Commuting - Commuting and Clean-Up

Hello Everyone!

I'm going to commute to work for the first time tomorrow. I work in an office building and need to dress professionally - I'm a receptionist so I'm in contact with many people. You can see my route at http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=217734. It's only about 6 miles and mostly downhill going to work. Here are my questions to you:

1) My work has showers and lockers and I'm wondering if I should count on having to shower tomorrow when I get to work, or if I should be ok with a washcloth and some soap? (I'll take a shower when I get home after my big uphill ride)
2) I will be wearing my cycling clothing on the ride, so I'll have to pack clothing and change there and all I've got is a backpack - any tips on brining nice clothing to work? Any tips on storing cycling clothing in a half-locker so that they're not disgusting when I put them on at the end of the day?
3) Any other advice on tidying up after your commute so that you look professional?

Thanks in Advance! I'm a little bit terrified and a whole lot excited about tomorrow :)

It is up to you. Ride at the same level of energy as walking and you will arrive dry. Hammer and you can walk in the door wringing wet. Everyone has their own priorities.

The simple rule for any clothing is always roll, never fold. On a warm summer day, you will be a lot more presentable than people who have walked to a bus stop. If you are dry, your bike clothing will be also. If they are damp, hang them so air will circulate and they will quickly dry.

Have fun! That's what really counts.

Paul

What about leaving a fresh set of clothes on a hanger at work in your locker? On the days that you drive into work, you can "stock" your locker with a few days of work clothes.

I'm lucky in that my employer also provides showers and lockers. And, I've planned out the logistics of commuting by bike. But, the shear length of my commute (22 miles), along with my start time (06:30) is a bit discouraging.

It is not clear from your post whether you're a man or a woman (don't want to be sexist and assume that a receptionist would necessarily be a woman). For men it is a little bit easier. I leave 1 pair of brown shoes, 1 pair of black shoes, 1 brown belt, and 1 black belt at work. I take shirt, tie, pants, underwear, socks and t-shirt in panniers. I also "reuse" pants that I leave at work a few days later. I try not to hammer on the way in so I only need to wash up in the sink on arrival. Going home, my goal is to be a sweaty mess.

Any suggestions from professional-dressed women about what they would leave or do you find it necessary to bring a full outfit every day?

IME, for a shorter commute like that, especially if you go early in the morning, clean-up is not a big deal. I'd rarely do much if any, and I sweat a lot! Completely changing from bike clothes to regular clothes usually does the trick. You're not likely to smell bad if you've taken a shower shortly before going out on the bike for your shortish commute. That being said, a spare stick of deodorant at work is a good idea, just in case.

As for clothing, yes, roll, don't fold. IIRC, someone once posted here about rolling around a core of something (I wish I remembered what) to reduce wrinkling even more.

If you're into backpack commuting, take a look at http://www.wingnutgear.com; waterproof and virtually weightless in the sense that you don't realize you have a backpack on most of time!

I suppose I should have mentioned - yes I am a female. I've already decided that ponytails and such are going to be the way things'll have to be when I commute - my head tends to get a little sweaty and if I'm not showering my hair will be a little gross. The only day I'm planning on not riding to work are Saturdays, so I think I'll take everyone's opinion and stock my locker with some work clothes on that day, to last me for the week. I only have a half-locker so I may go ask the security d00ds for a bigger one!

I'll report back later tonight on how it went. I'm feeling a little more nervous now than I did last night!

For men it is a little bit easier.


Doesn't have to be any more difficult, actually.


Any suggestions from professional-dressed women about what they would leave or do you find it necessary to bring a full outfit every day?

As a generally professionally-dressed woman who commutes about 12.5 miles, I do bring an outfit in each day, but I leave a pair of shoes in the office. I normally wear trousers, a blouse or tshirt, and a smart jumper/cardigan. That plus underwear and some lunch isn't so heavy. I have short hair, so showering at work is simple. I leave a small towel (it's a locked room, who needs a big one?) and shower gel/shampoo/hair gunk at work.

