Commuting - tomorrow will be my first commute, help

I am riding to work tomorrow for the first time. I work in an office environment and am wondering if anyone has any tips for hygeine (I have no available shower once I get to work). And also how can I pack my clothes into my bag so that they will be wrinkle free when I take them out? Thanks everyone.

I am riding to work tomorrow for the first time. I work in an office environment and am wondering if anyone has any tips for hygeine (I have no available shower once I get to work). And also how can I pack my clothes into my bag so that they will be wrinkle free when I take them out? Thanks everyone.

make a list the night before of things to bring and make sure to wake up a bit early so you don't have to rush. I always brought a towel with me when I commuted so I could wipe of the sweat when I arrived at work. You also might want to pick a street (close by to work, i.e. within a mile) where you begin your cool down, slow the pace a bit and open up your jacket/jersey. This will help you cool you body so that you are not super warm when you get inside, it helps to prevent you from sweating like crazy when you get inside..... Last thing to remember is to enjoy the ride :D

If the temperature is right, I like to go as close to naked as possible, then about 1/2 a mile from work or wherever is convinient, I get put something on. That works for me, keeps the sweat down to a minimum.

For wrinkle free clothing, roll everything up into tight 'logs' after ironing them at home (just the shirt and pants... no need to iron the underwear ;)). Even cotton business shirts have come out wrinkle free for me when rolling them up.

Go for it!

I've worked on my commuting by cycle since June 2001. And I wasn't young as you are but was able to do it. I too began carrying all my supplies, lunch, clothes, shoes, etc. in panniers. Now I've worked at having a supply of clothing, including a set of shoes, at the office. So the only thing I needed to carry was a few days of underwear, socks, food and other renewable supplies. Occasionally using a backpack but otherwise I am just using a Topeak trunk bag. When I used the car to work, I would bring extra supplies.

I shower in the morning before I ride to work and wear a clean set of cycling clothes. And put on a dash of deodorant.

When I arrive at work I use the washroom and do a quick washdown of my face, neck and upper shoulders using a facecloth. I'll rinse the cloth and soak it up with hot water and use it to do an upper body washdown in the privacy of my office (good idea to lock the door). I use a small towel to dry my head and face again and my upper body. By this time I'm sufficiently cooled down and begin dressing for the day. I'll continue to towel down if I'm still sweating. I'll put on another dash of deodorant to freshen up and I'll put on a drop of cologne. And then I'm ready to go. No one has mentioned any unpleasant odors.

I'll hang up my cycling clothes and towel to air dry during the day before my ride home. When I get home, I throw my cycling clothes into the washing machine on gentle cycle/small load. Hang to dry overnight. I have up to 3 sets of cycling clothing.

Depending on your body makeup, you might get away with 2 to 3 wearings of a shirt before bringing home to wash. If not then you'll need to bring in a fresh shirt each day. As posted by booyah, rollup your clothes to reduce wrinkling. And remember always, fresh socks and underwear everyday.

After awhile you'll get into a system that'll work for you. I made small adjustments overtime. Works for me.

Research the "Commuting" forum for more tips and ideas.

Good luck.

I am riding to work tomorrow for the first time. I work in an office environment and am wondering if anyone has any tips for hygeine (I have no available shower once I get to work). And also how can I pack my clothes into my bag so that they will be wrinkle free when I take them out? Thanks everyone.
This post will probably catch you tomorrow, Rideintexas.

Shower thoroughly before you leave. Use deodorant. When you get to work, find 15 minutes to cool down. Completely change into clean clothes. Reapply deodorant (if using antiperspirant, this won't be necessary.)

Also, make sure your clothes are double-rinsed. Laundry detergent can cause skin irritation in active folk.

This all means you will need 3 sets of clothes: one for the ride in, one for work, and one for the ride home. But it's not as complicated as it seems.

To avoid wrinkles, learn to roll your clothes smoothly. You can pack them tightly without wrinkling them.

I am lucky in that I can shower at work..Once I remember for some reason the water was off when I arrived. I found some large paper towels,used alcohol and got pretty clean.
Maybe try some ot those towletes. They come in a big size..They really get you clean.. Some use them on bike tours or primitive camping to clean up. They work pretty well.
You can go into a rest room to clean up?
I have a light cologne, soap, deodorant, towels, and a change of clothes already at work, so I do not have to carry all that stuff. Then I wash out my cycling clothes with woolite and hang them out to dry for the ride home. 12 hour shifts,they always dry out in time.
The one time my plant was without water for a couple hours with the towletes, I felt I got almost as clean as using the shower.
Riding to work is great, enjoy it..Not driving in traffic. Far less frustrated. A work out to work and shower and you are really phyched up for work. Enjoy the ride, you will not regret it...I always try to impress my boss. The adrenlin rush to work. A shower. Never felt so good. The thing is, usually I have more time when I bike commute to work over the drive in the car.

