Riding Bike To Work



jesolis

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Oct 19, 2015
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Hello guys. Do any of you ride your bike to work? I think I want to try this. Yet, I think that it might be a bit impractical since I probably will be all sweaty after arriving. Do any of you do this? Any advice you have for me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!
 
I used to ride my bike to work regularly. I would wear my normal cycling clothes and change into my work clothes once I arrived, so there was never an issue with being sweaty or anything. The best advice I can give is to leave yourself some extra time to get to work the first couple days. Sometimes commuting can take a surprisingly long time so it's best to give yourself a little room, and it also means that if you do arrive feeling sweaty and overheated, you should have a few extra minutes to tidy up and get yourself together before your shift starts.
 
Commuting to work by riding a bike is fun. Leave your house early enough to allow time for you to get your act together before you begin work.

I also wore my normal cycling clothes and carried my work clothes and a few toiletries inside my backpack. Baby wipes, deodorant, comb and brush to tidy up my hair, and made myself look calm and relaxed. I didn't commute by bike if the weather was nasty, though.

Make sure your bike is in good working condition. Do a test ride to see how long it will take you and see how you feel after the ride. Wear bright and reflective clothing, so you are very visible to traffic around you. Have front and back lights on your bike and use them.
 
If it is only for commuting then I wouldn't buy very expensive bike. You can get a good used one for 50$-200$ depending on what features you are looking for. Remember always check that the bike you are looking to buy isn't stolen to avoid any harm.
 
When I was in Vietnam last month, the majority of transportation on the road are the motorcycles followed by bicycles. Those 2-wheelers comprise the big majority of road travelers there. Obviously, they bike to work. However, those office workers that I had seen were taking the buses or cars because Vietnam is a tropical country like ours. Bikes are reserved for laborers only like messengers, vendors and construction workers. You will be sweaty when you reach the office on a bike.
 
I started commuting on my bike to work early this year. I do 15kms each way so I'm really sweaty by the time I get to the office. Luckily we have showers, so I carry a change of clothes and towel in my panniers to get ready.

If your commute is less than 10kms and not hilly I think it's doable to ride to work without getting sweaty, if you ride calmly. Or if you can, keep a change of clothes at your workplace.
 
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You need to count how much time you will need to come to your work without sweating while riding.My point is that you shouldn't go at a quick pace. Just take it easy and do not overdress. You will need a backpack or a nice bag. Whatever you want. It is not a race so if you predict your time you will be just fine. I mean, people sweat while in a subway or from their cars to the end of the parking lot. The best thing for you is to try and see how it works. I recommend a day of to check your time and the best routes and those are the ones without too many hills and steep roads.
 
I had tried a few times but it was more of an inconvenience for me. I had to bring extra clothes for work because by the time I reach the office I am all sweaty and dusty. My regular work pants does not work well with pedaling so I gave up on the idea. Maybe on a dress down day I may try to reconsider.
 
I used to ride my bike to school and I tried sometimes to work, but the main issue with this last is that sometimes my clothes got dirty or I simply get all sweat so I end up stopping because of that.
 
For me a lot depends on the location of your work and also what the weather is like on the day. I don't work that far away from where I live so I've cycled there many times and it not been an issue, and also been quicker than the car or public transport due to the traffic. The times when I haven't cycled are usually due to the weather, and if its raining then unless you have the appropriate outerwear to make sure your protected, because its no fun turning up to work knowing your going to be in damp clothes for the rest of the day!
 
Yep, I rode to work all the time and yeah, sometimes I would get sweaty. Luckily for me though, the company I work for has a gym and showers in their building so it was really easy for me to just slide in and get a quick shower in before actually going to work.
 
A lot of the big businesses these days will tend to have at least one shower block as I was also lucky enough to work for a company that had a gym and so had showers there also.

Unfortunately I used to drive to that one, and then I switched jobs and the one I cycled to didn't...Just my luck!
 
Well showering at work is something not very common I think, not to mention that if the whole goal is to save time we would be spending a whole lot of time showering and changing, how practical can that be?
 
I have commuted to work off and on for some time and have developed a number of tricks.

