No shower at work...

vegas76
vegas76 Posts: 278
edited November 2017 in Commuting general
I've just changed jobs and now have a 3.5 mile commute. I'm planning to cycle in and was going to aim to do a longer route in the morning however I found out today that there isn't a shower.

Any suggestions as to how to manage this?

Comments

  • bendertherobot
    bendertherobot Posts: 11,684
    How long is long?
    My blog: http://www.roubaixcycling.cc (kit reviews and other musings)
    https://twitter.com/roubaixcc
    Facebook? No. Just say no.
  • vegas76
    vegas76 Posts: 278
    bendertherobot wrote:
    How long is long?

    Building up to 10 miles...
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Is there a sink behind a locked door you can do a strip wash in ? That's what I've been doing for the last 6 years.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    Do the longer ride on the way home
  • fat daddy
    fat daddy Posts: 2,605
    whats the reason for the 10mile commute .. fitness or just enjoy cycling .. if its the latter, you dont need a shower, just cycle slowly, enjoy the journey and chill out.

    If its for fitness, then you need to perspire, so either :-

    (1) buy a travel towel, soap and a flannel and use a sink
    (2) destroy the world and invest in 30,000 baby wipes
    (3) do the longer ride on the way home
    (4) ... its only 3 miles to work ..... go cycle 10miles, end at home, have a shower and ride the 3 miles in !

    I would and do, do (4) ... its great getting a ride in, coming home getting the kid up, then going to work
  • ryan_w-2
    ryan_w-2 Posts: 1,162
    I pay £40pm to use a nearby gym, solely for its showers.

    My commute is only 8.7km each way, but I go flat out to make it worthwhile. I'm dripping in sweat when I get to the office.
    Specialized Allez Sprint Disc --- Specialized S-Works SL7

    IG: RhinosWorkshop
  • steve91
    steve91 Posts: 30
    I too have a 3.5 mile commute, and I'll echo the point of cycling after work. I can easily extend my commute to up to 5 miles a day, but as I ride with a backpack, I tend to ride home, ditch the heavy bag, and then go out. Gives me something to look forward to after work.
  • vegas76
    vegas76 Posts: 278
    steve91 wrote:
    I too have a 3.5 mile commute, and I'll echo the point of cycling after work. I can easily extend my commute to up to 5 miles a day, but as I ride with a backpack, I tend to ride home, ditch the heavy bag, and then go out. Gives me something to look forward to after work.

    I suspect it'll have to be a longer ride on the way home, though unfortunately, I tend to work late and have 2 little ones so timing wise that isn't ideal, but regular exercise will be a godsend.
  • ugo.santalucia
    ugo.santalucia Posts: 28,310
    12 miles here... never had a shower at work. Wear a merino base layer, leave it on the radiator to dry, sorted
    left the forum March 2023
  • mouth
    mouth Posts: 1,195
    fat daddy wrote:
    (3) do the longer ride on the way home


    I have no desire to do anything other than go home and cry after work. The 'long way' home, and sometimes just the commute would be enough to ruin me.
    The only disability in life is a poor attitude.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Mouth wrote:
    fat daddy wrote:
    (3) do the longer ride on the way home


    I have no desire to do anything other than go home and cry after work. The 'long way' home, and sometimes just the commute would be enough to ruin me.

    I used to use a longer commute home to rid myself of the "troubles" of work ... I have other priorities now so don't ... I do miss them a little.
  • trivial_poursuivant
    trivial_poursuivant Posts: 1,136
    Lynx - It's a shower in a can!
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,694
    Slowbike wrote:
    I used to use a longer commute home to rid myself of the "troubles" of work ... I have other priorities now so don't ... I do miss them a little.
    Before you know it you'll have a surly teenager and be back on the longer commute home. :wink:
    Kinesis Pro6
    Marin Nail Trail
    Cotic Solaris
  • timothyw
    timothyw Posts: 2,482
    You don't need to shower on arrival - just make sure you've had a proper wash before setting out and are wearing clean gear.

    I would suggest you take it easy for the last 10 minutes to cool off and allow the sweat to dry.

    I can almost guarantee I'm bigger, hairier and sweatier than you and I do fine on a shower in the morning before setting out and then nothing.

