jon c. 

Not really sure how anyone can expect to be able to bring a bike to work, especially in a professional environment.

I guess I just don't understand that. Is a bicycle 'unprofessional'?

I can understand lack of space, but assuming there is adequate space to store a bike, why on earth would that impact one's professionalism?

tar wheels

Maybe we're talking about different things. If you're advocating for a specially-designated room for everyone's bike, provided there's space, then I wouldn't have an issue with that at all. But to bring my dirty bike (especially bad weather days) in the elevator, walk it down the hall, and park it in my office, would not be acceptable to the people I work for, under any circumstances. In that case, then yes, I would say that it's unprofessional, at least where I work. If we're talking about an office that's all young and hip, where bikes would look more at home (both to the owners and to prospective clients), or to a small mom and pop outfit in the country, then those are different circumstances. I can only speak to my situation.

acidfast7

agree 100%.

jon c. 

I wonder if attitudes are different in Europe.

GuyForget

agreed that it's all situational.

if they have bike spots in the parking garage that seems to be a secure area I wouldn't make a fuss about not being able to bring it inside.

for me, i'm in a relaxed environment with high bike theft levels outside, so we all bring our bikes inside and store them wherever there's room. It's never come up as any sort of problem.

tjspiel

I've worked in different types of office buildings. Some where the idea of bringing a bike inside would be totally unacceptable and others where it's not unusual at all.

The building I currently work in was an old warehouse. It's all brick with wooden posts, beams, and floors. People frequently bring their dogs into work with them and yes, bikes too.


A building I worked at previously was a glass and steel sky scraper. The floor covering was carpet. It was a much more formal place. No bikes inside. Prior to that I worked in an office where you were expected to have your desk clear of paper before you left for the day. No bikes there either.

Bottom line is that you shouldn't have any expectation that you can bring your bike into the office. However, a finely crafted letter to the right person asking if they could designate a place for bikes in the office might help. Maybe if you volunteered some of your time to find and create such a space, they'd be more inclined to do it. Argue that it promotes a healthy workplace. No guarantees.

acidfast7

maybe.

roughly 50% of my colleagues in Frankfurt commute when it isn't raining. usual distance is 10-20k round-trip. and that's with the subway being on-time/super-convenient/nearly free for employees (20€/monthly ticket).

In Stockholm, it was more like 50-70% biking and the commute was longer (skiing to work in winter was somewhat less common, but still common, like 20-25%).

sport/exercise is more a part of life.

fairymuff

I can bring my bike into the office at the UK University where I work. At a previous UK University, I couldn't for 'health and safety reasons'. I can't speak about the US, but I guess the same thing applies: it depends on the specific circumstances in the specific work place.

CommuteCommando

Trains are different from buildings. In the U.S., building codes prohibit locking fire escapes. (I'm sure such regulations exist in the E.U. also) On trains, the doors must be locked while in motion. Different situation. Emergency egress on trains aside from the doors through roof hatches and pop out windows are provided.

tjspiel

They might be less likely to allow bikes in an office in a place like Copenhagen. They'd be overrun.

jeffpoulin

I work in Switzerland, and I wouldn't even dare to ask to bring my bike inside the office. It's just not done here. However, there's lots of covered bike parking available, as well as many spots in secured parking garages. So, really no need to bring the bike indoors.

E.S.

I am fortunate to be able to bring my bike into work, up the stairs, and park it in a corner of the break room where it is safe and out of the way - even after a wet ride. Nobody minds at all and in fact my boss and coworkers are supportive after they get over the initial surprising thought of someone riding to work. But then again I work in retail, definitely not a strict office environment.

fairymuff

When I was working in Holland, you definitely couldn't. But there was secure bike storage for pretty much all staff.

Mind you I did ride a motorcycle through the corridor at that place at one point. Took the motorcycle into the elevator as well

CenturionIM

so finally talked to the facility manager. in a courteous way, not demanding anything. she told me if she let me in it has to be the same for everybody, i.e. motorcycle. i was just like....hmm...wow in my head. I told her San Fran passed law to allow bikes inside commercial building. that doesn't go for people with motorbikes. she told me she will meet and talk about it with HR.

In my case, There is no garage and only a parking lot for cars and there is a bike rack outside, which is where the bike is today. but I just dont want to keep it out in the sun to save the rubber parts. I wasn't going to ride it in rain, so no worry dirtying up the place. and there is plenty space, some parts people almost never go to. I am just baffled at how hard this is to work something out.

