No Shower

asprilla

So,

New job time, a job I've been after for a while. Only problem is no shower. It's 22 miles each way so I will be sweaty.

Anyone know of any cheap month by month gyms in the Old Street area, or am I looking at a future full of baby wipes?

UndercoverElephant

Awaits DDD to give *very* detailed account of baby-wipe based showering.

bigmat

Fitness First usually the cheapest. There is one called Fit4Less near Tower Bridge (so only a mile or so from Old Street) which has very cheap base costs, but by the time you factor in locker / towel (its all a bit Ryan Air...) I decided I'd stick with Fitness First. Might be OK if you can bring your own towel / get changed at work though - think its around £25 a month.

Gallywomack

FF would have the benefit of being able to use any branch, if that's something you might take advantage of. Although lots of the City ones are fancy ones which you need a more expensive membership for.

kiwimatt

I'm into 3rd year of the 'flannel and sink' method. This does require a works toilet where you won't be barged in on and preferably a largeish sink, I keep a decent big towel at the office there is a place for it to dry. Fill sink with hot water. Cover floor with blanket of paper hand towels. Commence contortionist style all over soapy rub down with facecloth and wash hair over sink. Rinse and towel. Clean up the mess... :roll: It's not a shower but I have got used to it and it is surprisingly effective.

CiB

As per Kiwimatt - a flannel, a tub of squirty soap and a towel are enough to be cleaner than most people who arrive via PT. I'm in my seventh year of doing it, and have never felt ikky or had any complaints. It's the flannel that makes the difference - it gives a good soapy wash and leaves you feeling clean. I just leave the tap running steadily rather than use ever-more grimey & soapy water in the sink altho ours is a mixer not a hold & a cold tap.

Edit - I hadn't noticed KM does the floor covering + wash hair at the sink. I just do the strip wash in my socks to mop up the odd splash and find that it does the job, but not wearing a helmet might make some difference. I don't...

cyclingprop

http://www.payasugym.com/gyms-near-old-street-station

slowbike

CiB wrote:

As per Kiwimatt - a flannel, a tub of squirty soap and a towel are enough to be cleaner than most people who arrive via PT. I'm in my seventh year of doing it, and have never felt ikky or had any complaints. It's the flannel that makes the difference - it gives a good soapy wash and leaves you feeling clean. I just leave the tap running steadily rather than use ever-more grimey & soapy water in the sink altho ours is a mixer not a hold & a cold tap.

Edit - I hadn't noticed KM does the floor covering + wash hair at the sink. I just do the strip wash in my socks to mop up the odd splash and find that it does the job, but not wearing a helmet might make some difference. I don't...

I do similar - it's handy having a single toilet with washbasin in as the outer door locks. I just use cold water - if I'm particularly hot & sweaty then I'll wash my head too, but with sort hair it dries quickly.

ugo.santalucia

Have you tried wearing merino wool only? I find it soaks the sweat leaving no BO.

spasypaddy

Slowbike wrote:

CiB wrote:

As per Kiwimatt - a flannel, a tub of squirty soap and a towel are enough to be cleaner than most people who arrive via PT. I'm in my seventh year of doing it, and have never felt ikky or had any complaints. It's the flannel that makes the difference - it gives a good soapy wash and leaves you feeling clean. I just leave the tap running steadily rather than use ever-more grimey & soapy water in the sink altho ours is a mixer not a hold & a cold tap.

Edit - I hadn't noticed KM does the floor covering + wash hair at the sink. I just do the strip wash in my socks to mop up the odd splash and find that it does the job, but not wearing a helmet might make some difference. I don't...

I do similar - it's handy having a single toilet with washbasin in as the outer door locks. I just use cold water - if I'm particularly hot & sweaty then I'll wash my head too, but with sort hair it dries quickly.

i do the wash in the sink routine.

disabled toilet or individual toilet without outside lock is a godsend

mlgt

Also getting one of these helps - http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeventure-sof ... wel-large/

Ive found I can be dry in a few quick wipes. The towel dries quick and its really small.

Gallywomack

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Have you tried wearing merino wool only? I find it soaks the sweat leaving no BO.

Very true, synthetics are terrible for promoting BO.

Headhuunter

I asked this question earlier this year when I got my current job, no one seemed to be aware of any shower only gym memberships anywhere so I do the sink shower thing...

5milestogo

http://www.better.org.uk/leisure/ironmonger-row-baths
Local council facility - used to have a great pool etc and one of the last Turkish baths about

On_What

I do about 18miles to Old Street, lucky my work has showers though. There are a few gyms round here so worth a wander round.

