Going to be a 2-way commuter & I need some advice.
 

When I start commuting again I will be able to commute both to & from work. Before I was only commuting one way, home from work because I had to get up early & be at work at 7 am. My start time has changed from 7 am to 8 am so I will be able to commute both ways.

Also starting in 2007 my bike will have to be locked to the newly installed bike rack outside of the building. Before I could keep it close to my desk. No big deal. But I will need a place to put my bike clothes to dry so I can wear them to ride home. I do not think it will be a cool idea to have them on a hangar on the partition to my cubicle, no rules against it I just think it will be kind of tacky & they may get knocked off as people walk by. There are no lockers, or coat room, etc where I can hang them up in either.

Any suggestions? Or should I just be tacky, run the risk of them getting knocked to the floor & hang them from the end of my partition? What do you do to hang your cloths to wear home?

My commute is 14.5 miles with about 1.5 miles of hills so I work up a good sweat. I will combat any odor on my cloths with Febreeze or something similar.

If there are any other commuters where you work, would your employer allow several people to chip in and purchase a small set of lockers to stay/store in the restroom?

There is maybe only one other commuter, only seen him commute once or twice this past year & he lives close enough he wears his street cloths, doesn't get too sweaty if at all. So I doubt my company will do that. Besides my company does not own the building. They have to go through the owner for things like bike racks, lockers, etc. I'm sure they pay for part or all of it but the company who owns the building has to approve & have it installed, changed, modified, etc.

How ever I have a feeling it is because of my commuting that they are getting the bike rack & I'm really the only person who commutes by bike. I think the got tired of me storing my bike in the building, saw a need to have a rack as a result so are having one installed outside.

Who knows maybe if I hang my cloths from my partition enough times they will do something to allow me to hang them elsewhere so it does not look as tacky.

I commute two ways as well and I usually have a suitcase with a weeks worth of clean clothes a towel and shower stuff under my desk so I can change when I get to work.

What I have been doing is to hang my clothes on a small rack that I put under my desk so it is out of the way (it helps my clothes dry off as well), I have a desk that is big enough underneath so I can put my stuff there and it does not interfere with my work.

I hope this helps

I would talk to my employer. Provide you are willing to participate in any health insurance deductions for them. I would also ask them whnt you want to do with your set of problems you have commuting. Worth a shot. Here we have a trip reduction program (required) so they tend to listen a little better.

storing and drying clothing in a cubicle is pretty easy
take a small space heater with a fan ($10.00 at K-Mart) and build a small box around it with a rack
I worked with a guy years ago who went jogging on lunch and would come back soaked in all sorts of liquids and he did this.
he had a 10x10x20 box made out of cardboard with a rack inside it, the rack looked like something he made with wire ties and coat hangers and it kept the clothing off the ground.
he'd put the clothing on the rack and place the heater at one end and turn it on, 20 minutes later his clothing was dry
oh, he had holes cut in either end of the box too

I keep my clothes in my cubicle on a coat stand. One coat hanger for the towel, one for my shirt and one for my pants. The helmet and gloves go on the top of the stand. This arrangement allows them to dry off very well. There is a washing machine and drier near the showers so I can wash and dry the towel when needed. I dont think a locker is a good idea as the clothes wont dry well and will get ripe very fast.

This will not work, they do not allow space heaters, yet they do allow small desk fans. In the summer a space heater, even for 20 min. is not a good idea. I may be able to rig something with a small fan though.

Not enough room for a coat stand. Thank you though.

That's pretty much what happened where I work. I was locking it to the guard station and people were getting sick of parking within 6 feet of my bike, because I might scratch their paint. Never mind the fact that half of the jelly-donut-face-stuffing cagers where I work can't park properly if their life depended on it, but the fact that they just parked all crooked and the back end of their Suburban is 4 inches away from someone else's vehicle doesn't seem to bother them at all. But 6 feet from a 30 pound, two-wheeled contraption? Oh the horror!

I got a bike rack out of the deal though, even though I'm the only one who will use it.

I ride in street clothes, but I have to change when I get to work (I work in a stuffy corporate office environment). I just lay my clothes in my filing cabinet drawer while I'm at work. They're usually dry by the time I need to go home.