Totally agree with the family business thing I think my immediate boss would not have a problem with it at all. Trouble comes when you hire a person who makes a living managing employee behaviors and building spaces.

Not expecting anything. but with all the "we encourage you to be healthy talk on, it just seems actions don't follow. "oh well. i might just find some company with indoor bike parking/more flexibility of mind.

CenturionIM

oh and i definitely tried to go the "beg for forgiveness" route. bike spotted and contacted with in 1 hr.

hueyhoolihan

i didn't take the time to read all the posts, so maybe this has already been mentioned...

these kind of problems are usually people and personality problems, best left to the Amy Vanderbilts and Ann Lander's of the world, rationality generally has little to do with it.

bkj

how can a bike be a fire hazard? Mine is made of steel which doesn't burn I don't think. The tires yes, but I'll be out of the building by then to avoid the toxic smoke from the carpet and the plastic that every computer and printer is made of.

This is all so ridiculous. "We can't let you because we'd have to let everyone..." OK, how many riders are there? What's the issue?
"One can't expect to bring a dirty or wet bike into a building." Where I work, I am given a certain level of trust. In exchange, I would use my judgment and if my bike is wet, leave the thing outside!! A company needs a manager to oversee this concept?

How about this - we get to the office and work. If you aren't contributing to making money for the company, then leave or get fired. If your "job" is to worry about how people get to work or how they store their transportation, then see the previous point.

pallen

The fire hazard has to do with a bike locked in the stair well that could block or congest an emergency exit should the building be on fire. Not a fire hazard itself, but a hazard in the event of a fire.

I think it depends on the building. I could see management not wanting a bike coming in dripping with mud, rain, snow, etc tracking up the floors, the elevator and such. I'm also luck to work for a small company. The first time I biked to work, I just wheeled by bike back to the storage room and no one has ever complained.

tjspiel

I don't they're worried about the bike itself burning, they're worried about it being kept in a place that could get in the way of a panicked throng of people trying to escape in an emergency.

Workplaces have all sorts of rules from dress codes, to what sorts of pictures can be displayed, to whether or not you can bring a gun inside.

If you can argue that keeping your bike inside is necessary for you to do your job, then you have a good case. On the other hand, they might tell you that you need to find employment somewhere else. It is up to management.

Personally, if a visitor were to show up at my house on a bike and then proceed to wheel it into my house, I'd be wondering what the h@ll they thought they were doing. Now, since we have wooden floors I might offer. If we had carpeting, probably not.

I don't bring my own bikes into the house unless it's 15 below and I need to work on them. In that case they go straight down do the basement where I've laid out a tarp for them.

bkj

well yeah, I was kidding about the bike on fire bit. But again, I work for a place that assumes I have enough sense to not lock my bike in a place that would impede panicked throngs of people. If they don't think I have that much sense, why would they hire me?

Seems like the safest "fire hazard" place would be in my workspace because then it'd be only me trying to get around it in a panic.

Every rule or issue that has been given here is a ruse by managers or whatever who really just need to get to work. Seriously, there are people who have the job of policing this stuff? There isn't work to do?

Digital_Cowboy

Gee, that's strange, when I was going to school and enrolled in the work study program. The office building that I worked in installed one of those large, heavy eye-blots in one of the stairwells for me to lock my bike to. When I got out of school and was working for a large computer help desk company that shared space with another LARGE computer company, I again was able to bring my bike inside and secure it.

And as we've seen here there are plenty of other cycle commuters who are able to bring their bicycles inside and secure them.

How do you explain that?

jon c. 

We'd just wheel the visitor's bike into the back room and park it with ours.

tjspiel

Your place. Your rules.

Their place. Their rules.

Some of it might be based on logic, or just their sense of aesthetics. We don't have a back room to keep our bikes. We don't have any storage on the main floor, - not even a closet.

erg79

I have to wonder how many companies get put out by their employees riding bikes because then they aren't buying parking permits.

Then again, one could make the case that making it easy for someone to ride their bike to work allows that employee to get exercise, which improves health, which means lower health care costs for the employer.

tjspiel

He's worked at different places than they (and you) have. Of the 4 different companies I've worked at in my post college life, only one has let me park a bike inside the office suite.