Make sure you have a storage area at work, a drawer, file cabinet, someplace to store toiletries, extra socks, undies, and also a complete set of work clothes. work shoes too. someday your going to forget something and a spare at work is awesome. I wear the same pair of work shoes at work every day so I just leave them there overnight.

Toiletries include baby wipes and deodorant. I also have tooth brush, paste, and mouthwash. Not much cost to have minimal toiletries at the office.

Become a morning person so you can get there 20 mins early. I start the coffee first thing so everybody is appreciative I am there the soonest. Since I am there so early, I walk my bike up to the cubicle to unload and then take it down to lock it up. Reuseable grocery bags are great for organizing work clothes, lunch stuff, cell phone, id etc.

Use panniers, bike racks, and cycle bags to hold stuff. Get the most capacity you can cause there will be times you want to stop at the store on the way home or when you do not need the winter clothes for the ride home.

Backpacks are a pain.

Have a full size floor bike pump at work. Always carry spare tubes and a onboard tool kit. Extra batteries for lights too.

See if you can get a stool in the handicapper spot in the bathroom. it beats using the floor to hold clothes when changing.

A towel to wrap sweaty clothes in when you arrive. Wash towel before you leave and place somewhere to dry. replace towel with clean one frequently.

In cold weather if you can make a hot meal when you arrive, that is awesome!


And the best part, always smile when at work, makes em wonder what you are up too!

Regards,
cRanky
 
jesolis said:
Hello guys. Do any of you ride your bike to work? I think I want to try this. Yet, I think that it might be a bit impractical since I probably will be all sweaty after arriving. Do any of you do this? Any advice you have for me would be greatly appreciated! Thanks again!
I take a train to work and I bring my foldup bike with me to commute from the railway station to the office.

The distance from the railway station to my place of work is about 4 miles.
I wear suit and a shirt and tie for work.

How to minimise sweating? Pedalling at a moderate rate helps. Bringing a change of shirt is an option. Set off on your trip a bit earlier so that you don't arrive flustered and out of breath.

For the longer term getting fitter will make your commute easier and less sweaty.
 
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It's a great idea, epecially for the summer time. But in my city there's no big chance to enjoy a free ride. Authorities allegedly are doin' their best but I don't see much of a result.

Anyway, riding a bike free is WAY BETTER than sitting in a car that was stuck in a heavy traffic. That's it!
 
In my city, people can take their bicycle on the bus or light rail. This is handy for people who commute to work by bus, light rail, and bicycle.

All buses have a rack on the front that is equipped to hold two bikes. It's called "rack ‘n’ roll!" You can ride your bike to the nearest bus stop or Park-and-Ride location. If the rack is full you'll need to wait for the next bus. You are permitted to keep you bicycle with you inside the bus if you have a fold-up bike.

If you take the light rail system you can take your bicycle on the train and stack it in front of you. Bicycle symbols on the train windows show you the doors nearest the bicycle rack. If the bicycle rack is full, or if you can't load your bicycle into the rack, you are permitted to stand with your bicycle as long as you do not block the aisle or doorway.
 

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I bicycle 5 miles each way to my office. I change clothes in the rest room without bothering to shower. My office complex does offer employee showers. Who knows how many others have used this stall before me. I think it is a good way to pick up a few unwanted extras from the shower floor: you don't know if you are stepping in blood, feces, vomit, various forms of pathogenic bacteria, and so on. I also don't know what the rest of my body might pick up if i lean against the shower walls. So I don't shower at the office. I shower immediately after arriving home at the end of the day, in my own private shower.

My biggest tip is to seek out other bicyclists who might be at your day job, and talk to them about bicycle commuting a lot. There is power in numbers.

Bob
 
For me, I prefer cycling to work because it save my time during traffic jams and some money too I could have used as bus fare. It safer as I avoid being vulnerable to pickpocketing in public transportation vehicles.
A few years ago, cycling to work was only for the rural crowd. Many people in urban areas are taking up cycling to work too. Beside become healthier by using cycling as a way of exercise, you will be contributing in making the world a better place by controlling pollution.
You just need to be in cycling costumes and change at the work place. Be there a few minutes earlier to tidy up your shift.
 

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