Shower after cycling to work?

[ccarter@new.rr.com]

Hello,

After reading the "Copenhagenized Cycleliciousness" thread I was
curious about bike commuters' need to shower after biking in to work.

Me? I just need washcloth to wipe up my sweaty body. I'm lucky that,
because I have a buzz cut, I don'thave to worry about my hair.

I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
commuters?

If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?

Cullen

[peter]

On Jul 19, 3:21 pm, "ccar...@new.rr.com" <ccar...@new.rr.com> wrote:

> Me? I just need washcloth to wipe up my sweaty body. I'm lucky that,
> because I have a buzz cut, I don'thave to worry about my hair.
>
> I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
> commuters?

I don't think it's as rare as generally thought. All four of my
workplaces had showers, but in two of them they were rather hidden and
unknown to almost all of the workers. They were primarily for use by
the maintenance staff but there were no objections to use by others
such as bike commuters. One was down in the basement tucked away at
the end of a long corridor past various building equipment rooms and
in the other they were accessed through an unmarked door in one of the
restrooms.

But the washcloth wipedown and a brief cooling off period works well
too if showers aren't available.

[Jeff]

ccarter@new.rr.com wrote:
....

> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
....

I'm only 4 KM from work, so I ride slowly. Except for the hottest, most
humid days, not much of a sweat.

[DanKMTB@gmail.com]

On Jul 19, 6:21*pm, "ccar...@new.rr.com" <ccar...@new.rr.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> After reading the "Copenhagenized Cycleliciousness" thread I was
> curious about bike commuters' need to shower after biking in to work.
>
> Me? I just need washcloth to wipe up my sweaty body. I'm lucky that,
> because I have a buzz cut, I don'thave to *worry about my hair.
>
> I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
> commuters?
>
> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
>
> Cullen

No showers @ my place of employment. I leave a stash of clothes
here. When I arrive, I walk up to my office and get some clean duds.
Then I head to a private bathroom (one-man, that can actually be
locked) and clean myself up with cold water and paper towels. On with
the new threads, and off to work. I'd damn near kill for a shower,
though.

[dgk]

On Sat, 19 Jul 2008 15:21:44 -0700 (PDT), "ccarter@new.rr.com"
<ccarter@new.rr.com> wrote:

>Hello,
>
>After reading the "Copenhagenized Cycleliciousness" thread I was
>curious about bike commuters' need to shower after biking in to work.
>
>Me? I just need washcloth to wipe up my sweaty body. I'm lucky that,
>because I have a buzz cut, I don'thave to worry about my hair.
>
>I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
>commuters?
>
>If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
>
>Cullen


15 mile commute in NYC. I keep lots of shirts and some pants at work
but have no shower since we're just tenants in an office building. I
leave home at 6 AM so I miss most of the real heat, plus I don't
really push it and average around 11mph.

Originally I took the bike into work on the subway and just rode home,
precisely because I was worried about smelling, but I tried biking in
one day and it worked out ok. I can towel off in the men's room plus I
keep deodorant around.

I have more trouble in the winter because, no matter how much wicking
stuff I wear, I end up pretty much soaked The summer is a simple light
layer so it's easy to deal with.

[Frank Krygowski]

On Jul 19, 6:21*pm, "ccar...@new.rr.com" <ccar...@new.rr.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> After reading the "Copenhagenized Cycleliciousness" thread I was
> curious about bike commuters' need to shower after biking in to work.
>
> Me? I just need washcloth to wipe up my sweaty body. I'm lucky that,
> because I have a buzz cut, I don'thave to *worry about my hair.
>
> I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
> commuters?
>
> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?

I'm off work for the summer. But where I teach, I could have used the
showers in one of the athletic facilities. I've never bothered. Too
much trouble.

I shower in the morning before work. Luckily, it's mostly flat to
downhill on the way in, and I take it relatively easy. I'd still
arrive a little moist, but I'd just mop my brow.

The only time I had to do more was riding in to teach an evening class
in the summer. Then, I had to ride in during some hot, humid
afternoons. So I sometimes took a fresh undershirt (or occasionally,
rode in shorts) and sat in front of a fan for five or ten minutes
before heading up to my office.

Clean sweat doesn't normally stink. If it does, talk to your
doctor. He can probably suggest a remedy.

- Frank Krygowski

[Claire Petersky]

<ccarter@new.rr.com> wrote in message
news:7982be9b-7741-477e-b8fc-fe4dbf185f2a@27g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...

> I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
> commuters?

> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?

