Bike to Work??

Maggie said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it.

I wear a long-sleeved jersey t-shirt and quaint loose knee-length shorts
with a granny-flower print over my ordinary tights. I have a pannier on
the back rack which in addition to holding my hand-bag has my nylon slip
and a skirt. On arrival at the office, I pull on the slip and skirt,
remove the shorts from underneath and walk in looking perfectly normal. It
only takes about 90 seconds.

EFR
Ile de France

[email hidden] (Maggie) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it. I was in NYC one summer and
saw a guy riding a bike wearing a suit with his briefcase over his
back. I thought this was due to the congestion he faced everyday in
NYC traffic. I am a suburbanite and traffic is far from a problem.
Riding would just be fun if I did not have to change when I arrived at
the office. How do you handle this if you have to wear business
clothes to work, do you bring them with you? This seems like a real
chore. I would love to have the bike at work during lunch. Since I
started riding I am finally losing the weight I gained in the past two
or three years. Plus I feel energized after I ride. That's a nice way
to start the day. Normally I drag my ass in the office yawning while
juggling a cup of coffee, my briefcase and a donut. I'd love to arrive
feeling alive and awake.

http://www.geocities.com/lindaannbuset/mypage.html

http://hometown.aol.com/lbuset/

Maggie: DO IT! Bike commuting is a great way of life. You'll feel
better when you get to work and better when you get home. If your
main concern is how to keep your business clothes neat, try an Eagle
Creek folder or one of their many other packing accessories. That's
what I use. You can see them here:

http://www.eaglecreek.com/packit_folders.html

Good luck!

Bruce

If your commute is short, why not just wear your suit? If you get
sweaty, ride slower. That;s what I do (10 mile round trip). In the
summer, I wear a short sleeve dress shirt and roll (do not fold,
especially in humid conditions) my jacket and put it on the rack.

Paul

[email hidden] (Maggie) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it.

What is it with America's obession with showering and sweat? Maybe I
don't sweat as much as the average person. I find that over the summer
I'll really get sweaty a few times. On those days I get up early and
arrive at work 15 minutes early. I will go to the bathroom change and
slather powder on. My job doesn't require a suit and tie, but neat
clothing.

I have a simple rule if I arrive at work wet I don't ride. That
includes sweat and rain.

From September to May sweat isn't an issue. I have a 20 minute commute
which I realize is on the short side. Dealing with a small amount of
sweat is better than dealing with traffic and alternate side of the
street parking when I return home.

Start off by riding once or twice a week. If you like it you'll
continue. The day before bring a jacket or tie and nice shoes. This
way changing is minimal.

Enjoy the ride.

Andy

Maggie said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it.

If economics allow it for you, and you tend to wear pants and not skirts,
then getting a commute bike with fenders and a chain guard would allow you
to ride in business attire with perhaps a change of shoes.

If you don't want to sweat, just don't pedal too hard 😄

Millions of Dutch do it every day, so can you.

I used to ride to work and shop every day on a bike similar to one of the
Breezer Bikes when in Chicago. My usual outfit was Levis, leather vest,
and black boots--rather rock n' roll and sweaty you'd think--but if you
put yourself into cruise, rather than exercise mode, you arrive
refreshed, but not pre-moistened. FWIW, black Blundstone boots from
Australia look great shined with business attire, fit easily into
toeclips, and are totally weatherproof. 😉

http://www.breezerbikes.com/

"Maggie" wrote...

Quoted message said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it. I was in NYC one summer and
saw a guy riding a bike wearing a suit with his briefcase over his
back. I thought this was due to the congestion he faced everyday in
NYC traffic. I am a suburbanite and traffic is far from a problem.
Riding would just be fun if I did not have to change when I arrived at
the office. How do you handle this if you have to wear business
clothes to work, do you bring them with you? This seems like a real
chore. I would love to have the bike at work during lunch. Since I
started riding I am finally losing the weight I gained in the past two
or three years. Plus I feel energized after I ride. That's a nice way
to start the day. Normally I drag my ass in the office yawning while
juggling a cup of coffee, my briefcase and a donut. I'd love to arrive
feeling alive and awake.

I cycle into work and change into work in the bathroom, it works fine. I
roll up the clothing before I stick it in my bag so it doesn't get wrinkled.
It works fine, and the exercise makes my workday much more pleasant. If
you're worried about sweat, just bring a washcloth and give yourself a quick
sink bath before you change into your business clothes.

Do you have some place to store business clothing at work? There are people
who bring in a week's worth of business clothing by car at the start of the
work week, then cycle in the rest of the week.
--
mark

If you do a little planning you could (on the days you drive) bring in to work a change of clothes. That way you don't have to ride in your work clothes.

Also, I shower and shave etc before riding in the morning. Luckily for me I've got showers at work so I'm just washing off the sweat of the bike ride once I arrive, no need for anything else.

Best thing I've done in ages.
Keep it up.

