Well, I had the tights anyway, and...

http://www.fromscreentotheme.com/img2221.jpg

No Capes!

I've experienced a few different levels of bike-friendliness over the years. I've never been told I can't bring my bike inside, though for a couple of years there really wasn't anywhere to put it so I used the wheel-bender rack in the (unsecured) underground parking.

The number one thing I've found to be important is to be able to wheel in and not have to worry about locking up or taking off panniers. In order for this to happen, you actually need to have a bike room where only those who've requested access have a key. Everything else is icing on the cake. We have a shower here, and I have never seen anyone use it, despite having around 2 dozen regular commuters in the summer months.

My office is moving in a couple months, and you've inspired me to snoop through the drawings to see what we're getting.
Showers, check (I know showers get you LEED points, so no surprise there...LEED design is one of our premium services, so it would be bad if we didn't build our new office to that standard...)
Bike storage room, check (kind of weird, though. It's a long hallway with hangers on one side and doors at both ends. Functional but not terribly elegant)
There appear to be lockers in the washrooms, too.

I'll miss parading my bike past half the office every day, I think. Our current bike room is at the back of the office. This one'll be easier to get in and out of.

If they're serious about cyclists, and have budget, here are some ideas:

1. walls along main office corridors are terraced with recesses big enough to park a bike. Like outside my office right now, I can watch my bike through the glass windows. They let bikes into our buildings (yeah, spoiled silicon valley code jockeys). But the recess is nice so it doesn't block the main flow of traffic in the corridor, but allows the owner to park a bike (I leave mine completely unlocked) just outside my office.

2. curved corners on all walls that hold up better to pedal and handlebar impacts. And metal, high base boards at corners and for doors. Plus auto-open handicap push button door openers so we aren't crashing into doors and doors aren't banging our bikes trying to get in/out.

3. Cubicles no more than 2 x 2 with at least one wide side walkway on one side of the cubicle that can accomodate a bike

4. open floor space at the base of 1st floor stairwells, with possible bike rack for folks who just want to leave their bike near the main stairwells rather than haul it upstairs (if no elevators).

5. Make available hook attachments that fit the slots/cleats on modular office wall systems (used for cabinets and locking cupboards). This should be attached at a height that allows a rider to hook up the bike vertically, thus taking less footprint on the ground.

6. In addition to the showers, break area should have a sink with paper towels for a quick face scrub, a mirror to check out the helmet head, and some tissues to blow the bugs out of the nostrils. And put in a cold water dispenser that has stand up clearance for more than a 6 ounce cup that won't drip when a water bottle is half cocked underneath, and make it flow faster so we aren't there in a queue at the end of the day trying to fill up before hitting the road.

No free cold beer and hot pizza dispensers?

and the engine and interior of the car isn't open to the elements.

That's almost how they worked things in our new building. You wave your building pass card at the reader, and then hit the handicapped button for the door to swing open for you. Then you have space for your pannier while you hang the bike, unlock the lock from its overnight storage space and and lock the bike. There's a dispenser for iced water to fill up your bottle. Floor pump fixed to the floor, showers available one level up.

They actually thought this room out -- it's pretty impressive.

Nowhere to dry clothes though. Not a major problem my end, as I tend to wimp out and not ride in if it's raining when I leave home.