At my new job, it's a 12 or so mile ride in. While it's mostly flat, the
final last couple of miles are at a 12% grade, and yeah, I work up a sweat
coming up the hill.

At first, I didn't think I had a shower available, so I showered before the
ride, and then did a bird bath at the sink in the bathroom. Then, my boss
finally directed me to the rumored shower, and now I use it every time. I
just feel much fresher afterwards.

At the new place we'll be moving to, you'd think that I'd make sure that a
shower is part of the deal as I negotiate the lease. Well, unlike my current
work place, where I informally tie the bike to a downspout under an eave,
I'll have covered and locked bike parking at the new place. But no shower.
There is a janitor's closet with a floor sink and a hose on the faucet, and
I know from using these in the past, they work fine as a shower of sorts.
You just have to be careful with the direction of the hose.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
http://www.bicyclemeditations.org/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

[Dane Buson]

ccarter@new.rr.com <ccarter@new.rr.com> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> After reading the "Copenhagenized Cycleliciousness" thread I was
> curious about bike commuters' need to shower after biking in to work.
>
> Me? I just need washcloth to wipe up my sweaty body. I'm lucky that,
> because I have a buzz cut, I don'thave to worry about my hair.
>
> I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
> commuters?

My office has showers and lockers. I ride a hilly fairly fast 10 miles
to work, so I tend to be sweaty. I don't shower in the morning at home,
I just shower at work. If I didn't have a shower at work, I would be
showering at home and then a quick wipe down when I got to work.

--
Dane Buson - n0n6t0p8@unixbigots.org
Linear time is for wimps

[Camilo]

I have a shower, a locker for the 2-3 sets of clothes I keep at work,
and a washer dryer to use when said clothes need washing. No, I do
not work at home, but I am the boss and decided that all employees
needed this feature. I'm the main user, but it has inspired the
others to work out at noon, ride to work, etc.

[Tom Sherman]

Jeff ? wrote:
> ccarter@new.rr.com wrote:
> ...
>
>> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
> ...
>
> I'm only 4 KM from work, so I ride slowly. Except for the hottest, most
> humid days, not much of a sweat.

Being that close to work and having to ride slowly takes the fun out it.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"People who had no mercy will find none." - Anon.

[Jeff]

Tom Sherman wrote:
> Jeff ? wrote:
>> ccarter@new.rr.com wrote:
>> ...
>>
>>> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
>> ...
>>
>> I'm only 4 KM from work, so I ride slowly. Except for the hottest,
>> most humid days, not much of a sweat.
>
> Being that close to work and having to ride slowly takes the fun out it.
>

Well not entirely. It's still better than driving or taking the bus
(although walking is fun). It's fun riding slowly and still keeping up
with the bus that I might otherwise have taken.

And riding home is an exciting serious of sprints (pedal hard and stop
for a light [lather, rinse, repeat]).

And I get a good laugh when the price of gas, or parking, goes up.

A bad trip on my bike still beats a good trip in my car.

[raamman@gmail.com]

On Jul 21, 9:46*am, Frank Krygowski <frkry...@gmail.com> wrote:

>
> Clean sweat doesn't normally stink. *If it does, talk to *your
> doctor. *He can probably suggest a remedy.
>
> - Frank Krygowski

that's my experence too; you just have to ride hard enough to sweat
regularily, stay hydrated with water, and avoid oils, salt and spicy
foods; so your sweat is mostly water, and doesn't sting your eyes.
Wipe that off with a cold wet towel or rubbing alcohol and your're
good to go ( just bag your riding gear and have a fresh set to change
into for the ride home). You'll notice the more you sweat the less it
smells.

[Tom Sherman]

Frank Krygowski wrote:
> On Jul 19, 6:21 pm, "ccar...@new.rr.com" <ccar...@new.rr.com> wrote:
>> Hello,
>>
>> After reading the "Copenhagenized Cycleliciousness" thread I was
>> curious about bike commuters' need to shower after biking in to work.
>>
>> Me? I just need washcloth to wipe up my sweaty body. I'm lucky that,
>> because I have a buzz cut, I don'thave to worry about my hair.
>>
>> I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
>> commuters?
>>
>> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
>
> I'm off work for the summer. But where I teach, I could have used the
> showers in one of the athletic facilities. I've never bothered. Too
> much trouble.
>
> I shower in the morning before work. Luckily, it's mostly flat to
> downhill on the way in, and I take it relatively easy. I'd still
> arrive a little moist, but I'd just mop my brow.
>
My ideal would be to go to bed in cycling clothes [1], so I could just
roll out of bed and start riding, and then take care of all the personal
hygiene stuff at work.

