Cycling to work, how do you manage with a suit (and hygiene)

[Haighermeister]

Considering gearing myself up to start cycling to work. It's just under 6 miles, not overly challenging, but my main worries are that I am supposed to be smart and presentable at work, and that cycling won't allow me to take in fresh shirt and trousers.

Also, how do you go about not stinking? There's no shower facilities and I'd be afraid I'd be smelling a bit funky!

Anyone do this? What's the best way round it all? Cheers

[davepoth]

Drive in one day a week with some shirts.

[bleesh]

Yep I do

Drive in one day a week/fortnight (depending on how big the bag is/how many clothes you've got!!) and take a bag with work clothes.
Towel as well and moist wipes and deodorant.

I cycle in, (have to carry laptop in a rucksac which is a right PITA), cool off outside and towel off a bit with a towel carried in the bag, then go into the office and get the PC starting up.
I normally arrive at the office about 20 minutes before I start.
Get drink etc and then once I've stopped "glowing" (this is the real key I think) then go and get changed.
Obvious thing to say but make sure that you aren't still sweating before getting changed.

Not had any complaints - at least not to my face - and I'm in my 6th year of cycling in.
However, I DO work in an office full of blokes

And ANYWAY, they say that you can't smell your own sweat, so feel free to leave the moist wipes and the towel at home and just get changed straight away into your work clothes ;-)

[a11y_m]

I do it too. Approx 6 miles each way, but I have the advantage of 180m elevation drop on the way TO work so I don't get that sweaty on the way in. The way back is a different matter though...

Leave at work:
- toiletries & towel
- baby wipes
- suit
- shoes

I carry a fresh shirt and underwear in each day - using an Eagle Creek shirt carrier: http://www.eaglecreekluggage.co.uk/proddetail.php?... - great bit of kit IME. Once every so often I use a HUGE rucsac and change over my suit/trousers, although I more often occasionally need the car at work anyway so take advantage of that to swap stuff around.

[okgo]

I leave a few pairs of trousers at work, jeans, chinos, suit trousers, and then bring in a fresh shirt to work each day.

Now the only way this could differ is if you have to wear a full suit, in which case leave a couple at work and a pair of shoes or two and bring in the shirt each day.

However its made very easy for me as I have two lockers at work, one is 6ft so can hang things full length if needs be.

[ewenm]

Leave suit and shoes at work.
Roll up shirt, socks and underwear in a rucksack (waterproof!).
Cycle to work in cycling gear.
Wash and change in the disabled toilet at work.
Presentable all day at work.

[croyde]

Also you can ride a tad slower but that's boring

Always amazes me when I see people with all their clothes on and a coat on a bicycle whilst I'm soaked through in just a T shirt and shorts.

Bicycle cops have loads of gear on too and never look sweaty.

[MattYorke]

I ride 11.7 miles each way. Suit trousers, shoes, shirt and other stuff in my rucksack, just pop into the shower once you get there to freshen up.

[ewenm]

MattYorke said:

I ride 11.7 miles each way. Suit trousers, shoes, shirt and other stuff in my rucksack, just pop into the shower once you get there to freshen up.

Perfect, expect for their being no shower according to the OP

[TonyHetherington]

ewenm said:

Leave suit and shoes at work.
Roll up shirt, socks and underwear in a rucksack (waterproof!).
Cycle to work in cycling gear.
Wash and change in the disabled toilet at work.
Presentable all day at work.

Exactly what I do

[donfisher]

He doesn't have a shower at work.

If you're going to bring stuff in/out every day it might be worth getting some panniers. taking the bag off your back reduces the sweaty back (etc) issue considerably.

[R500POP]

I'm likely to have a 10 mile commute from Didcot station to Grove soon, thankfully they do have showers, I'll just leave all my work clobber there & get it laundered once a week.

[Garlick]

O/T but my work shower is more powerful than the one at home. Sometimes I forget there might be a queue for it as I can stay in there for ages, good showers at Haymarket

Anyway, sorry for being smug.

[MattYorke]

There's not at my work either, I joined a gym a short walk away.
I did used to just use the disabled toilet and take a flannel to have a bit of a wash. It was adequate.

ewenm said:

Perfect, expect for their being no shower according to the OP

[okgo]

Garlick said:

O/T but my work shower is more powerful than the one at home. Sometimes I forget there might be a queue for it as I can stay in there for ages, good showers at Haymarket

Anyway, sorry for being smug.

Not enough of them though I thought?

The ones here are very powerful too, I rarely wash at home these days

[aucklander]

Starting new job that requires suits every day and am wondering how to best carry in a suit and shirt on a bike without it crumpling too much. Just a lowly graduate so im not sure that I will have a locker to put everything in. Any tips?

[ewenm]

Eagle Creek shirt carrier
Leave suit on a hanger at work

[Fastpedeller]

Did similar for years. One day forgot shoes and had to stumble around in cycling shoes or barefoot all day
Co-workers were understanding in the circumstances.....