    I'm convinced that I'm less stinky now than I was when I used to have to get the tube to work - main difference being that I was getting sweaty in my work clothes then.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    Veronese68 wrote:
    Slowbike wrote:
    I used to use a longer commute home to rid myself of the "troubles" of work ... I have other priorities now so don't ... I do miss them a little.
    Before you know it you'll have a surly teenager and be back on the longer commute home. :wink:


    yup - time flies - except when you're on the turbo ...
    <off topic>
    Seems like only yesterday I was posting to say he's on his balance bike - now Mr Cocky frequently lifts his legs up, droops one foot over the back wheel and likes to venture further than we did before. No doubt it'll be tomorrow when we buy him his first pedal bike and next week when he gets a "drop bar racer" ... or mountain bike ... (he quite likes mud & puddles atm)
    </off topic>
    Having a ride with him certainly helps rid myself of work issues!
  • kirkee
    kirkee Posts: 369
    Working on a house refurb at moment. 9 mile commute. Get out of cycling kit, slip on pair of flip flops, fill hot water into bucket from sink in garage, step out into back garden patio, pour over. Satisfyingly feral. May become a bit of a test as temps start to drop though....
    No dohbi after physical activity? Only if not possible!
    Caveat - I buy and ride cheap, however, I reserve the right to advise on expensive kit that I have never actually used and possibly never will
  • JakeJ
    JakeJ Posts: 151
    ugo.santalucia wrote:
    12 miles here... never had a shower at work. Wear a merino base layer, leave it on the radiator to dry, sorted

    This.

    I have either a 3.5 miles commute or 6.5 mile commute depending on if I'm at home or at my girlfriend's place.

    No shower at work, in the winter the ride seems to be too short to build up a sweat, in the summer I have a flannel that'll just to get the sweat off, a good dose of a decent deodorant and I'm good to go.

    moral of the story is a good base layer, I've got a rapha merino one for winter and a pro team mesh one for summer/warmer days, both work wonders and I never ride without one now.

    Also just to add..

    I never shower in the mornings, I prefer the extra 10 minuets sleep, but I always shower the evening before and have been known to spray more deodorant than most people would usually apply and I tend to spray all over rather than just the pits. :lol:

    A good antiperspirant will make a good difference and as above a quick top up when you get to work never hurt anyone.

    As for the extra mileage, do it on the way home, doesn't have to be 10 miles if you're in a rush to get home, but whatever you do, just push harder, that'll make more difference than a slower 10 miles, in my experience anyway.
  • minnnt
    minnnt Posts: 102
    Another vote for a base layer. I’ve only recently started commuting by bike and on the first day when I arrived I thought WTF do I do now? I was absolutely dripping and didn’t think I would be. I just used the base layer to dry myself off then dried it out in the drying room. I was fine and had a shower when I got home. 10 mile each way but have started to add a couple of mile on the way home to take in a few more hills. Really enjoying it too, can’t believe what I’ve been missing out on all these years!
  • Rockhound
    Rockhound Posts: 20
    We have showers at work now that the building renovations/updates have finished. For almost a year though there were no showers. During that time, I kept 2 camping microfibre towels in my desk drawer over night along with toiletries (hair brush, deo spray, aftershave, shower gel etc). Routine was as follows:-
    Cycle in in the morning
    Grab 2 towels from desk
    Go to the toilets
    Run mixer tap in sink and get water warm enough to suit
    Wet one towel
    Lock myself in a toilet cubicle (getting in early = clean toilets/floors)
    Wipe body down with wet towel
    Dry body using dry towel
    Get dressed and spray deo
    leave toilet cubicle,
    wash face and wet hair in sink
    dry face and hair
    brush hair
    apply aftershave
    Put wet towels on radiator to dry
    hang up cycling kit to air dry
    check towels are dry in afternoon - when done fold up and store in desk drawer
    I'd replace the towels with laundered ones at home every 3-4 days

    Word of advice with (some) microfibre towels - when new, wash them on their own on a long cycle before use - they tend to moult/shed like crazy!
  • Peter from Bikeroo
    Peter from Bikeroo Posts: 2
    Vegas76 wrote:
    I've just changed jobs and now have a 3.5 mile commute. I'm planning to cycle in and was going to aim to do a longer route in the morning however I found out today that there isn't a shower.

    Any suggestions as to how to manage this?

    No matter how fast or slow you're going, you can't avoid sweating when your ride your bike. Put some baby baby wipes in your backpack and a t-shirt to change in the bathroom when you arrive, wear a good antiperspirant and don't go all out on your bike.

Categories