> The only time I had to do more was riding in to teach an evening class
> in the summer. Then, I had to ride in during some hot, humid
> afternoons. So I sometimes took a fresh undershirt (or occasionally,
> rode in shorts) and sat in front of a fan for five or ten minutes
> before heading up to my office.
>
> Clean sweat doesn't normally stink. If it does, talk to your
> doctor. He can probably suggest a remedy.
>
I have trouble concentrating when I am hot, sweaty and sticky. A cool
shower after hammering on the way to work for 15 or 20 miles would be
wonderful.

[1] Excluding magic foam cycling hat, which I do not need since I sleep
on a futon close to the floor, not on a high bed. ;)

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"People who had no mercy will find none." - Anon.

[Tom Keats]

In article <VMOdncaY4cdYBRnVnZ2dnUVZ_uLinZ2d@earthlink.com>,
"Claire Petersky" <cpetersky@mouse-potato.com> writes:
> <ccarter@new.rr.com> wrote in message
> news:7982be9b-7741-477e-b8fc-fe4dbf185f2a@27g2000hsf.googlegroups.com...
>
>> I wonder how rare it is for workplaces to have showers for bike
>> commuters?
>
>> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
>
> At my new job, it's a 12 or so mile ride in. While it's mostly flat, the
> final last couple of miles are at a 12% grade, and yeah, I work up a sweat
> coming up the hill.
>
> At first, I didn't think I had a shower available, so I showered before the
> ride, and then did a bird bath at the sink in the bathroom. Then, my boss
> finally directed me to the rumored shower, and now I use it every time. I
> just feel much fresher afterwards.
>
> At the new place we'll be moving to, you'd think that I'd make sure that a
> shower is part of the deal as I negotiate the lease. Well, unlike my current
> work place, where I informally tie the bike to a downspout under an eave,
> I'll have covered and locked bike parking at the new place. But no shower.
> There is a janitor's closet with a floor sink and a hose on the faucet, and
> I know from using these in the past, they work fine as a shower of sorts.
> You just have to be careful with the direction of the hose.

I used to work at a chemical warehouse, which had emergency
shower stations distributed across the floor.

I never experienced a serious chemical spill, but we workers
used to avail ourselves to those watering holes for simple,
general cleansing.

Except there was a certain one, that, when you turned the
water on, some of it would gush unexpectedly out of a
low-down pipe elbow, and onto yer shoes. Kinda made ya
feel like you just had an accident.

So sometimes I'd go to wash my hands, and come away with
squishy, swampy shoes. And leave embarassing footprints.

The water was cold. If we're going to have showers,
there simply /has/ to be heated water available.
No two ways about it.

But I guess heating water is a carbon-hit.


cheers,
Tom



--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

[recycled]

"Jeff" <no_answer@pegguru.com> wrote in message
news:zf6hk.7789$Dw3.862@newsfe04.iad...
> Tom Sherman wrote:
>> Jeff ? wrote:
>>> ccarter@new.rr.com wrote:
>>> ...
>>>
>>>> If your job doesn't have a shower, bike commuters, what do you do?
>>> ...
>>>
>>> I'm only 4 KM from work, so I ride slowly. Except for the hottest, most
>>> humid days, not much of a sweat.
>>
>> Being that close to work and having to ride slowly takes the fun out it.
>>
>
> Well not entirely. It's still better than driving or taking the bus
> (although walking is fun). It's fun riding slowly and still keeping up
> with the bus that I might otherwise have taken.
>
> And riding home is an exciting serious of sprints (pedal hard and stop for
> a light [lather, rinse, repeat]).
>
> And I get a good laugh when the price of gas, or parking, goes up.
>
> A bad trip on my bike still beats a good trip in my car.


Ya. A mixed blessing for me is my commute. I went from a bicycle ~15 minute
commute to less than 5 minutes. In nice weather I often thought 15 minutes
was too short of a commute. OTOH in bad weather I am grateful for the
shorter ride to and from work.

As for showering I think I've always.... 4 employers over 20 years or so...
had shower facilities available, even before I found the way of the bike.

[Frank Krygowski]

On Jul 21, 8:49*pm, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com>
wrote:
>
> My ideal would be to go to bed in cycling clothes [1], so I could just
> roll out of bed and start riding, and then take care of all the personal
> hygiene stuff at work.
>
> [1] Excluding magic foam cycling hat, which I do not need since I sleep
> on a futon close to the floor, not on a high bed. ;)

This is OT, but: I recently read a claim that more Canadians die each
year from falling out of bed than die from bike crashes. I haven't
yet tracked down the original data, though.

