Commuting - showering

So, I like to read. I read Ken Fiker's Bike Pages (http://www.kenkifer.com/bikepages/index.htm) over the course of several days, and there's a lot of excellent stuff. One of the thing he said is that does camping tours, and sometimes he'll stop at a fire department and they'll let him camp on the grass.

Relating this to commuting, I know that my place of work does not have a shower facility, but it has a fire department next door. Do you think (short of becoming a volunteer firefighter) they would let me use their shower? What are your experiences with commuting to a place with no shower?

Thanks for your help,

-john

I don't know about the fire station.

But for commuting to a place without a shower there are a couple things that you can and should do. Firstly, and most importantly in my mind, is take it easy for the last 5-10 minutes. The main reason that people sweat is because when they stop, they body is still pumping hard and there is not the cooling factor of the wind. So be sure to do low effort for the last 5-10 minutes to cool down. Secondly, you can use a wash cloth and just wipe your face repeatedly and wherever else when you get there (definitly more advantageous to arrive at work early for this one :) ) add some deodorant and a change of clothes and you should be fine.

Pretty much what he said.

Take it easy at the end, or let yourself cool off for 15minutes before you go into the office. Wash your face and hands and wipe down any other necessary areas. Throw on the clean clothes, deodorant, cologne, and brush your hair.

That is what I do each day and have had no complaints. I actually ask people if I smell at all. I know I hate working with stinkers, no reason to put anyone else through it.

A once in a lifetime wash at the firestation would be okay, but a day to day thing would be a bit much.

Originally posted by Ceiliazul
Do you think (short of becoming a volunteer firefighter) they would let me use their shower? What are your experiences with commuting to a place with no shower?

Thanks for your help,

-john

I don't think the fire department would. Liability, cleaning, etc. But, hey, never hurts to ask!

I try to ride into work easy. I do a sink shower for my hair and face. I wear deoderant, and take a shower at home before going and at night when I get home.

Bring baby powder to place in your shorts and socks to help with dampness, it'll help you "feel" cleaner also.

In high school, I was on the wrestling team. One of the more unusual guys would put baby powder in his shorts so that he wouldn't sweat through his suit in front of the home crowd. Can't say I blame him...

But one time a teammate switched his baby powder with Gold Bond medicated powder. Ahh, the memories of high school.

Thanks for your tips guys.

-john

Wet wipes....

They have some really good ones by Old Spice that give you that oh-so-fresh smell. I used those when I was touring, and I also used the ones that were scented to smell like fresh laundry. It worked like a charm!

KB

I'd certainly ask the fire department. I have a shower at work and I've offered it to a few people that have wanted to ride into the city. It's worth asking. Let us know the outcome.

I live in North Alabama, which is way warmer than WA. I could shower at our fitness center located about 1/2 mile away. But, I never do. I have found that as long as I don't go bonzo in the way in, all I need to do is cool down for a few minutes and maybe wipe off with a wet wipe (baby wipe) and change clothes. I shower before leaving in the house in the morning and I've never had a problem with stinky armpits before heading home.

Plus, not showering saves a lot of time and trouble, since I don't have to carry all the paraphenalia for showering, or deal with a wet towel.

Dave

Wet wipes work well for me.

Some great advice has been given here. Count me in as another who recommends baby wipes. I'm not sure how far your commute is, but one or two baby wipes per trip should do the trick. I know that after I arrive at the office, by the time I get a glass of water, start up my computer, and check e-mail/phone messages, I am usually cooled down. . . .

People I ride with tell me on long tours, down Baja- cyclists camp in primitative area and not shower for days. I would be besides myself.. They say they tend to not ride with these sorts.
I hear reports for those who participate in primitive camping and wilderness hiking- they make wet whipes in jumbo size you can get in stores like REI and you can get 100 percent of you sparking clean..
What I find so exhillarating about biking to work is how fresh and alert, exercise and that welcome shower makes you before work... If no shower I would have to have those jumbo whipes to feel like starting work.

I also recommend baby wipes ( keep them in the desk at work ) and a towel. ALso make sure to cool down for 5 to 10 minutes and then splash COLD water on your face and chest ( this will help alleviate that "stinky" feeling )...

As a bike-commuting fierfighter I could maybe say a few words about this.

My first thought would be that every fire department is different. Some might have strict policies that forbid public use of the facilities while others could take the opposite stance, seeing the place as a community building that is open to anyone for any reasonable reason. For the most part though fire stations become the personal home of the firefighters/medics working there, and they tend to open their doors for people they like and people they feel comfortable around. My personal feelings on this one are that a long distance tourer, for instance, who would only make a one-time stop and who would pobably have some pretty good stories to tell might make a welcome guest. A daily shower mate, however, would probably be less well received. A visitor of any duration does imose a certain responsibility on the crew working there and to ask that of them on a regular basis is likely more than they would be willing to consider. Keep in mind that any time they had a run you couldn't be left alone in the station anyway, and for them to wait on you to dry off and don a few items of clothing would be unreasonable.

This being said, give it a try anyway. Especially if it would make the difference between biking or not. Hey, you never know.

--Chris

Do we really need a real shower. Maybe something like a laundry facility.. Hook up a hose somewhere, run it outdoors. Wear swim trunks. Be creative. Probably best solution is jumbo whipes.

Txthroop:

Good point about the responsibility on the station. Somehow I didn't think that everyone left on a routine call. And you're right, it can't hurt to ask. It's only 8 miles, so it won't make or break my day.

Thanks everyone for your ideas. I hadn't thought of baby wipes at all, it's good stuff.

-john

Hey, you live in Vancouver too? What fire station/area do you work by? Do you road bike with any groups?

Actually, I'm in Rochester, NY for school right now. When I get back (June) I'll be looking for a club. I guess the answer to your question is no, I don't have a group.

I'll be commuting from the North side of Vancouver to downtown. If our routes intersect, maybe we can be Bike Buddies.

Feel free to PM me for more info.

I have been commuting for a while now, and I have found that taking a shower before the ride to work is the key to keeping the stink down. Then use a wet washcloth to clean up. The washcloth will actually cool you down faster than a shower because the thin layer of water it leaves evaporates and carries the heat away.

If you do this, all you need is a wash room to change in.

Brian

Hey Brian, another local!
I know now that Portland is one of the best biking cities (in USA), but I lived there for years and didn't catch the bike bug until I came to school in Rochester. Thanks everyone for the advice, it sounds like it's not a show stopper for any of you. That's encouraging!

I graduate from college in 10 days! (sorry, had to get that out)

-john

I think someone else here suggested it, but Old Spice makes these "wipes" that work really well. Just wipe down with one of those...and I just keep the box of em at work. I like em because they smell WAY better than Baby-Wipes. That said...I think there are other's similar to these...my girlfriend bike-commutes sometimes, and she uses a similar "wipe" made by Dove...so there are probably lots of these types of things.