No showers

clarkey cat

I'm starting work at a new place that doesnt have showers. My options are:

1) shower before I leave, ride gently, and then just 'freshen up' when I get to work.
2) join a gym and use their showers.
3) stop commuting by bike.

Does anyone else commuter to a shower-less workplace? What do you do?

My commute is 21 miles each way but realistically will only do it 2 times a week at the new place.

Phil_D

All a shower is is hot water on your body. If they have a hot water tap then you can get the same effect with that and a bar of soap.

rick_chasey

Shower when you get home?

dhope

Phil_D wrote:

All a shower is is hot water on your body. If they have a hot water tap then you can get the same effect with that and a bar of soap.

Whoa there, by that logic all a full Carbon Di2 equipped machine is is an expensive BSO. Pedal longer and you can get the same effect.

This is a disturbing route to go down. Clarkey Cat, I suggest you find a new job to avoid further confusion.

rick_chasey

Pootle the last 5 minutes of your ride.

By the time you lock up and get to the changing room/disabled toilet you'll have probably spent 10-15 minutes not putting in any effort.

Take your time getting changed, and make sure you put on cleanly washed clothes. By then you'll be sweat free anyway.

Job's a good'un.

thistle_

Wet wipes are often 3 packs for £1

clarkey cat

Consensus appears to be Option 1.

Thanks all - just wanted to check that I'm not the only smelly bicyclist on here.

Sharkyssurfers

or if theres a car wash nearby, blitz through that before hitting the office, wash and go and all that :oops:

Kieran_Burns

thistle (MBNW) wrote:

Wet wipes are often 3 packs for £1

This. I used to cycle 14 miles with no shower waiting at the work end so I pootled the last bit, washed down in the disabled toilet and used wet wipes on the pits and bits.

Just make sure you have cooled down properly as it's a losing battle when you're still sweating inside.

Don't worry about sweat too much though - fresh sweat doesn't smell. It's the stale bacteria laden sweat that is the problem (hence the wet wipes)

clarkey cat

Actually quite looking forward to not having the hassle of showering when I get to work!

rick_chasey

clarkey cat wrote:

Consensus appears to be Option 1.

Thanks all - just wanted to check that I'm not the only smelly bicyclist on here.

If you're smelly you're not doing it right..!

I see people bead as hard on the tube in their suits as they do on bikes and they're not changing into clean clothes.

t4tomo

get some cheap overpowering aftershave, that will be all anyone can smell when they are near you.

if you have wet wipes and a towel and a full change of clothes waiting you should be OK. Cover head and face in cold water from the sink to help with the cool down process.

veronese68

We have a shower, but it's so bad I don't use it. I use a flannel and wash over the sink in the disabled khazi. Admittedly my commute is only 6 miles though.

mtb-idle

I ride 18 miles each way and couldn't do that without a shower and wouldnt be prepared to do the other things proposed. Mind you I'm quite fussy and can't stand feeling dirty or sweaty. Just think, sitting in an office all day with yer crack full of sweat; euurrrrgghhhhhhh!

Join a gym.

iPete

Look at gyms or this http://www.wiggle.co.uk/maru-aqua-dry-sports-towel/ + sink has worked for me when the showers are broken.

jds_1981

ewwww, you nasty non-showerers.

mtb-idle

have you considered playing the 'yooman rites' card as in 'it's me yooman rites innit' and insisting they install a shower?

bails87

MTB-Idle wrote:

have you considered playing the 'yooman rites' card as in 'it's me yooman rites innit' and insisting they install a shower?

You are Richard Littlejohn and I claim my £5.

cjcp

Join a gym.

You don't want nearby plant-life to die and for the flies to start circling above your head.

dee4life2005

Commute 21 miles each way, only a couple of times a week at the moment. We don't have access to showers at our work either. I just leave a bit earlier so I have a chance to cool down at work first, then use the contents of my washbag and get washed using sink in the disabled toilets - I'm usually first in so this isn't a problem.

Granted, it's not as good as having a proper shower, but it does the job and allows me to cycle to work ...

Kieran_Burns

MTB-Idle wrote:

have you considered playing the 'yooman rites' card as in 'it's me yooman rites innit' and insisting they install a shower?