If your bike clothes are stinky when you get to work, wash/rinse them in the sink and hang them wherever you can to dry. If they aren't dry by the end of the day, bring a second set of cycling clothes for the ride home.

I'd say get some kind of hangar to go over your partition, then hang your clothes on hangers from that. They'll dry faster and look better than having them draped over the end.

If I were in close proximity to others, I'd probably try to wear wool socks and baselayers to reduce odor. On nice days, I'd be tempted to hang stuff off of my bike, assuming noone would mess with it.

You might consider re-checking the office for unused space. There are a number of places in mine (electrical closets, storage closets that have coat racks, etc) that I could easily appropriate.

I am going to talk to the managment to see if we can have some sort of coat rods installed in the coat room. We have one but they took the rods out for some reason. Another option is on my side of the parition I have the "frame" pieces that hold the partition in place. I can easily hang the cloths on a hangar then hang it from the "frame" pieces. It'll look tacky but like I said maybe it'll cause the managment to provide something I can use.

don't forget to get one of these for your bike (run it through the frame and rear wheel then to the rack):
[kryptonite new york chain / lock 3'3"]
http://www.seasonaloutfitters.com/ebay/33chain.gif

and also one of these to run through the frame / front wheel:

http://www.seasonaloutfitters.com/ebay/fagulock.jpg :eek:


Then you won't have to worry about anybody stealing your bike (or front wheel)!

I already have the security of my bike figured out. The first time I commute to work next year I'll bring my locks & either get permission to keep it locked around the rack when I am not using them or keep them at my desk so I am not hauling them to & from work everyday. I have 2. One is an old Schwinn brand u-lock. I've had the thing for over 15 years now, & a cable with a padlock I bought a year ago form my LBS. Using both ought to be fine.

Or should I break down & buy a new lock? bike theft is not a huge thing in my area, especially recumbent bike theft. the building I work in is next to the airport, not a highly populated area. the only concern would be from co-workers.

another thing I need advice on is if or when it does not rain should I cover the bike with a tarp? I ask because the rack will be in the sun & I am concerned about fading, etc. that can be cause from the sun. Or is this not a good idea because it may cause a green house affect & cause moisture to build up under the tarp?

I spread the big things out under my cubicle desk - over the computer (which is on the floor) and over my pannier.
The little things that need to be dried I place on the back of the monitor - the heat from the monitor is great for drying gloves and balaclavas.

My workplace is not particularly friendly to the needs of bike commuters. The janitor said it would be OK for me to stash stuff in a utility closet, director didn't want it. I can't use the loading area either. If your workplace is like that, I recommend against bringing your stuff in. I think just bringing your stuff in will identify you as a kook which won't help you professionally.

A few options -- YMCA, health club, you may be able to use a storage area where you work. I actually had to go with a health club. Pricey, but I get a shower and there is plenty of space to store all my equipment.

I wouldn't cover the bike with a tarp. Also, don't sweat the fading. Riding 29 miles a day, you'll be doing around 6500 miles per year in commuting alone, lots of it in slop. Protecting your bike against petty cosmetic stuff with that kind of use is futile.

I got a bike cover from Performance for about $12. I use it every day - rain or shine. You never know when there might be a passing shower, but most of all the black nylon keeps the bike hidden from prying eyes. I think that it is less likely to be bothered by busy hands if they have to spend time uncovering it just to see what kind ob bike is there.

That's a good idea! I spread my stuff out on the computer and pannier but I think I'll look for one of those small laundry racks.

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/...domi.1.600.jpg

I have showers and lockers at work. I do rinse my shirts and hang them on a tree outside the back door.

There must be a closet that you can use for your bike gear. Like a cleaning closet.

Great idea, but my health club is closer to home then my office. Health club is near downtown, my office is southeast of there by the airport.

there is a cleaning closet, but it is not accessable by anyone but the cleaning person. Not even the managment has the key. The cleaning people are contracted though another company.

Did I mention I ride a recumbent? If I do not cover my bike I'll bring the seat inside in case it rains, otherise the seat will be a big sponge.