wphamilton

Not necessarily. I've never once at my current job had to stop and gas up, I don't sit in the car waiting for it to warm up, I don't wait in slow traffic or jams, put off car repairs for months if I feel like it. Just on the bike and go - seems like less maintenance to me!

Going slow in the Georgia summer mornings I would only need to wipe off and change shirts. I shower at work these days so I go as fast as I want. But the ironic thing is, it takes about 15 minutes for the shower and change, but it also takes about 15 minutes extra if I ride in really slow in my work clothes. It's no big deal either way.

fatso

I have a 20 mile commute which I ride most days, am a fairly sweaty guy, work in a pretty formal business environment, and have no showers at work. I'm able to keep the stink away by always showering before leaving for work and always wearing clean clothes on the bike. That's all. I wash off my face with water just to feel fresh. My bottom layers are usually soaked through when I get to work. Just let the clothes dry on hangars just inside my office door along a busy hallway. Nobody's said anything. When I rode for fitness, I didn't follow these practices and would stink.

dbikingman

I'm in with the crowd, 15 miles one way, hilly, work is at the top of one of the biggest hills. I don't push it too hard, but the hills make me work. There happens to be a bike path that starts near where I turn to work. It runs about a 1/4 mile. I usually take the bike path at a slow speed and let the air cool me off a bit.

I have a heated garage to park my bike.

Depending on the weather I wait a bit to cool off, then wash in the sink, and also use wipes. There is a shower at work, but I haven't used it... yet. I might when the weather warms up, but if I use it I'd be the only one using it and would have to clean it. Just more scheduling to get it done regularly.

As far as being less maintenance, I 'm not sure that it is any less than a car. I do think I have to plan ahead more and I find I like to have most of my stuff ready the night before. When I drive I take extra clothes and snacks that last awhile so I don't have to carry it. I usually have to dress business casual, so I were riding gear. I keep extra shoes at work as they seem to have the most weight. I use panniers to pack the clothes for the day, but I have spare items in stock at work for emergencies.

I don't mind the extra time it takes to ride compared to driving. The only time I wish I could eliminate is the cool down period.

halcyon100

I ride about 8-9 miles each way, depending on the route I take. My route is mostly flat, with a few hills (the "biggest" hill being 200 ft. elevation gain). There is no shower or viable bike parking or anything at my job, I'm the only person in the whole building who seems to bike commute (despite the fact that the building contains some environmental non-profit organizations and is directly situated on a main bike route...).

I have found these things to be helpful:

Get good quality, breathable, wicking, synthetic fabrics for the bike ride. Unfortunately, this has meant some $$ spent on base layers, jerseys, shorts, tights, etc. If I wind up riding 5-6x in the week, then this also means more laundry time. I do still get sweatier on cold winter days when I have a few layers on, though I commute less often in winter. In California, I can get by most of the time with a base layer, jersey and windbreaker. I generally don't ride in the rain. I don't mind light rain, but I don't want to keep my bike outdoors all day in the rain.

I take a shower in the morning before riding to work and after I get home. In the office, I have wet wipes, sanitizer soap, towel, deodorant, dry shampoo, hair products, mirror, make up, some skin lotion with a scented oil in it (I'm female). I usually need about 15 - 20 minutes after I get to work to change clothes, clean up and get ready. I can do it in a less than ideal way in about :10 minutes. Most of the time, I don't wear much make up and keep my hair up in a pony tail or bun. It is hard to try and style it and wear it down after riding. A good tail wind on my way in usually means I am better groomed that day : )

I use a Camelback to store the stuff I need commuting and I try to keep it as light as possible. I store a bunch of skirts, blouses, sweaters, flats, etc. at work. I have also found it helpful to wear synthetic materials for my office clothes too. They store better at work (less wrinkles) and continue to wick. I find that my body gradually cools down the first hour I'm at work (even after I've cleaned up and stopped sweating).

I don't make use of the office restroom to clean up - the women's restroom gets a lot of traffic and I think my co-workers would feel uncomfortable if I were in there half-dressed and cleaning up from a bike ride.

I hang my cycling clothes to dry on a box behind some other stuff under my desk.

cogdriven 

Commutability is a major factor in my job searches. I manage a hostel for out-patients and the families of in-patients, so we are all about showers. There is a place in the laundry room for my bike and the board paid for the material so I could build a two-bay wooden locker in the furnace room (where my stuff dries in a couple of hours).

The up side of the fact that few people choose to bike to work is that you can often find ways to clean up, store dry clothes and protect your bike that wouldn't be available to you if half of your co-workers rode bikes too. Of course, in that universe there might be a locker room, a bike garage and a little something extra in your pay envelope for not polluting and taking up a parking spot.