[email hidden] (Maggie) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Riding would just be fun if I did not have to change when I arrived at
the office. How do you handle this if you have to wear business
clothes to work, do you bring them with you? This seems like a real
chore. I would love to have the bike at work during lunch. Since I

From what you've said I'd guess there's no shower available to you at
work, which is a shame.

Ideally you can ride slowly enough that you don't sweat, but that's
easier said than done. If you've got a short commute - say 1-3 miles
- then you can probably find a pace that allows you to get there
without sweating. (You can do it for longer distances, but it takes
discipline to maintain such a slow pace.) In any case, you should be
able to find a pace that allows you to freshen up with a washcloth in
a bathroom sink.

As for clothes, it depends a little on how formal your office is. I
usually stow some clothes in my desk drawer -- pants I'll wear all
week, plus a dress shirt or sweater for Important Meetings(tm). If
you need to dress up every day, you can probably do something similar,
but you may need to be creative. Or if you've got wrinkle-resistant
clothes, you can probably carry them in a knapsack or pannier (it's
really not bad) and just stow a pair of shoes at the office.

The other thing to remember is to be prepared for bicycle-related
challenges (some of these I'm sure you already know). Make sure you
know how to change a flat. Carry tire tools, at least one spare tube,
a patch kit and a good pump. Carry a cell phone or enough change to
make a phone call. Make sure drivers can see you: if there's any
chance you'll be riding in the dark, be sure you've got working
lights. Get a mirror for your helmet or your handlebars.

Commuting brings cycling into your life in a unique way. Once you're
used to it, you can look for long loops that take you home in the
evening. (Actually, a "slow" ride in the morning and a "real" ride in
the evening is a pretty good system.) There are few things more
satisfying than leaving the office and heading out for an hour of
pleasant riding before you get home.

JR

[email hidden] (Maggie) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it. I was in NYC one summer and
saw a guy riding a bike wearing a suit with his briefcase over his
back. I thought this was due to the congestion he faced everyday in
NYC traffic. I am a suburbanite and traffic is far from a problem.
Riding would just be fun if I did not have to change when I arrived at
the office. How do you handle this if you have to wear business
clothes to work, do you bring them with you? This seems like a real
chore. I would love to have the bike at work during lunch. Since I
started riding I am finally losing the weight I gained in the past two
or three years. Plus I feel energized after I ride. That's a nice way
to start the day. Normally I drag my ass in the office yawning while
juggling a cup of coffee, my briefcase and a donut. I'd love to arrive
feeling alive and awake.

http://www.geocities.com/lindaannbuset/mypage.html

http://hometown.aol.com/lbuset/

If you have access to a shower at work it isn't hard. What I did was
recognize that I wouldn't cycle every day. So, on the days that I
drive I bring in several sets of business clothes and leave them in
the office ( and take back "used" sets). So, when I cycle I simple
shower, change into fresh clothes and voila!

Maggie said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it. ...

How do you handle this if you have to wear business

Quoted message said:

clothes to work, do you bring them with you?

I work in dress slacks and a dress shirt, no suit.

I ride in the dress slacks and dress shirt. I'll add a jacket and/or
sweater in cool or cold weather. My commute is about seven miles.

Lots of Americans think you can't ride a bike without special clothes,
or you can't ride a bike without requiring a shower immediately
afterwards. Both ideas are wrong.

Go to Europe some time. You'll see people pedaling along in business
suits, and in dresses and heels, and in blue jeans, and everything in
between. You don't need special clothes - at least, not for reasonably
short rides.

--
Frank Krygowski [To reply, remove rodent and vegetable dot com.
Substitute cc dot ysu dot
edu]

I dress in bermudas and sweatshirt. In cold weather (39F) add Goretex jacket and
sweatpants, a nice balance of warmth and sweat-wicking. In really, really
cold weather (10F) add another layer of sweats.

At work, I wear the same thing.

You don't smell if you're clean when you start the day, ie. don't change.

I'm pleased to have been one of the original chief contributors to the decline
of the dress code at work, way back when. It also avoids the Peter Principle.
--
Ron Hardin
[email hidden]

On the internet, nobody knows you're a jerk.

had same issue. I got a backpack, and just try to wear 'light'
clothes that day. I carry them in. Think about the briefcase
seriously...how many times do you bring it home and actually do the
work that you bring home??? So...solution...be very specific in what
you take to and from work..and it will definitely fit in that backpack
that you are carrying back and forth.

[email hidden] (Maggie) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it. I was in NYC one summer and
saw a guy riding a bike wearing a suit with his briefcase over his
back. I thought this was due to the congestion he faced everyday in
NYC traffic. I am a suburbanite and traffic is far from a problem.
Riding would just be fun if I did not have to change when I arrived at
the office. How do you handle this if you have to wear business
clothes to work, do you bring them with you? This seems like a real
chore. I would love to have the bike at work during lunch. Since I
started riding I am finally losing the weight I gained in the past two
or three years. Plus I feel energized after I ride. That's a nice way
to start the day. Normally I drag my ass in the office yawning while
juggling a cup of coffee, my briefcase and a donut. I'd love to arrive
feeling alive and awake.

http://www.geocities.com/lindaannbuset/mypage.html

http://hometown.aol.com/lbuset/

"Bruce Rideout"wrote: (clip) You'll feel

Quoted message said:

better when you get to work and better when you get home. (clip)

^^^^^^^^^^^^
I see a relationship between what you are saying here and Claire Petersky's
earlier post about her ten-year-old daugher's ride to school.

amh said:

[email hidden] (Maggie) wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long distance....yet
the thought of biking to work and then having to change clothes at the
office is keeping me from attempting it.