And also how can I pack my clothes into my bag so that they will be wrinkle free when I take them out? Thanks everyone.

Can you leave clothes at work? At my office all the bike riders keep a few days of clothing in their offices/cubes.

Typically the easiest thing to do is take the clothes in on the weekend (if you have access) or drive on Monday to stash your clothes for the rest of the week.

This time of year, you dont need to break into a sweat. Dress so you are slightly cool off the bike. Dont assume that shorts and jersey are enough. If you need long pants off the bike, you need them on the bike too.
Ride at a steady pace, not a full-on racing pace. Start a cool-down about 1/2 mile from the end. For the last few hundred m, just freewheel along. Coolong on the bike is far more efficient than off the bike, you have a nice breeze. Dont dive straight into a warm air-conditioned office.
A shower before you leave will stop you smelling. A quick towel down, or a face rinse may be all you need at work.

Other things to note (that may be helpful)

I leave a set of emergency rain gear at work, just in case you find yourself after work with rain on the horizon. I also leave a spare pump, tube, lube, sunscreen, chain, water bottle at work, just in case you need it.

I don't have a shower nor do I really need one as I only have 10 miles to go and unlike texas, it isn't terribly hot in here in the morning (before sunup) when I come in. I bring one set of clothes and I wear the same clothes home (of course, temperature dependent) that I do getting here.

Jay

Depends on how far the commute is.
Within 2-3 mile and flat you don't really break sweat.
Wear layers so you can adjust as you cycle.
If it's a push, take fresh shirts/clothes at the start of the
week and leave in the office.
Baby wipes are absolutely essential. Nearest thing to a
shower and leave you feeling clean and refreshed.

How'd it go?

It went really good. Thanks for everyone's advice. I am sure that I will be back on here asking more questions.

After 26 miles, I have to have a shower. The shower really gets me going.. A work out and a shower. I am feeling great.
Think baby wipes would go along way to psyching one up for work.. Some have forest like smells.. To me to smell refreshed really wakes one up..
Is it not said a shower is worth an hour sleep? It has its limits of course.

I drive in on Monday, take clothes for week, rack the bike on back of car. I ride it home. Next morning I wake up and think it's too cold,early, far, etc to ride to work....but my car's at work....so I got no choice. That's how I have stuck to the commute, plus I have a car to run errands at work.

I cool down and cleanup like the other guys. You can buy rinsless soap at the drug store for your spit bath. Use it very very sparingly and you won't get rashes.

Chevy

I drive in on Monday, take clothes for week, rack the bike on back of car. I ride it home. Next morning I wake up and think it's too cold,early, far, etc to ride to work....but my car's at work....so I got no choice. That's how I have stuck to the commute, plus I have a car to run errands at work.

I cool down and cleanup like the other guys. You can buy rinsless soap at the drug store for your spit bath. Use it very very sparingly and you won't get rashes.

Chevy

That's an awesome suggestion/idea!!! I never thought about leaving my car at work...but then again, I don't need much incentive to commute! With rush hour traffic and the attention cycling draws, what more can I ask for?!?!?! :D ;)

I drive in on Monday, take clothes for week, rack the bike on back of car. I ride it home. Next morning I wake up and think it's too cold,early, far, etc to ride to work....but my car's at work....so I got no choice. That's how I have stuck to the commute, plus I have a car to run errands at work.

I cool down and cleanup like the other guys. You can buy rinsless soap at the drug store for your spit bath. Use it very very sparingly and you won't get rashes.

Chevy
Insecure without a car/ I like the idea..Have to ride to work- no other choice...Great idea, I should try that.. I would- 26 miles? Something might come up that I regret that decision in terms of my life outside of work.? But then locally we have the bus.

I have a spray bottle of water at work. I just take a "mini shower" with it. Clothing is stashed there for those days when I chose to ride. I do not ride every day, but those days I do ride seem to be the best days of the week!
Frank

I keep a small travel bag with travel size soap and deodarant and a washcloth in my office. In the winter I don't have as much of a problem needing to freshen up as I do in the summer though. I also keep all of my dress shoes at work in an office drawer. In the winter I have a rain/wind outfit from REI that I wear over my clothes which seems to protect them well enough to be presentable at my office. I wear Army polypro underneath/over my clothes for warmth. In the summer I wear regular biking clothes and take my dress clothes in my panniers. The summer clothes are much easier to fit into bags!!

Good luck finding what works for you. I find it to be a work in progress!