Recently this summer, i have begun to commute to work. My biggest concern was staying rather sweat free and being able to shape up once at work. My other concern was to daylight. I am a RN and work 12s. My shift starts at 6:45am and i usually get out at 19:45 to 2000. I chose this summer to start my commuting. I began by riding my Bianchi touring type bike and quickly discovered it was a bit much for a mere ride into work only. For errands after work and other things, it works well. But after 13 hours i rarely need to lug extra weight around. Especially after being on my feet for all 13 hours. My commute is very short by most standards, i imagine. It is a 5.1 mile ride into work on relatively easy rollers (pennsylvania terrain). work has been excellent because i can stash my bike just about anywhere within the confines of the building and being one of the supervisors, i use this to my advantage.
I now use a 95 Bianchi Trofeo...equipped for abuse and my beater bike. i use it for all my commutes and i now have things down to a perfect mix of what exactly to carry. I have an old ruck rack that fits everything i need perfectly and i have the ride down to barely a tad of sweat on the way in and who cares about sweat for the ride home. My attitude has improved and i am passive at work as well making better decisions and staying calmer. When i get home. i don't talk about work at all. I only work about 3 days per week. so i manage about a 12 mile roundtrip daily. The total commuting miles are short by most of you guys standards but it has been enjoyable and i am really enjoying the rides. Most small errands are now performed on my bike also on my days off.
I just thought i would share my short commute with the folks on here. I have read a TON on the forums and got some great tips as well. So thanks!

Walter

Congrats on the biking commute. I'm in a similar situation. I started riding the bike to work 3 weeks ago to save on gas since it's only 3 miles each way and I find I'm loving it. I try to take it easy on the way in to keep the sweat to a minimum, but it's so hot where I'm at that a little sweat is inevitable. I find that my mood is very good during the ride, but work usually brings it back down pretty quickly. LOL! The gf and I will be getting a house soon that will bump the commute to 12 miles each way and I'm actually planning to continue biking that as well. I like saving the gas money. I like not getting road rage. I'm hoping that it will significantly improve my weight and overall health, not to mention the environmental benefits.

Congrats and keep at it!!

Congrats! The physical and mental benefits of commuting by bike really go a long way.

I also work in a hospital, I work 10s and stash my bike in an alcove off the ambulance bay and build a wall of wheelchairs to at least slow a theif down if someone tries to take it. My commute is also short, 3.2 miles one-way, downhill all the way to work, usually with a tailwind.

congrats!

Why worry about the sweat? Why not just shower at the hospital?

If it's a small hospital there might not be showers for the general staff. For example, my hospital only has showers for the surgical staff (and not even that really, the female OR staff's shower is currently a parking place for the janitor's cart) and in the Doctors' sleep rooms.

When I worked in Stockholm, we just bought one of these and put it into the separate handicapped bathroom (was about 200€ and we collected money from everyone ... it worked out to about 5€/person and went up in about 4 hours with a few guys/beers). The water-in connected under the sink and the we attached a pipe leading out the bottom panel to the drain in the bathroom floor. it saw a huge amount of use.

Ditto. I work a combination of 8s & 12s. The commute is only about 5 miles of relatively flat terrain one way. Most of it is on a great MUP. Problem is work starts at 1445 (I try and show up by 1400 so I can cool down). That means riding in some heat. In Texas, mind you. I take it easy on the way in and hammer on the way home. Great way to clear the head. I probably could find a place at work to shower but find I can clean up reasonably well with just a towel and water. Some of the best advice I've gleaned from here is to shower right before leaving home and to use alcohol-based hand sanitizer as underarm deodorant/disinfectant--works excellent. I've got plenty of lights for the ride home. I just upgraded commuters from a modified '84 Trek 850 to a modified '03 Lemond Wayzata (both with racks). I don't ride to save gas, or save the planet and be green, but for my health--both physical and mental.

Scott

Thanks for all the replys. My workplace is a skilled nursing facility and after all the nosocomial infection risks...i prefer to avoid that risk. I pretty much bath is an out of the place restroom found near the chapel. No one ever goes there so it is perfect. I am lucky regarding the early morning temperatures, todays was 49 degrees, no sweating worries! And Scott...i do just that advice...shower, use a shower gel and deoderant and by the time i get to work...a good cleansing with more of the same and i am done! Works great!