galen_52657

Shower facilities...give me a break....

Try slowing down on the ride in (it's NOT a training ride) and utilizing a little talcum powder when you get there. You could also leave some spare cloths at the office...

noisebeam

Galen,
How slow does one need to ride with full intense sun at 7am and 95F so as not to sweat? I remember ~10yrs ago the low temp didn't drop below 100F one night.
Al

galen_52657

You have to coast a lot....

galen_52657

It gets hot here too with humidity above 95%....

joejack951

I've biked as slowly as I could tolerate for less than a mile on a flat road one very hot and humid day and still arrived too sweaty for my liking (I was going to get my haircut). Not that walking would have been any better, or just standing outside in those temps for that matter. Sometimes, you just get sweaty and there's nothing you can do about it. Start fresh, give yourself time to cool off and bring some soap and washcloth for a birdbath (that's how I cope). I would definitely feel cleaner if I could shower at work during the summer.

Brian Ratliff

Oh dear god no...

genec

Try riding in a place that has 20% grades... and the approach to the office is up a 1 mile hill. Walking up such hills in 80 degree temps will make you sweat.

Water and resources can be saved by taking quick rinse off showers or "Navy showers;" this involves a quick wet down, shutting off the water, soaping up, then turning on the water and rinsing.

donnamb 

Oh come on, Brian, not even for the Pedalpalooza Kick-Off Ride/Parade?

I_Bike

I'd prefer you "Coast" a lot...

Helmet Head

+1

I have both, and if I didn't, I wouldn't bike commute.

(well, I don't have a locker, but I have a place to secure/store my bike -- my office -- which is the function of a bike locker)

Helmet Head

Sorry, I have a one mile long climb, plus other shorter climbs. My 20-30 minute commute would turn into 45-60 minutes if I tried not to sweat.

Bekologist

I'd rather have free doughnuts and a ride led by the mayor every month, versus showers so some of us can wet down after a once-a-week bicycle commute.

I ride every day for at least a half hour, in the clothes I work in, mostly, and don't shower even though one is available. i've been cycle commuting like that since the 1980's. ride, stop, cool down. some hot days I bring a change of shirt. cotton smells a lot less than synthetics, i think thats a mistake a lot of people make, wearing synthetics instead of wool and cotton for their commute.

When I'm doing a two hour hammer-time workout before work, i change clothes but don't shower. I find showers are so not necessary after a commute if you ride a lot, ironically.

SO, a ride led by the mayor every month and some free doughnuts, versus the fight so some 'riders' can shower a once, a couple of days a week.

Bike infrastructure, lots of places to lock up, signage and public service announcements. targeted enforcement to encourage lawful operation of motor vehicles.

bigpedaler

AT LAST, A VOICE OF REASON!

thank you for summing it up so well.

as far as the wet clothes at the end of the day -- they suck worse at the beginning of the day, but i deal w/ it when i have to.

bigpedaler

your employer is part of the problem.

{god forbid some sensitive nose be offended by another human body -- oh, no! we must have our people odor-free!}

o-dog

+infinity

my town would be that much better for cycling if the public works department just got off their asses!

noisebeam

The showers I have at work are in individual compartments. The modest can and do manage to get to from shower stalls fully covered. Not like the high school gym mass showers.

The desire for showers obviously is partly dependent on where one lives and local climate.

They were essential for me when I had a weekly dr. appt. I rode to every Wed. at lunch in 115F weather. Not much time to ride slow and no way to stay sweat and red free after. The shower is as much to cool down body temp as to wash. In mid summer 95F morning after 5min cold shower, 15min changing and walking across park lot I am still beet red and mildly sweaty at desk. It takes me 90min to cool down after work at home in the summer without a shower. I don't think may appreciate what its like to ride for 9mi in 118F (shade temp) with full sun on pavement around hot cars - one can do it faster at 30min or slow at 60min. One may not survise 60min in this type of full sun while riding a bike slow. Thats going home of course, but is also what is needed for me to run errands during the day or go to the other office site which can happen last minute need.

Al

lukeC

I just dont' see whats wrong with expecting to shower at work after riding.


For the last year I was living/working in Sydney Australia.
Cycling 10kms in the morning to work in the City - work in finance where you are required to wear a suit and shave and smell reasonably nice.

1. Ride so you don't work up a sweat?
-

in 30C heat at 7-8am in the summer trying to get to work in a reasonable time (10kms in <30mins) you WILL Sweat.

2. Waste of water?

I didn't shower at home before Cycling to work so i'm using the same amount of water.

maddyfish

The best facility I can thing of to increase bike commuting would be a mandatory car crusher. All cars drive to it, and are immediately crushed. Bike commuting would increase 1000-fold.

Seriously though, around here (northern Ky./Cincy) something as simple as more bike racks would help alot.

BikEthan

Uh... Boston, I think tearing down the whole city and starting over might be a good start.

Filling pot holes. Putting the damn sewer grates back the right way. Ticketing bad drivers. Bike lanes that aren't in the door zone. Bike lanes at all. More bike racks. Some of the more inclusive facilities mentioned above sound awesome. Luckily my employer (and many others in the area) supply bike "cages" areas where bikes can be locked under cover and in a relatively secure area (employee ID card scanner to enter). There are a few bike paths in the area that allow easier commutes, some more planning and modifications could be done to make things much, much better.

Brian Ratliff

Wow. This thread is, like, 8 months old.

StephenH

DART here in Dallas has a limited number of bike lockers at train stations.

To me, the #1 item is just having decent routes. I can get around in my neighborhood just fine. But to cross under a freeway requires that I be on one of the main roads with heavy traffic , which all have curbs and no shoulders. Bike lanes, shoulders, or bike routes seperate from roads would all be great. They don't have to be high dollar (contrary to what the City of Dallas seems to think), just a way to get from one point to another without getting run over.