Commuting - Carry my clothes or pay for a locker?

I am working on commuting to work (again) and would like some advice. Its about 14 miles each way so I will have to wear bike clothes in.

Should I carry my work clothes or store them at work? I have a feeling I will get quite a few frowns (and a few smiles) walking to my desk to get my work clothes. I have panniers but really don't like to bike with them all that much.

The other option is to pay $20/month to use the fitness center at work and keep clothes in a locker there. My goal is to commute 2-3 times a week so paying the $20 would actually cost me about the same as for the gas. I guess I feel it defeats the purpose to spend even more to bike commute.

Any suggestions would be very appreciated.

When I used to bike into the office, I always kept my clothes at work. What I would do is get there a little earlier than everyone else, then slip off to the bathroom and change. Is that an option?

If nothing else, I guess you can go with the locker at work. The good thing about that is that you would have access to the fitness facilities when it gets colder in the winter and you're still hoping to train.

Koffee

Well, I have just changed into my bike cloths and am ready to leave work now. I don't commute every day, about the same dist. as you list, but cary mine when I do. I don't know what you do, but I just have to bring scrubs, tenners,and undies, of course some odds and ends also.

I love when I get to ride my bike to work!:p

I carry my clothes every day (although I keep my street shoes, and a spare set of emergency clothes, at the office). But I work in casual clothes, so all I need to take are a pair of Dockers or jeans, a shirt, underwear and socks. That can be rolled up and carried in one pannier, and without the pants I can take what I need in my rack trunk.

I think you'll have to be judge of what political/social effects the walk to your office in bike clothes will have. Where I work, nobody cares, but it's an academic/artistic environment more than a formal business one.

RichC

As long as you arrive before official business hours, even in a formal office I don't think bike kit will be that disturbing. I leave my work clothes at work because I need to have multiple changes (often in the course of a single work day) and can launder them at work. Unlike many on this thread, I don't think I save any money by bike commuting. I buy more expensive bike clothes & bike toys than I save in gas & oil. It isn't about the money, it's about the ride. The advantage of the fitness center approach is not only the locker but the showers and fitness center itself. If you get your cardio workout done on your commute you could go straight to the weight machines. It all depends on your goals and time schedule. If your aren't planning on riding every day, it makes sense to rent the locker to store 2 or 3 days work clothes.

I take my clothes every day, but like Rich I'm fortunate to wear casual clothes (golf shirt & jeans) and I leave my workboots at work. I use the "clothing roll " procedure like camping and manage to fit everything into a rack bag. I used panniers all winter for extra winter riding stuff and I'm extremely sick of looking at them. They're in the garage until October.

I carry my clothes everyday and leave my work shoes at work, on Monday and thursday I carry panniers, a trunk bag and bar bag because on Monday I have to pick up the break time foods and Thursday I work at the bike shop till 9:00 so I need clothes for that. On the other days of the week I ride my touring bike if the weather is nice, if not the commuter goes with everything except the panniers, I also carry a nightrider classic light system because I often end up in the dark. You just need to get used to riding a loaded bike, it's not hard, you will get used to it in about 3 weeks of riding it. Good luck with your commute, you will figure out the best thing for you to do once you start doing it, what works for me may not work for you.
Pete

Commuting loads are pretty light if you are only taking in clean clothes. Make sure you are using a sound luggage rack and use some small panniers with a convenient modern clip-on attatchment system; hooks on the end of bits of elastic are so 1970s.

We have a fitness center at work also. Ours is a little cheaper though, only $10 a month. I usually drive in on Monday and drop off a weeks worth of clothes. I then take those clothes and roll them up and stuff them in one of my panniers to take home.

I commute on my road bike that doesn't have anywhere to put panniers, so I just throw my clothes, shoes, towels, deoderant, etc. in a backpack. I come in before most people get there so I can be changed and showered when everyone else arrives. (We're lucky to have a shower in the office.) People at work don't care what I wear, so it's easiest in the summer when all I need to bring are shorts and a tee-shirt.

