.

[72gmc]

whangle some sort of fan arrangement. rinse, wring, hang, fan. even with a little desktop fan they'll be dry by midday.

[Ginger]

Here's a problem:

I can't tell you how uncomfortable and down-right skeevy it felt pulling back on those wet shorts.

Same problem...only as a girl...there are other issues with the used shorts. I prefer to avoid those issues so I keep a full set of bike clothes in the office and carry a set in with me every day. At least sportsbra and shorts.

And to the question...where do you put all that stuff? I have three standard file drawers in my cube. Only one drawer has files in it. All of the bike clothes, cleanup stuff, and work clothes and work shoes fit in the other two. :banana:

[shoe]

when i had a longer commute and i would get sweaty i would leave earlier and just stop somewhere close to work and wind down. have a juice and a donut or two or three. let the body and perspiration cool down and then just meander in the last bit. dave