Commuting - New commute next season

I will be having a job assignement after the summer some 24 miles away from home. I started thinking about getting to cyclocommute at least on dry days, so bear with me and my checklist.

Rig = Either my geared hybrid or my fixed gear bike.
Option #1 = leave the fixed ride for leisure and embrace derraileurs and coasting.
Option #2 = leave the hybrid so it can collect more dust and get a new fixed gear - or at least a fresh drivetrain - and get stronger.

Regardless, in time I will be not needing to carry my work clothing back and forth. But for all practical purposes, panniers are considered.

My actual commute is faster on the fixed gear, rolling hills and high gear inch ratio are good combinations.

Distance: 24 miles
Check in time, cleaned up and dressed : 0700
Reasonable time* expected to accomplish the ride with dry** road conditions***: 2 hours.
Departure: 0430
Wake up call: 0400

The good news is that it is some elevation loss on the way in, but the entire climbing in feet will be close to 2,000 feet. Those rolling hills really add up.
The bad news is that I am a little of a chicken with pushing the envelope .... at work. I am not sure how my employer (who happens to have a dress code) will be taking the whole thing. On the other hand there are showers available for the staff, but since I will only be temporarily with very strong possibilities of a permanent position, I want to test the waters first.
Yes, this particular job is important to me. Iv'e been preparing for it for the last painfull**** years. I do not want to blow it, but I do not want to miss the oportunity of a beautiful commute through this area.

Ok: enough useless chit chat ... now to the questions.

1# should I do the full commute a few times a week?
2# should I do a 1/2 commute most of the week?
3# should I be bold and tell my employer that I plan to give me a locker, let me early in the building, so I can suit up for work? Is that an unreasonable request?
4# should I request to the guy with UFO tailigths to make a step by step of his wonderful setup?
5# should I leave my actual 1971 steel conversion for commuting and get a more modern and nicer looking bike for leisurelly rides?
6# should I now capitalize all the "s" in my questions?

Bike security is not an issue.




* add 10 mins to replace a tube, so to patch it later.
**call me a wimp.
***I can ride on salty roads, but by all means I do not want to be in the rain being able to drive there.
***** not an expletitive, but it was hard in addition with other personal challenges with being new in the country, not having a 'fictive kinship, and other health related stuff.

Ok: enough useless chit chat ... now to the questions.

1# should I do the full commute a few times a week?
2# should I do a 1/2 commute most of the week?
3# should I be bold and tell my employer that I plan to give me a locker, let me early in the building, so I can suit up for work? Is that an unreasonable request?
4# should I request to the guy with UFO tailigths to make a step by step of his wonderful setup?
5# should I leave my actual 1971 steel conversion for commuting and get a more modern and nicer looking bike for leisurelly rides?
6# should I now capitalize all the "s" in my questions?
]

* add 10 mins to replace a tube, so to patch it later.



Rule #1: Do a full commute after doing 1/2 commutes for a while. Once they get used to you being a little stinky and mussed, they won't notice the effect of a full commute. Do the full commute 2 then 3 then 4 times a week. Leave one day for emergencies, appointmnets, and parties (AKA drive).

Rule #2: 1/2 commutes the first week or two.

Rule #3: Let the Boss know you would like to try to bike part way to work on one day. Leave a set of good cloths at work the day before. If no hassle, two then three days, then Rule#1.

Rule #4: UFO taillight if need be. A Xenon strobe is great. If it can't be seen from orbit it is a weak light.

Rule #5: Commuting is not primarily a fun ride or a training ride, your job depends on it. Use a fully geared normal bike with 28 to 32 tires. Save the fixies and such for fun.

Rule #6: "There is NO Rule 6."

Thanks Ken! Last assignement I had no dress code problem, but now is somewhat a big issue. For sure I will let the boss know what my plans are. In all likeliness he SHOULD be supporting of my mode of transportation due the nature of the work environment, yet I have my reserves due matters of class and race to be associated with "getting to work in a bike".

If its a job postion you've been working towards for a while, and the opportunity coming around again is rare, i'd phase in commuting slowly after you get yourself ingrained and on their good side.

Early impressions are very hard to shake off. Adding in cycling and having it taken as a poor image, even if its a wrong image, could be bad. Some people look at cycle commuting as wrong. Once they get to know you, and your personality, and then you phase it in, it doesnt strke them as a 'bad' point on your review.

I'm also starting a new position that has taken years to get to. But my chocie of commuting came up in one of the interviews, and they were open to it. So i'm at a bit of an advantage.

As a side note, when the heck did they start adding online pshycological profiles for job interviews ! 2 seperate job interviews in the last 6 weeks and both used an online psych test. All this job hunting crap is something i dont want to have to go thru again :P

WHAT?? Psyreviews?

A hand written writing sample should be more than enough~