I roll the clothes so that the jumper and underwear are in the middle, then shirt, then trousers. I put the whole lot inside a canvas bag, then into the bag. Just so I don't have to worry how clean my messenger bag is really, or about my lunch leaking...

I'll report back later tonight on how it went. I'm feeling a little more nervous now than I did last night!

Make sure to leave extra early the first several days, until you've got the route and timing nailed.

Well I survived!

I cried before I left because I was so nervous and terrified. That's more a symptom of my current hormonal imbalance and gap in my medication than any real indication of my state of mind.

I took a wrong turn near the beginning but luckily got back on track pretty quickly. It's mostly downhill so it wasn't too horrible. I got to work and did a quick rinse off, dried the sweat out of my hair under the hand dryer and got dressed. I gave myself 2 hours (my commute is about 45min on bike, plus time for traffic plus time to clean up and get dressed and get coffee, etc). I was all ready and at my desk 30min early!!!

Coming home wasn't quite as easy. I only have a half locker so by the time I got all of my stuff inside there wasn't much ventilation. Wet riding clothing is disgusting, yet I put it on and got on my bike. There's over 100 meters of climbing on the way home compared to 37m on the way to work. On my test ride my boyfriend jokingly grabbed onto my seat and pushed me part way up the big hill. How I missed him tonight! I laboured up the largest of the hills in the very smallest gear I had and this damn roadie passed me as if he was going along a flat and gave me a condescending look. Hrmph! At least I don't look like a tour de france wannabe!

After the big hill (which anyone who is actually in shape will tell you isn't really a big hill) it's pretty easy, lots of small ups and downs. I made it home in 34 minutes according to my computer. We clocked the test ride at 45 so I did pretty good! I didn't freak out too much and managed to keep my cool during the "tricky" parts of the ride (left turns at busy intersections).

I will be riding tomorrow, and later this week investing in a second set of shorts to have fresh clothing for the ride home.

Good deal! Congrats!

Many reception areas are like fortresses and look like they might have room under the desk for something to hang and air out. Any such luck for you??

For those without showers at work - I use body powder - I think it's Desenex but whatever brand would probably suffice. Works great.

I hear baby wipes are pretty good for cleanup, too, but just get some unscented ones if you can so you don't smell like a baby all day. I don't know personally because my office provides a shower. Congratulations on becoming a commuter! It's great fun, and I have more energy throughout the day when I commute by bike (which is most days).

No such luck, under our desk we've got two huge cupboards that take up most of the space, a mini-fridge, a garbage can and a recycling bin! Hardly any room for legs, let alone hanging my delicates ;) I don't mind the wet so much as I do the chafing that went with it - the crease where my thighs meet my ass are red and sore. Should I try drying my shorts under the hand dryer? talc?

My boyfriend has suggested a second set of clothing. That way I'll always have a set at both work and home drying!

I hear baby wipes are pretty good for cleanup, too, but just get some unscented ones if you can so you don't smell like a baby all day. I don't know personally because my office provides a shower. Congratulations on becoming a commuter! It's great fun, and I have more energy throughout the day when I commute by bike (which is most days).

I find that with my backpack and the warm days that I'm a little too sweaty for just baby wipes. I found that rinsing off in the shower was just perfect - didn't need to soap down or shower properly, just rinse off!

Congrats, Asyrol!
I knew you would do fine.

Paul

Congrats! :beer:

Well I survived!

I cried before I left because I was so nervous and terrified. That's more a symptom of my current hormonal imbalance and gap in my medication than any real indication of my state of mind.
awww...<hugs>


I laboured up the largest of the hills in the very smallest gear I had and this damn roadie passed me as if he was going along a flat and gave me a condescending look. Hrmph! At least I don't look like a tour de france wannabe!


trust me, from personal experience..if the roadie's still looking at you and not the road, he's checking you out, not a condescending look...

sd

Congratulations! Don't get discouraged. This gets much easier as a) you get into better shape and b) even more importantly, you find what works for you in your work place.

