Facilties at work!

I'm lucky, we have a fully enclosed cycle bay that can only be accessed with your ID card, showers and changing rooms. Couldn't ask for more really.

We have an entire room in the basement delivery area of the building.
The rack is insufficient though for the amount of bikes, so often I leave the bike un-locked. However, I'm on name terms with the building manager and we are expecting extra lock-up facilities soon so I'm happy. I was even asked which type of rack to use.
The security is quite tight so I'm ok leaving my commuter unlocked. If I'm riding my road bike I make sure that I'm at work before 8:30, which guarantees a place on the rack.
We have two shower rooms, which is fantastic after our last facilities (wipe down in the toilet). We moved HQ to Wimbledon in March 2008.

We have a locked enclosure that three cyclists share. No shower as yet, so it's the disabled toilet and a wipe down at the moment.

I can leave my stuff in the Server room (being an IT guy helps) so I can dry things off, and we are moving to a new building next month which has showers, so my morning will change drastically then (I'll get up and leave pretty much straight away and get cleaned and fed at work rather than at home)

I've just moved locations and at both places I was pretty spoilt. First place had locked bike cage (with security swipe card), free towels, showers and lockers (though limited numbers). New place has covered (but not locked) bike store, showers, limited lockers and large separate from toilets changing room.

In both cases, decent facilities increases numbers cycling to work. The old site had events to coincide with cycle to work week (free breakfasts, a prize draw etc)

Fuel injector factory ~300 to 400 people or so on site at once. Not many cyclists by percentage, but I think this has a lot to do with the three shift rotation - I know a lot of cyclists that found cycling in too wearing when we introduced it.

7 male showers, 7 female showers (presumably, I haven't looked), some better than others

2 changing rooms

Stacks of lockers.

2 covered sheds, directly opposite the Security office/portakabin 20 feet away, although the sheds themselves are not locked they are in a notionally secure car park with lockable gates.

Drying facilities could be better; at present I hang my kit up on clothes hangars in an unheated room, so if it's wet out there will be a lot of soggy gear sharing the same rack - result, nothing will dry but hey ho can't have everything eh? Everything is kept nice and clean.

Not too bad all in all.

AaronM14 wrote:

...half of the staff cycle.

Where or what is this Valhalla? Are the other half intimidated/amused/what have you by the number of cyclists? I understand you haven't totalled the number of people working there but 50% has to be some sort of record. And I can now fully understand why you've joined in lately. Can't be long before the facilities improve surely.
As for me, only cyclist at a firm of 80+ but full shower room thanks to a former boss who used to ride once in a blue moon and insisted on having the shower put in for himself. Near-indetectible places to lock up in the car park so no worries really.

kind of ironic, in our place (an NHS ambulance trust) they say they are encouraging people to cycle. Yet if you are on a night shift and decide you have to sit in your own sweat because the shower room is on the side of the building which is alarmed after 5pm in the evening and all weekend. We have no cycle racks, so need to use a neighbouring buildings racks and they always complain about us parking our bikes there. even then there is no CCTV and finishing at 2am is a bit on the frightening side when it's dark and your in the middle of an industrial estate.

Oh and if we want to get changed...then it's the toilet!

Currently where I work (the Local Authority) there are no dedicated bike shed/stand but two n shaped 'things' by the entrance that are used for locking bikes to.

On the cleaning facilities side a shower was installed in the disabled toilets specifically for the use of cyclists. No storage/drying for clothes but a couple of radiators arround the building where the public don't go.

I don't currently ride to work as I live less than a mile away and walk instead. But we are moving offices soon to the council HQ, I have enquired about showers/cycle storage/cycle2work. Apparently we don't do c2w, I have been told there are railings outside the HQ and silence about the showers/lockers.....

Since I am a really sweaty person I am not sure that I would be happy with wet wipes. I may join the union (I know I should have by now, but they keep going on strike when I am in a brassic period) just to put pressure on for things to improve!

Mwnci wrote:

Currently where I work (the Local Authority) there are no dedicated bike shed/stand but two n shaped 'things' by the entrance that are used for locking bikes to.
!

For a local authority ( they supposedly promote green issues ) that's just not good enough.

Manchester council force feed us a never ending tide of green policies and yet they've just submitted plans for an underground car park ( for council leaders only ) in the centre of Manchester .

Join your union , council staff need legal backing at present with all the cutbacks.

I don't know how so many of you manage with the pi** poor conditions.... I work in a tri service call centre; we have showers/changing rooms, lockers, and those that cycle in keep the bikes under the stairs. We hang wet kit in the changing area by the showers. I cycle in, shower, change, go to 2nd floor & have a nosh then into the office. On nights I will eat as and when able thru the night.
The handful that cycle to work have no probs with the facilities.

Bike is locked to a pillar in local NCP multi-storey. Short walk to the office, horrible tiny toilet cubicle to get changed in, quick wash in the bogs. The cubicle makes me hotter and sweatier than I am after the ride.

Horrible experience, hating the way in which I'm red and sweaty when I get to the desk and am becoming a bit of a joke in the office. Not helped by being over 17st but, hey, that's why I'm cycling 15 miles a day - and I have lost about five pounds in weight since I started commuting by bike six weeks ago.

I'm really enjoying the cycling, but hate the changing and cool-down stages.

I can't complain. We got a covered rack under the main entrance, racks and rails for your clothes/bags and a 3 showers (2 male and 1 female).

We have a courtyard that serves the offices in our building, with a recently installed bikerack, that's watched by CCTV and a security guard. Not bad for central London

Unfortunately the racks have been in a week and already there are no spaces by the time I get in.

Shower in the office, and drying room too.

Pangur Ban wrote:

Bike is locked to a pillar in local NCP multi-storey.

What are NCP bicycle parking rates like?

Tobiwan, if you used the gym even twice a month you'd be getting good value from membership!