I suppose they could have the receptionist hose him down as he enters the building each day.

I just mentioned the receptionist in here didn't I?

and getting wet.

Oh God.

(and the thread goes off topic....)

clarkey cat

You don't want nearby plant-life to die

going in-house CJ... don't think they have such luxuries as plants.

slowbike

Cold water tap - flannel and a towel ...

10 mile ride in with a reasonable climb in it - usually fairly hot & sweaty ... I just get in early, give myself 10 minutes to cool down then get washed & changed ...

Use the 10 minutes to make a coffee (and one for the boss if poss - keeps them happy! )

cjcp

clarkey cat wrote:

You don't want nearby plant-life to die

going in-house CJ... don't think they have such luxuries as plants.

*looks around*

Good point.

davet2

I only comute 3-4miles, so tend to sit and stew in my cycling stuff as I cool down then throw a shirt on in the disabled toilet, I dont think I smell too bad, kind of alluring actually

twist83

Rick Chasey wrote:

Pootle the last 5 minutes of your ride.

By the time you lock up and get to the changing room/disabled toilet you'll have probably spent 10-15 minutes not putting in any effort.

Take your time getting changed, and make sure you put on cleanly washed clothes. By then you'll be sweat free anyway.

Job's a good'un.

Hang on! Your suggesting if you smash out say 19 miles and then pootle the last 2 by the time you arrive at work you will no longer have any sweat coming out or on yourself even though you will keep sweating while cooling down and still be wearing the sweat soaked cloths you had on the for the previous 19 miles.

Using that you are saying you dont need to shower or as long as you pootle the sweat just dissapears and doesnt cling to your skin Or we can test the theory and you can come smell my pits and groin after a 21 mile ride with 2 miles winding down.

Soap and hot water in a sink on the smelly bits.

rick_chasey

twist83 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Pootle the last 5 minutes of your ride.

By the time you lock up and get to the changing room/disabled toilet you'll have probably spent 10-15 minutes not putting in any effort.

Take your time getting changed, and make sure you put on cleanly washed clothes. By then you'll be sweat free anyway.

Job's a good'un.

Hang on! Your suggesting if you smash out say 19 miles and then pootle the last 2 by the time you arrive at work you will no longer have any sweat coming out or on yourself even though you will keep sweating while cooling down and still be wearing the sweat soaked cloths you had on the for the previous 19 miles.

Using that you are saying you dont need to shower or was as long as you pootle the sweat just dissapears and doesnt cling to your skin Or we can test the theory and you can come smell my bits and groin after a 21 mile ride with 2 miles winding down.

Pretty much.

That's my experience.

By the time I've taken all my cycling kit off the sweat's gone. Evaporated.

If you're still beading, you need to rein it in earlier, or actually pootle, as opposed to fake competitive pootling .

if you're still beading after 20 minutes of doing no effort, something is up!

twist83

Even without the 'beading' (Awful thought LOL) the salt etc is still resident on your skin which in turn leads to stinky pits/bits due to Bacteria. I am not suggesting you need a full on shower (Although I would prefer to) however at the very least a good clean of certain parts.

My offer stands come smell said bits after a 21 mile ride with cool down before AND after shower. Or are you one of those smelly office people who dont realise they smell You dirty beast!

clarkey cat

twist83,

are you from the Westcountry though?

twist83

I am indeed sir!

rick_chasey

twist83 wrote:

Even without the 'beading' (Awful thought LOL) the salt etc is still resident on your skin which in turn leads to stinky pits/bits due to Bacteria. I am not suggesting you need a full on shower (Although I would prefer to) however at the very least a good clean of certain parts.

My offer stands come smell said bits after a 21 mile ride with cool down before AND after shower. Or are you one of those smelly office people who dont realise they smell You dirty beast!

Yeah.

I had this discussion in the office.

Given all we have to go on is look smart and not smell, it's a bit of an issue if I do.

Suffice to say, I don't. Else they'd have let me know!

If you're clean anyway and your work clothes are clean (i.e. clean shirt every day) you shouldn't be smelling!