Pad for wet/slushy bike
 

I commuted over the summer/fall and would avoid days where it was raining in the morning, so I never had to worry about my bike being wet when I got to work (I was more concerned about me being wet to tell ya the truth). I'm going to start riding again soon, in the snow and slush of Wisconsin, and I'll end up parking my bike in my carpeted office at work. How do those of you that commute in rainy/slushy conditions and store your bike indoors handle cleaning your bike, or otherwise containing the mess that will run off of it? Do any of you have a special 'pad' you park on to help contain the mess, or do you clean it all off before entering the building (which I'm sure would still result in at least a little being left)? I imagine my custodial staff will go ballistic if I just park it on the carpet and let the salty slush run off...

I use a ribbed, rubber bottomed door mat. They are $15 at a home center. Get a charcoal gray or dark brown one.

My company changed out their non-skid mats used in wet locations. I was allowed to take several and use one for bike parking. The fibrous top surface will hold quite a bit of water.

I use a piece of rubber matting I got from a hardware store (a few dollars a foot?) . Works great for rain. Cheap, quick, and easy.

I'd expect that snow would end up dropping a larger volume of water on the mat, at which point you'd want something with raised edges (like a huge pan) to contain it.

Snow? What's that?

Good mudflaps will keep a lot of the slop off your bike, then just give them each a little kick as you go into work. One of those rented mats is a great idea, but I've used boot trays under each wheel too.

I use a trainer mat from Performance.

Cheap rubber automotive floor mats, laid out in a line, overlapping one another. Using them right now. There's brown slush under the bottom bracket, and the mats are full of water. :p

I keep meaning to get one those runners you see in businesses, but I haven't ever found one in my travels.

I bounce the bike a couple of times outside to knock off the big drops, then park on a couple of carpet strips I acquired when we changed the office carpet a couple of years ago.

I hadn't considered a carpet 'runner'. I think that could be my best bet, as the rubber base will save the underlying office carpeting, but the carpet top will absorb the runoff. Our building is sealed, and very dry, so the carpet will undoubtedly dry within a day. Thanks for the ideas!

You can get long lengths of clear plastic mat about 80cm wide. They have raised edges and anti-slip ribbing so water doesnt spill out.

The floor at work is linoleum, so I don't worry too much, but I clean the floor on occasion. But at home each bike has its own piece of runner carpet from KMart. They are about 18" by 6' and have a rubberized bottom and come in a variety of patterns to match your decor.