Stevie_gee

If you just worked harder you could afford a car and all this could be avoided...

[activate flameshield]

thistle_

If you find a gym but only want to use the showers/lockers maybe you could negotiate a cheaper rate from them?

Similarly if you know someone who works somewhere that has showers, maybe you could do a deal to get to use them?

jonnyboy77

Not sure how close you are to their (not yet opened) London Wall location: http://www.h2bikerun.co.uk/clubs/ but their pricing seems to be better than most gyms at £42 for the year!

- Jon

asprilla

Cheers guys. I had a look a H2 and I thought their prices were per month!

When that's open it will be a great option, but at the moment it looks like I'm using the disabled toilet here.

jonnyboy77

Asprilla wrote:

Cheers guys. I had a look a H2 and I thought their prices were per month!

When that's open it will be a great option, but at the moment it looks like I'm using the disabled toilet here.

and you were right

H2twelve is a 12 month contract with 12 months for the price of 10. You will pay in full and upfront for this membership by debit or credit card. Payment taken in club only, over the counter. Effective monthly rate is £41.66 a month over 12 months.

Still that's less than half what I pay at Virgin Active, and offers a lot more! but probably expensive for showers alone.

- Jon

sketchley

H2 does look good as it include secure bike parking plus you can add a locker for £7.99 a month. City branch early next year apparantly and just round corner from new office....

steviemidnight

Just a thouht.
During a refurb of our showers at work i ended up using baby wipes.
It actually worked better than i had expected and the added bonus is u can change in a very fast time. I now always keep some in my draw invade I have to change quick or the showers are broken.

itboffin

Sketchley wrote:

H2 does look good as it include secure bike parking plus you can add a locker for £7.99 a month. City branch early next year apparantly and just round corner from new office....

Dont forget the close proximity to Monmouth coffee, win win all round really

Agent57

It's mine and I'll wash it as fast as I like!

redvee

My London knowledge is poor but http://www.thegymgroup.com/ are opening gyms in the next 12 months and are only £16/month and open 24/7, contract is a monthly rolling contract so you can cancel at anytime.

fossyant

Baby wipes here. No showers. And if on site visits, it's getting changed in a small cubicle - lucky to find a disabled loo.

PBo

Don't forget it's stale sweat that smells, not fresh. So shower before your journey, and then any of the wet flannel/wet wipe mop downs should be good, backed up with reapplication of deodorant etc. I also use this, which whilst being expensive lasts ages.....(nice citrusy smell).http://www.chapeaucycling.co.uk/chapeau-neau-shower-gel-250ml.html but you can probably get similar in camping shops...

As regards merino v synthetics, it's the garment that does or doesn't smell, not you! You still need to wash your pits...

Agent57

PBo wrote:

Don't forget it's stale sweat that smells, not fresh

I've said this before, but I don't think it's even that. "cool you down" sweat (eccrine) is mostly water and salts. It dries and leaves you feeling a little crusty, but it's not smelly.

""They produce a clear, odorless substance, consisting primarily of water and NaCl (note that the odor from sweat is due to bacterial activity on the secretions of the apocrine sweat glands)."

It's the other fat-based sweat (apocrine) that smells; and I don't think we produce significantly more of that due to exertion.

So really, getting hot and dripping with sweat shouldn't make you any more smelly than you would be anyway.

I just sit around in my riding gear until I've cooled down, then get changed. Done that for a decade of commuting by bike, and no one's ever complained - and believe me, I've worked with plenty of people who would have...

willy b

Well I've just been told my shower at work will be out of acting for two weeks... So i'll be doing the old washing in the sink trick. Nice. :?

Headhuunter

jonnyboy77 wrote:

Asprilla wrote:

Cheers guys. I had a look a H2 and I thought their prices were per month!

When that's open it will be a great option, but at the moment it looks like I'm using the disabled toilet here.

and you were right

H2twelve is a 12 month contract with 12 months for the price of 10. You will pay in full and upfront for this membership by debit or credit card. Payment taken in club only, over the counter. Effective monthly rate is £41.66 a month over 12 months.

Still that's less than half what I pay at Virgin Active, and offers a lot more! but probably expensive for showers alone.

- Jon

London/UK fitness network costs about the same for premium membership and gives you full access to 70 odd gyms with showers. The ironmonger row gym mentioned above is included I think

asprilla

Biggest problem with gym memberships is the 12 month contract. I'm an associate consultant at small consultancy firm working out of shared offices. I could leave, we could move or I could be on site with a client long term at any time. I can't enter a long contract.