Keep it up!!

You did great! Survival is the battle on the first days - and repeating. Ignore everyone, except positive people - the world is full of whinners and naysayers, they aren't worth listening too.

Pretty soon that hill will be nothing - and you might actually leave the roadie in the dust. ;)

awww...<hugs>



trust me, from personal experience..if the roadie's still looking at you and not the road, he's checking you out, not a condescending look...

sd

HAHAHA.. I'll remember that and make sure to wink the next time one's staring at me!

Pretty soon that hill will be nothing - and you might actually leave the roadie in the dust. ;)

oh I don't know about that.. I'm sure the matching team bibs/jersey give him an extra few kms/h compared to my mis-matched hand-me-downs!

A bandanna under the helmet will provide sweat relief to the hair.

You might want to check out the underwear section of a sporting goods store. Look for stretchy, moisture wicking synthetic fabrics. They dry significantly faster than cotton, which might spare you the need to change. I <3 my UnderArmour compression shorts.

Congratulations on your ride! :D Don't be discouraged. It actually takes a few weeks to figure out all the little tricks and routines. Once you find your groove, you'll never go back.

I don't mind the wet so much as I do the chafing that went with it - the crease where my thighs meet my ass are red and sore. Should I try drying my shorts under the hand dryer? talc?

My boyfriend has suggested a second set of clothing. That way I'll always have a set at both work and home drying!

Asyrol - I am a professional man, I commute 5 days per week, 15 miles each way. My routine:
I have a bike with a rear rack and I carry a pannier or two to carry my stuff - Each day I bring in clean clothes, sometimes I am also bringing paperwork, laptop computer, food to restock my office pantry etc.
Many commuters say they have good luck rolling their clothes - that has never worked for me. I neatly fold my shirt and pants, and put them in the pannier first, so they are against the hard flat back of the bag. I keep shoes at work, and usually use those. I keep a sport coat at work, although I usually don't need to wear that. Before leaving home I shave, floss and brush my teeth. I also eat a piece of fruit. When I arrive at work, I first power up my computer and do a quick check of e-mails, this give me a chance to cool down and stop sweating. I then shower, put on a deoderant, brush my hair get dressed. I hang my shirt in the room with the shower during my shower - the steam makes the few wrinkles at the fold lines fall out. I fix breakfast at work from my pantry - usually oatmeal and bran muffin or bagel. I am able to hang my biking garb in my office in an out of the way place so that it can dry before heading home - socks and gloves are usually still moist when I put them on :(.
Once I get home I usually have a quick rinse off in the cool shower before getting dressed.

You mention a chafing problem - are you wearing bike shorts, or running shorts? - Bike shorts will make a huge difference. Also look into Butt Balm, Chamois Buttr or some other thing like that to help with the chafing - shouldn't be happening on rides as short as yours, you should be able to completely avoid it. Deninitely invest in some more bike garb - It is expensive at first, but lasts well, and makes you sooo much more comfortable.

Every day you will get stronger - This morning it was raining, after I was showered and dressed, someone at the coffee machine made a comment on how bad it must have been to ride in when the weather is bad, I just smiled and enjoyed the warmth of the endorphin high that I was on and thought about how bad it must be to have to run to the coffee machine as soon as you get in the door. I'm sure that I enjoyed my commute more than he did his.

oh I don't know about that.. I'm sure the matching team bibs/jersey give him an extra few kms/h compared to my mis-matched hand-me-downs!

I'm guessing the hill you're talking about is Poplar Plains Rd. I used to live right beside it and there were always people getting off their bikes and walking up the hill. If you can actually ride up it without stopping I'd say you're doing good for now! And the hill will get easier. I used to gasp for air at the top but now I don't even gear down.

Asyrol,

Many congrats on doing this. Commuting to work has change my life for the better and I hope the same happens for you!

I second the motion to buy some high quality performance/athletic underwear. Besides being very comfy, it significantly reduces sweat and it also dries more quickly.

Also, it is good to leave some clothing at the office for weather changes--that way you only need to worry about what to wear on the way in.

best wishes!

A *****'s bath with some baby wipes works wonders for me, but I'm not a very sweaty person.

The smartest thing I ever did for my clothes was ask an ex-Navy guy how to fold dress clothes so they don't wrinkle in a bag.

I'm guessing the hill you're talking about is Poplar Plains Rd. I used to live right beside it and there were always people getting off their bikes and walking up the hill. If you can actually ride up it without stopping I'd say you're doing good for now! And the hill will get easier. I used to gasp for air at the top but now I don't even gear down.

OMG yes it's Poplar Plains.. I had to get off half way up today, but I was riding with a migraine so I don't feel too badly.

For the record, my ride clothing is thusly:

runners, athletic socks, leg warmers, riding shorts, hand-me-down cycling jersey, sports bra, helmet, riding gloves.

I hang them all out as best as I can in my little half locker. 8 hours later they are all still soaking wet.

Congrats. Sounds like you are on your way. I was more than a little scared the first time I made my commute. Now I'm kind of grumpy all day if I have to drive.

My commute really improved when I put the rack and pannier my bike. I don't get near as sweaty (even in the Texas summer heat), and as a result require much less "cool down" time.

For the record, my ride clothing is thusly:

runners, athletic socks, leg warmers, riding shorts, hand-me-down cycling jersey, sports bra, helmet, riding gloves.

I hang them all out as best as I can in my little half locker. 8 hours later they are all still soaking wet.

Hi, My commute is 15 miles and my riding clothes are usually wet by the time I get to the office. I bought some extra riding clothes to take to the office the day before my commute (or in my bike bag). So, I have clean / dry riding shorts, socks, jersey etc. for the ride home. I keep the wet clothes in a plastic bag and take them home in my bike bag or take them home the next day. I have been doing a few more loads of laundry lately ;)

Cheers!

Whereabouts are you storing your bike? Is there the option to hang your clothes out across your bike frame? They should get more circulating air that way, and hence dry quicker, than they would in a locker.

as far as the dress clothes getting wrinkles I use a poster tube(poster is normally put inside during shipping) cut into a 6 inch length to roll my dress pants around and dress shirts and also use downy wrinkle release (yes i am a bit "OCD" <Google it) when i get to work we have no shower so in the bathroom i use so witch hazel to clean-up a little bit the key in my case is to really cool down before i put on my work clothes Note:dress shirts have no wicking ability what so ever

Whereabouts are you storing your bike? Is there the option to hang your clothes out across your bike frame? They should get more circulating air that way, and hence dry quicker, than they would in a locker.

My bike is locked up in an underground parking lot. I've had a couple of mini heart attacks about leaving it out of sight, but the bike rack is right next to the guard post as so far it's been nice and safe. However I can't leave my clothing all over it :/

Hi, My commute is 15 miles and my riding clothes are usually wet by the time I get to the office. I bought some extra riding clothes to take to the office the day before my commute (or in my bike bag). So, I have clean / dry riding shorts, socks, jersey etc. for the ride home. I keep the wet clothes in a plastic bag and take them home in my bike bag or take them home the next day. I have been doing a few more loads of laundry lately ;)

Cheers!