Some people have said they don't like riding with a backpack, but I've been doing it for my 45-mile RT commute for almost a year, and it doesn't bother me. The added benefit is feeling a lot faster on the weekends when you get to ride without it. :)

So I'd opt for trying that if you don't like the panniers. The fitness center is a good alternative. I had a fitness membership last winter to keep in shape when I wasn't riding outside, so it's something you could use all-year. It's also a good alternative if you don't have a shower.

Originally posted by SteveS
Should I carry my work clothes or store them at work? I have a feeling I will get quite a few frowns (and a few smiles) walking to my desk to get my work clothes. I have panniers but really don't like to bike with them all that much.
When I was commuting ... er ...uh ... employed, I carried my clothes, lunch, cycling clothes for the ride home, everything in my panniers. Like yours, my commute was also 14 miles each way. The "dress code" was casual. That's jeans and shirt on the winter and shorts and shirt in the summer. If my clothes were a little wrinkled it didn't matter.
If you have to wear a shirt and tie or suit I'd opt for the locker.

I welcomed the smiles and comments. After my first week of commuting I had a "welcoming committee" that met me at the door with congratulations, smiles, "I can believe you rode that far", etc. I almost converted my manager to cycling. He only lived 4 miles from work.


I guess I feel it defeats the purpose to spend even more to bike commute.
The initial cost can be a little expensive. I had to buy a rack, panniers, a lock, and a few hi-viz jerseys. Then when the days started getting shorter I spent $300 just on lights. :eek: :D
My wife didn't mind. She wanted motorists to see me - not hit me.

IMHO a deflated wallet is much better than an inflated midsection.

My dress code at work is casual, too. So I can roll my clothes up and carry them with me everyday. I do this even though I have a free locker.

My workplace has showers and a small amount of space to store things. I keep at work: shoes, belts, and razors/toothpaste, etc. I use a messenger bag to carry my clothes for the day and a towel. The messenger bag works best for me ... I don't even know I have it on and it's a good place for reflectors/blinkies.

Thanks for all of your advice.

I think I am going to carry my clothes in and just change in the Mensroom. I'll try that a few times to see if I mind the weight.

Now if I can just get brave enough to leave my Bianchi Volpe locked outside (I am having a problem with that one).


Steve

Originally posted by SteveS
Now if I can just get brave enough to leave my Bianchi Volpe locked outside (I am having a problem with that one).


Ow. That's a hard one. And there's really no chance of bringing it inside, eh?

If it were me, I would (1) work on uglifying the bike (stickers, electrical tape, etc.) and (2) spend the max on a good U-lock plus a good cable lock. Do you at least have a consistent, secure public place where you can lock the bike and leave the locks overnight?

Bikes get stolen. It's a fact of life. Inside bike parking (in my own office, which has a lock on the door) is one of the best perks of my job.

RichC

If you have to leave it outside, get that Kryptonite NY 2000 chain AND a U lock. Take in your front wheel and your seat, and lock down your bike with the chain to the bike rack and the rear wheel and back part of the bike to the bike rack, and keep your bike parked in a public place. I'd think with all that protection, any bike thief would just move on to an easier bike. In the meantime, like Rich says- uglify your bike to the extreme- maybe you can get some electrical tape or some duct tape. If you don't want to wreck up your bike with all that gum from the tape, perhaps you can get some ace bandages and wrap it around the top tube first, then tape over all the the ace bandages with the electrical tape.

Good luck!

Koffee

The bike rack is in a high visibiity area in the front of the bldg just down from where the smokers are ( I guess I can't complain about the smokers near the front door anymore). Its also a fairly high traffic area so I think I probably will be fairly safe locking it up there.

I do need to get a U lock though, I already have a cable lock. Is the Kryptonite NY 2000 chain worth the money?

Originally posted by Koffee Brown
If you have to leave it outside, get that Kryptonite NY 2000 chain AND a U lock.
And if you use both of these, you can leave them locked to a secure place at work instead of carrying them with you (the NY Lock is one heavy chain.)