thrllskr

Fortunately Denver is very aware of the growing bike community. Thankfully I don't work for a less than tolerant management staff.

bigredkevbot

I'm not super concerned with keeping the thread active, but if anyone does search it in the next year and wants to toss their two cents in, the poll is open for them to do so. No need to be negative about the polling outcome! Additionally, I've gotten plenty out of the thread already.

That's pretty rad that you all can influence so much change at your offices/workplaces. Unfortunately we rent space (as in the case in much of Boston), so no real changes are expected here.

Hypno Toad

IMO, the whole industry has major issues, from the insurance companies, to the hospital & care providers, to the pharmaceutical & device companies, to the physicians. I don't know a perfect solution, even a single-payer systems has a bureaucracy and coverage is denied.

I'd just like to see companies with their profit (& name) focused on healthcare be better at promoting healthy living with their staff. Biking to work is a well- documented way to improve the health of your employees.

alan s 

I wasn't being negative, just realistic. (BTW, I'm helping keep it active, so a little appreciation would go a long way) Here, is this better?

Good luck keeping it active and getting anything useful out of it.

noglider 

Things are getting very bikey here in NYC. Last night, my commute was through some very windy and cold weather. There were still people on bikes, wearing clothes to combat the cold. I see a very encouraging trend.

Some of my cow-orkers tell me they used to ride in but haven't recently. (I'm new here.) But they don't think I'm weird and are glad to see me riding in. We don't have much bike parking, but my boss doesn't want me to risk my bike, so he lets me just bring it in and lean it against the wall near my desk, and for that, I am grateful. They all think my bike is super-cool, which is funny, because I haven't really thought about it. But with the leather saddle, leather handlebar tape, dynamo front wheel and light system, I guess it is pretty cool. It's also pretty heavy.

wolfchild

My workplace is small. People I work with are mostly indifferent to my daily bike commuting. I have a good reputation and I am at good terms with my boss and the management and I can bring my bike into my work area without any issues. I can even work on my bike if I wanted to during break times.

scroca

My coworkers are pretty supportive and I can park my bike indoors, in the unfinished basement. People in this town are generally outdoorsy and active, so I don'the get any flack for riding.

RidingMatthew

well ...we have not yet gotten them to install the bike lockers or RACKS. They resurfaced the parking lot because it is also the roof of the building I work in... SHHH dont tell anyone but I park mine in a virtual computer lab that you have to have a badge and key to enter.

I consider it a personal goal to encourage our building to lead the way on some cycling infrastructure in my companies global footprint. Technically we rent our building from someone else and that REALLY REALLY slows everything down too.

rommer25

I work at a school and park the bicycle in my office. My co-workers always have a positive comment when I arrive on my bike. Of course, there are several staff bicycle riders on campus. There are no showers available, so I use the baby wipes method after I arrive and before I start my workday.

bigredkevbot

Sorry for jumping the *** there; thanks for your support and input!

prathmann

We didn't have a bike rack but I was approved to order an indoor rack from Nashbar and voucher the cost. It was installed inside a normally locked employee entrance so was quite secure. Our company was leasing space but we specified the interior layout and had showers installed before moving in - hangers are available for cycling clothes to dry during the day. Dress code is usually casual so my SPD mtn. shoes are fine during the day, but I keep some dress shoes and suit/tie in the office for special meetings.

sam21fire

I work at a Dept of Defense facility so anything that improves fitness is supported and even encouraged; we've got a locker room with two showers, decent bike rack (although I've been told it's ok to bring my bike inside if I want), and a small gym.

Oddly, my wife works at a hospital and she's frustrated with management's lack of support for bike commuting....but there's a really nice area for the smokers!

Hypno Toad

A reoccurring theme, healthcare companies that are not supportive of bike-communing for their staff.

sam21fire

On a similar (but a bit off topic) note, the military has been pushing hard to reduce/eliminate tobacco use among the troops but when the SecDef proposed banning tobacco sales on base the TB lobby raised a royal fit and got the proposal quashed.

gregf83 

I work for a small (~60 people) tech company. There are two of us who ride regularly to work. I'm old enough that I don't really care what others think of me riding. Most seem impressed that I ride 60+km per day and a few muse about starting to ride to work (but no one seems to follow through).

I park my bike by the back door where there is an awning that keeps off most of the rain. There's plenty of space inside but I don't bother as it seems safe outside. We have a decent shower facility that I leave a towel in. We are a casual office so I normally stay in my cycling clothes for a while until I dry off and then have a shower. Before I go home I'll change back into cycling clothes in my office.

I think my situation is ideal. I get 9-11 hrs/wk of decent training just riding to work so my commute essentially costs me nothing in terms of time and I enjoy riding past the cars gridlocked on the bridge every morning and evening.

Jim from Boston

It's nice to read about ideal situations in contrast to all the problems with cycle-commuting.

rumrunn6

UN F ING believable! at least schools and colleges can ban it

spare_wheel

We have everything -- even a bike valet with bike mechanics. By bike commuting every day I get payed ~$500 a year extra and receive a health incentive insurance discount.

RidingMatthew

that is awesome I was recommending my company do something like that with the health incentive but I doubt it would happen.

Jim from Boston

Because I don't need a parking card, I get about a $300 reimbursement for that corporate perk, and I park about 100 feet from my desk.

bigredkevbot

What kind of industry/what field do you work in that your office/company provides such amenities for bike commuters? That's fantastic, and I'm glad to hear that there are companies that provide such services.

spare_wheel

go by bike shop
With bike shop and valet service, OHSU extends its bike-friendly lead - BikePortland.org
OHSU Bike Program Membership | Transportation & Parking | OHSU

Lug

Voted Well on poll. We have a rack inside the hanger, downside is that you have to have a SIDA badge to access the hanger to use it so a couple of the dispatchers that ride park outside. Also I think they didn't like the idea of not being able to lock their bikes to the rack inside the hanger. The no lock policy is due to the fact that sometimes the rack has to be moved and a locked bike makes that very difficult. No shower or locker room, but no one cares as all of our noses are broken from the stink of jet fuel and MEK so a little BO isn't noticeable. Also we don't deal with the public.
Justin

m78596c

My employer (large health insurance company) has a very secure parking garage with bike parking right at the front. It has a giant sign over it that says 'Rock Star Parking'. They also have a nice fitness center with showers and lockers. The few people I work with regularly who are not foreign are pretty supportive.

tarwheel 

I voted well, but my situation is borderline very well. We have several bike racks, including one in a covered area with a security camera and lots of employees entering and leaving (because it's also by the smoking area). We have locker rooms with showers. We have small kitchens on every floor with refrigerators, microwaves, coffee makers, sinks and tables.

On the down side, we are not allowed to bring bikes in the building. I have stashed my bike in a storage room on occasion when bad weather prevented me from riding home, and I was discouraged but not prohibited from doing so. Our showers often don't work (no hot water). Some coworkers complained about me hanging my bike clothes to dry in the storage room, which is seldom used by anyone, so I had to start hanging them in my office. I am not supposed to have a drying rack in my office but my supervisor told me it was OK.

What is baffling about my workplace is why there are not more bike commuters. I work in the environmental field in a new "green" LEED certified building. Yet I am one of only 2-3 cyclists who commute regularly among hundreds of employees. Our climate is favorable to year round cycling and our roads and greenways are conducive to commuting.