I'm thinking that I'm going to get another pair of shorts and bra (I've already got two hand-me-down jerseys) and figure that I'll do it this way:

Day 1: Wear clothing #1 to ride in, bring clothing #2 in bag. Wear clothing #2 home, leave clothing #1 draped in locker. Drape clothing #2 over bike once home.
Day 2: Wear clothing #2 to work. Drape clothing #2 in locker, wear (hopefully dry by now) clothing #1 home. Drape clothing #1 over bike once home.

rinse and repeat. I figure that the extra drying time should give me

Asyrol, truly, you don't actually need padded cycling shorts for a 6 mile ride - and wearing them damp can have unpleasant results. Millions of daily cyclists ride much farther without them. My point is: You needn't suffer to wear them, unless you know that NOT wearing them feels even worse to you.


Congratulations on getting started. Be sure to make it as easy on yourself as possible, so as to keep it a positive experience... to me, that's the most important consideration in keeping up the habit.

Asyrol, truly, you don't actually need padded cycling shorts for a 6 mile ride - and wearing them damp can have unpleasant results. Millions of daily cyclists ride much farther without them. My point is: You needn't suffer to wear them, unless you know that NOT wearing them feels even worse to you.
I agree. I recently stopped wearing my padded cycling shorts in favor of some sueded nylon muti-purpose shorts from REI with some good wicking underwear. I find I am much more comfortavle on my 30 mile commute. Especially in the Texas summer heat! However, I admit I have put over 2000 miles in commuting since last October, so my backside is used to it. I also am riding on a now well broken-in Brooks saddle.

Asyrol, truly, you don't actually need padded cycling shorts for a 6 mile ride - and wearing them damp can have unpleasant results. Millions of daily cyclists ride much farther without them. My point is: You needn't suffer to wear them, unless you know that NOT wearing them feels even worse to you.


Congratulations on getting started. Be sure to make it as easy on yourself as possible, so as to keep it a positive experience... to me, that's the most important consideration in keeping up the habit.

I agree that I don't actually *need* the shorts - I know that many people are just fine without. When I started riding I had a horrible time with bruising my sit-bones (I've got an auto-immune disease that causes me to bruise easily and gives me joint problems) and I found that a new seat and the padded shorts really helped. I haven't really tried the new seat without the shorts, but I can't imagine that "regular" clothing would dry in 8 hours when my lycra doesn't.

That being said, I'm all for trying new things if there's a chance that it'll work as good as or better than what I'm currently doing.

I'm guessing the hill you're talking about is Poplar Plains Rd. I used to live right beside it and there were always people getting off their bikes and walking up the hill. If you can actually ride up it without stopping I'd say you're doing good for now! And the hill will get easier. I used to gasp for air at the top but now I don't even gear down.

Yeah I walked it a few times in my first season commuting (1992).

I commute in Toronto and only shower at work on a handful of the hottest days of summer...the rest of the time I just coast a lot on the way in. I find if I skip coffee at home in the morning I'm much less sweaty on the ride in. So far this year I've actually been riding in my business shirt and regular (not biking) shorts and only bringing pants with me each day. I also keep one backup set of clothes at work in case of rain or some problem on the way in, and I also keep a pair of shoes at work.

My hints: +1 on the rinkle release. I haven't had many problems with rinkles on my short 5.6 mile commute, but I have it at my desk just in case.

I tend to carry an extra shirt with me for the ride home. Like you, I don't have anywhere else to hang stuff to dry. I don't like putting on sweaty socks and shorts, but the shirt is the worst. Luckily it really doesn't add appreciable weight/volume to simply have another one. Granted, I don't wear a sports bra but even then I'd suggest simply carrying a second set of clothes, or the bare minimum parts of a second set that you are otherwise uncomfortable wearing wet.

It does add to laundry, though.

Since I got panniers I don't use a backpack anymore, but even when I did I found it's cool enough on summer mornings (65*F here at 7 am) that if you don't ride too hard, you don't sweat much. I leave my work shoes at work and pack carefully so I don't wrinkle my work clothes (underclothes inside rolled-up business skirt with the blouse folded around), and when I get there I just change. The hair can be a problem sometimes, with helmet hair, but I leave a small can of mousse in my desk drawer and with a little water I'm back to normal.