Hmm. Styrofoam floor mats?

- Frank Krygowski

[Tom Sherman]

Frank Krygowski wrote:
> On Jul 21, 8:49 pm, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com>
> wrote:
>> My ideal would be to go to bed in cycling clothes [1], so I could just
>> roll out of bed and start riding, and then take care of all the personal
>> hygiene stuff at work.
>>
>> [1] Excluding magic foam cycling hat, which I do not need since I sleep
>> on a futon close to the floor, not on a high bed. ;)
>
> This is OT, but: I recently read a claim that more Canadians die each
> year from falling out of bed than die from bike crashes. I haven't
> yet tracked down the original data, though.
>
> Hmm. Styrofoam floor mats?
>
If everyone placed expanded polystyrene floor mats next to their beds,
head injuries from falling out of bed would be reduced by 85%. ;)

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
"People who had no mercy will find none." - Anon.

[Tom Keats]

In article <cb73caf1-7c9d-43f7-b135-25d1ad680d88@56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com>,
Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@gmail.com> writes:
> On Jul 21, 8:49*pm, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com>
> wrote:
>>
>> My ideal would be to go to bed in cycling clothes [1], so I could just
>> roll out of bed and start riding, and then take care of all the personal
>> hygiene stuff at work.
>>
>> [1] Excluding magic foam cycling hat, which I do not need since I sleep
>> on a futon close to the floor, not on a high bed. ;)
> This is OT, but: I recently read a claim that more Canadians die each
> year from falling out of bed than die from bike crashes. I haven't
> yet tracked down the original data, though.
> Hmm. Styrofoam floor mats?

Bear rugs without the heads attached.

Actually, when Canadians fall out of their beds and die,
I suspect it's from imbibing in stuff that's gonna kill
'em one way or another anyway.

I used to be a bed-faller-outer, and sometimes experienced
somnambualism -- which was pretty freaky during camping
trips. Nothing like waking up in the middle of the
wilderness, in the darkness of night, where you can't
perceive the 3 spacial dimensions. Actually, I preferred
that to waking up on the floor beside my bed, but I eventually
got used to that, too.

That's okay. My younger-older brother was for a time
a bedwetter. I have that over him. Heh.


cheers,
Tom

--

Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

[Ryan Cousineau]

In article
<cb73caf1-7c9d-43f7-b135-25d1ad680d88@56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com>,
Frank Krygowski <frkrygow@gmail.com> wrote:

> On Jul 21, 8:49*pm, Tom Sherman <sunsetss0...@REMOVETHISyahoo.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > My ideal would be to go to bed in cycling clothes [1], so I could just
> > roll out of bed and start riding, and then take care of all the personal
> > hygiene stuff at work.
> >
> > [1] Excluding magic foam cycling hat, which I do not need since I sleep
> > on a futon close to the floor, not on a high bed. ;)
>
> This is OT, but: I recently read a claim that more Canadians die each
> year from falling out of bed than die from bike crashes. I haven't
> yet tracked down the original data, though.

May be true, but more Canadians sleep in beds than ride bikes.

--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@gmail.com http://www.wiredcola.com/
"In other newsgroups, they killfile trolls."
"In rec.bicycles.racing, we coach them."

[Frank Krygowski]

On Jul 23, 9:36*am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@gmail.com> wrote:
> In article
> <cb73caf1-7c9d-43f7-b135-25d1ad680...@56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com>,
> *Frank Krygowski <frkry...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > This is OT, but: *I recently read a claim that more Canadians die each
> > year from falling out of bed than die from bike crashes. *I haven't
> > yet tracked down the original data, though.
>
> May be true, but more Canadians sleep in beds than ride bikes.

But... if only ONE LIFE can be saved.....!!!!

- Frank Krygowski

[John Kane]

On Jul 23, 9:44*am, Frank Krygowski <frkry...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Jul 23, 9:36*am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > In article
> > <cb73caf1-7c9d-43f7-b135-25d1ad680...@56g2000hsm.googlegroups.com>,
> > *Frank Krygowski <frkry...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > > This is OT, but: *I recently read a claim that more Canadians die each
> > > year from falling out of bed than die from bike crashes. *I haven't
> > > yet tracked down the original data, though.
>
> > May be true, but more Canadians sleep in beds than ride bikes.
>
> But... if only ONE LIFE can be saved.....!!!!


Well if we can get the doctors out of the hospitals we'd reduce the
death rate even more.

John Kane Kingson ON Canada