What is it with America's obession with showering and sweat?

Religous up-bringing for most.

Quoted message said:

I have a simple rule if I arrive at work wet I don't ride. That
includes sweat and rain.

That would mean I never ride to work. Instead we have showers at work
so I take advantage of them. I just don't shower at home, I wait until
I arrive at work.

Quoted message said:

From September to May sweat isn't an issue. I have a 20 minute commute
which I realize is on the short side. Dealing with a small amount of
sweat is better than dealing with traffic and alternate side of the
street parking when I return home.

I sweat no matter what, once I'm on the bike I ride at full speed (or
pretty well near it). It comes from the way I handle traffic (heavy
rush hour traffic). You need to position your bike in a certain place
by a certain time. This requires pretty good timing (speeding up or
slowing down). By the time I get to work I'm coated with salt anytime
of the year. I don't ride to work every day. In the winter I hardly
ride, spring and fall more often and summer a bit more. My commute is
20 miles each way which takes me about an hour and 15 minutes with my
trailer.

--
Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry [email hidden]
http://home.comcast.net/~ncherry/ (Text only)
http://hcs.sourceforge.net/ (HCS II)
http://linuxha.blogspot.com/ My HA Blog

amh said:

What is it with America's obession with showering and sweat?

We all like to pretend we're executives, and that it's important we're natty and
coiffed at all times. You never know when Wall St. will call for a
teleconference...

Matt O.

Frank Krygowski said:

Maggie said:

I have such a short commute to work that riding my bike would be a
piece of cake. No traffic to speak of...and not a long
distance....yet the thought of biking to work and then having to
change clothes at the office is keeping me from attempting it. ...

How do you handle this if you have to wear business

Quoted message said:

clothes to work, do you bring them with you?

I work in dress slacks and a dress shirt, no suit.

I ride in the dress slacks and dress shirt. I'll add a jacket and/or
sweater in cool or cold weather. My commute is about seven miles.

Lots of Americans think you can't ride a bike without special clothes,
or you can't ride a bike without requiring a shower immediately
afterwards. Both ideas are wrong.

Go to Europe some time. You'll see people pedaling along in business
suits, and in dresses and heels, and in blue jeans, and everything in
between. You don't need special clothes - at least, not for
reasonably short rides.

I went to high school in Australia, where we had school uniforms. I often rode
to school in wool slacks, dress shoes, a dress shirt and tie, plus a wool
sweater and blazer in the winter. I had a single speed bike and rode 7-8 miles
over hilly terrain, often carrying 20 LB of books. It never bothered me a bit,
and it let me sleep later than taking the train.

Matt O.

I commute in Florida in the summer. My commute's pretty long so I wear full
on roadie gear. I drive in on Monday, bringing with me 4 sets of scrubs,
socks, and underwear. When I get to work, I stand around for a few minutes
to quit sweating, then strip down and towel off in the bathroom. I'm a guy,
so I use Old Spice scented wipes and body spray. No offensive odors. I take
my uniform home every day in my pack. No problems. Try it---you'll like it!

"mark" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Do you have some place to store business clothing at work? There are

people

Quoted message said:

who bring in a week's worth of business clothing by car at the start of

the

Quoted message said:

work week, then cycle in the rest of the week.

I do this actually I think one better -- I have a seasonal wardrobe stored
at work, and change it out every 2-3 months or so, when I'd have to drive
anyway. I just take in/out underwear, mostly. I have a suit/silk
blouse/pantyhose/pointy shoe type job, so I generally take a shower when I
arrive and change.

I have four file drawers: in one, there's shoes; in another, there's hose,
panties, bras, etc. The other two actually contain files.

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
please substitute yahoo for mousepotato to reply
Home of the meditative cyclist:
http://home.earthlink.net/~cpetersky/Welcome.htm
Personal page: http://www.geocities.com/cpetersky/
See the books I've set free at: http://bookcrossing.com/referral/Cpetersky

:
: I went to high school in Australia, where we had school uniforms. I often
rode
: to school in wool slacks, dress shoes, a dress shirt and tie, plus a wool
: sweater and blazer in the winter. I had a single speed bike and rode 7-8
miles
: over hilly terrain, often carrying 20 LB of books. It never bothered me a
bit,
: and it let me sleep later than taking the train.
:
: Matt O.

And you thought your mates were odd, what with wearing those clothes pins on
their noses....

Pat in TX
:
: