A Reader Needs Your Assistance... | Bike Commuters

Feed

A Reader Needs Your Assistance…

Sep 10th 2009

By: Jack "Ghost Rider" Sweeney

58 comments

A A

Powered by Max Banner Ads
Meghan wrote in with the following:

My company is considering installing showers to become more bike commuter friendly.

I’m curious as to how many bike commuters actually do utilize a shower when they get to the office, how many stalls are provided at companies and if there is ever a line.

Could you help me get the answers?

Always happy to help…especially since we have such a talented and experienced pool of readers to share their thoughts.

What do you think? Although there is a shower at my workplace, I’ve never felt the need to use it. Perhaps it’s because my commute is fairly short, but I also have an archival “cold room” where we store photo negatives and old microfilm reels — on the hottest days, I can slip in there and cool off QUICK.

I would imagine some of the considerations for the company in question would be: how many potential users of such shower facilities? Separated facilities for men AND women, or one set of showers for both? And what about storage like lockers…do these need to be added into the equation?

What about other commuter-friendly facilities? Is a shower as important as secure, dry bicycle parking, a repair area or other amenities? Here’s an example of what another company is doing for their staff commuters.

Editor’s note: This just in — our friends at Bike Hacks just posted a really cool setup for commuters out in Arizona. Check it out by visiting the Bike Hacks article.

In any case, please help Meghan out by submitting your thoughts and comments below…and thanks in advance for helping a fellow commuter get some much-deserved consideration!

Popularity: 11% [?]

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Share this

Comments
- Comments (58)
- Trackbacks (0)
- rss
- Leave a comment
- bryantp
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 19:59
  
  Return to top
  
  We have showers and a gym. Unfortunately, women do not have access to our showers…very old fashioned company in that respect in Japan. Lots of folks use the showers but not so much the bike riders. Only a few of us ride far enough to necessitate them. My commute is 32 miles each way. I use the showers. Having showers and a safe place to store the bike would increase ridership in most places I’ve been in the states.
- Brian
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 20:02
  
  Return to top
  
  I commute 3 miles each way to a university. Although my commute ends in a nasty hill, I rarely feel the need for a shower, though if I’m running late for a class and hammer up the hill, I do need a few minutes with a paper towel in the washroom to get the sweat off my brow. When my commute was 9 miles each way, I did it only on non-teaching days when I could dress more causally, so showers would have helped a lot. There is plenty of safe parking on our campus so that’s not an issue for me.
- Brian
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 20:03
  
  Return to top
  
  Er–for “causally,” read “casually.”
- ha1ku
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 20:10
  
  Return to top
  
  I wish my employer would provide showers at my office. Georgia sucks during Summer. And my ride is only 3.5 miles each way.
- Pam Thorne
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 20:14
  
  Return to top
  
  I live in mid-Missouri and in the heat of the summer I typically take a shower. Most of the year I don’t and I commute 6 miles each way. I find wet-wipes and a bath towel sufficient. Great thing about academia is that I’m able to dress casually.
- Ghost Rider
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 20:17
  
  Return to top
  
  I think I’d take advantage of a shower, if one were provided, if my commute was 32 MILES EACH WAY! You’re an animal!
  
  The heat here in Florida is pretty bad, but I’ve always just given myself some extra time…roll slowly to work to avoid the worst sweating and having time to burn to cool off once I get there. Keeping some deodorant and a small towel at the office definitely helps on the nastiest days, too.
  
  I still can’t help but wonder how much an incentive a shower would be to many potential commuters…is this a real deal-maker?
- Charle
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 20:37
  
  Return to top
  
  I work at Dell, and the showers in the company gym (which normally has a nominal monthly cost) are free for bicycle commuters. It’s part of my daily routine — it’s simply not possible to ride 10 miles in a Texas summer without getting sweaty, and on the days when I was in a hurry to get to a meeting or forgot my badge and skipped the shower until I could stop at the security desk, my coworkers have indeed noticed and complained.
  
  So — for me, yes, the showers are critically important — enough that I might even pay for a membership to the nearest gym if the company didn’t provide one (but if so, that would be a factor weighing against them during salary negotiations).
- Ralph Dosser
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 21:17
  
  Return to top
  
  I’ve got a 15-mile commute, and an outfit I’ve started contracting for has a shower. Its a huge incentive for me to give up my other office and work on-site for them full-time.
- Jay
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 21:43
  
  Return to top
  
  I commute about 6.5 miles each way in Chicago. My office doesn’t have a shower, but if they did I would definitely use it. Luckily we have had a very mild summer this year (maybe only 5 days over 90 degrees), and I work in a casual workplace, so I can get by with a towel & deodorant stashed in the desk.
  
  There’s a gym in the building across the street and I’ve considered asking them about some sort of limited membership where I’d only have access to the showers & a locker, but again since this summer has been so mild I’ve been able to do without it.
- Rantwick
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 21:50
  
  Return to top
  
  I don’t have access to a shower, but even on sweaty days I’ve been getting along quite nicely with a towel and some deodorant, and I’m pretty sure I smell just fine! I do change completely after I arrive, and have an office door that I close first thing in the morning while I work and cool down, still in my bike clothes. For me, indoor bike parking would be a bigger benefit, I think.
- Kris
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 22:01
  
  Return to top
  
  My current commute is very short so I don’t feel the need to shower after riding to work. I do have showers available at work though. My previous commute was 10 miles and during the summer I would utilize the showers. I do use the showers after working out or after a lunch ride though. It is nice to have the option.
  Bike parking is all outdoors at work. Parking is covered and enclosed on three sides and well lit. Many people, including me, take full advantage of this. Indoor parking would be nice, but I’m happy with what is available.
- Corey Porter
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 22:16
  
  Return to top
  
  I ride about 10 miles each way. I was very hesitant to start riding at first because my office doesn’t have showers. Turns out that a change of shirts is enough to make me presentable to my coworkers for the rest of the day.
- Dominic
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 22:22
  
  Return to top
  
  Since when does sweat cause stink? It’s the bacteria in our pores and on our skin (or in our clothes) that causes funkiness after a bike ride.
  
  Shower in the morning before you leave. Be sure to scrub good under your arms, in your no-no place, and your feet.
  
  Sure you may be a little sweaty when you get to work, but a quick wipe-down with a damp washcloth will be generally all that is needed.
  
  I’d recommend you get your employer to give bike commuters bonuses (you can use that money to get a shower pass at a local gym if you REALLY need a shower), instead of building a shower.
- Dominic
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 22:30
  
  Return to top
  
  Ghost, in response to your question about showers being a deal-breaker for bike commuting… from a bicycle parking facility background (you know who i’m talking about), showers come in almost dead last for requested amenities when polling.
- Darrren
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 22:40
  
  Return to top
  
  We have a shower, but I’ve never used. I keep thinking I should have a shower kit at work, but never have bothered. I usually ride slowly. On hot days I start with wet hair, and pour water on my head to keep cool. But then I’m a little weird since even after profuse sweating I don’t really smell afterwards, my wife will confirm this. She thinks it is really unfair since you can’t tell I’ve ridden hard after a few minutes, but it doesn’t work that way for her.
  
  The biggest plus for biking to work is that we have space so that we came keep our bikes inside the office space. There are racks outside, but neither the new ones nor the old ones in the parking structure are very good.
- Tommy O.
  
  September 10th, 2009 at 23:37
  
  Return to top
  
  At REI in the southeast of USA (a new one, cant speak for all of them) we had a shower in the bathroom off the break room. No stalls, just the one shower, but then again its retail so we have at most five or six people coming in at once. My commute was sometimes six miles in the summer and fifteen in the winter. Summer I needed to shower because of the heat; winter I needed the shower to warm back up
  
  We could keep our bikes in the shop from teh drop down bike racks. That was more important to me than showers.
- Stuart M.
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 02:16
  
  Return to top
  
  Okay, I used to bike commute quite a bit, sometimes for 45 minutes. But I simply never had the need (or the time) to take a shower when I arrived at work. In my opinion, riding a bicycle is like having an electric fan blowing in your face and on your body all the time. I simply didn’t get that sweaty. I second the above suggestion that I would much rather have gotten some monetary incentive for not occupying a parking space. I agree with another post that said safe parking for your bicycle is much more important than shower facilities. Last, I worry that potential bike commuters and many employers will get the message that bicycling is a stinky, sweaty affair requiring special facilities. Do people in Amsterdam, Copenhagen or anywhere else in Europe have to shower after they commute by bike to work? Of course not (okay, I heard that, yes they DO TOO shower– at least once a week). Why are we Americans so wussy?
- Deb
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 02:37
  
  Return to top
  
  I bike commute, about 14 miles each way. DC area, so summers can be really hot and humid. It is hilly, so I sweat year round on the hills. If there was a shower I would likely use it, but I don’t have one, and I don’t really mind. I do have indoor bike parking, and I love that. In fact, I declined moving to a new office that would have had an on-site gym (and thus showers), but no indoor bike parking. I guess that points out my priorities right there. Would have been a shorter flatter ride too.
  
  One thing I would like is a place to hang up my sweaty bike clothes (or drenched from rain/snow bike clothes, depending) to dry. I use my filing cabinet at work, but it isn’t really ideal.
- Ghost Rider
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 03:13
  
  Return to top
  
  This is great stuff everyone!
  
  Now let’s try to focus things a bit…for those of you WITH shower facilities, were they created expressly for commuters/ gym workout folks? And how many individual stalls are there?
  
  @Dominic — you’re reinforced my feeling about this…I figured showers were very low on the hierarchy of amenities commuters desired.
  
  @Stuart M. — that’s something I mentioned to Meghan when I agreed to post her question…is this shower business a U.S. -only phenomenon?
- Petro
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 03:41
  
  Return to top
  
  I’ve done moderately long commutes (8+ miles) in both Chicago (when working in the River North area), Sillycon Valley (working for VMware) and for a short while in San Francisco (twice).
  
  I’m a fairly prodigious sweater (I’ll soak a t-shirt in 35 minutes on a gerbil wheel @ the gym for instance), and I’ve found that for me if I shower before I leave the house and wipe down when I get to work I’m fine for about 6-7 hours (I also have never worn deodorant–I almost never need it, so I never got in the habit).
  
  One previous poster noted that sweat doesn’t make you stink, bacteria does. However having your arm pits and other bits damp allows the bacteria go grow faster.
  
  When in Chicago at first I didn’t have a shower available, and just cleaned up in the sink. This didn’t work so well as I was often working 8-10 hours and after 6-7 hours… After I got hired on full time I joined a gym a couple blocks away and just did a full workout before work most days.
  
  When I worked for VMware the building I worked in had a shower and a gym. It had two or three stalls and a handful of lockers. The lockers were not for all-day use.
  
  One of the jobs I worked near SF I used a local gym (about 2 blocks away) to shower and work out, and another contract (one day a week) in the down town area I was riding just from the train to the office. That one I didn’t really get sweaty enough to matter.
  
  I REALLY like having access to a shower when I commute in. Mostly because when I do commute by bicycle I do it regardless of the weather, I’ll ride in rain or light snow (I’ll ride home in anything short of a tornado). This means I often will be not just sweaty, but dirty from road grime as well.
  
  Additionally I like it because I only have to clean up once. If there is a shower at work I don’t shower when I get up in the AM, I just put my riding stuff on and head out. Then @ work I rinse my riding gear out so it won’t stink and put my work clothes on.
- thomnola
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 05:54
  
  Return to top
  
  I live and commute in New Orleans which is hot and humid most of the year; Copenhagen it ain’t! The humidity averages about 85% year round so it’s not so much the heat that gets to you but the humidity. Just a short ride in the summer and I’m sweaty enough to warrant a shower. Plus, it helps me cool down.
  
  We have a gym with a shower at work and, without it, I probably would not bike commute. I use my ride as a morning workout rather than going to a gym so I just throw on my riding clothes and sweat freely. If I did not have the shower on the other end I guess I could ride slower and simply towel off once I got to work. Haven’t tried that but maybe I should.
  
  I’m allowed to park my bike inside but, since I am one of only two who bike commute, it hasn’t become an issue. If 6 people suddenly decided to park their bikes inside I’m sure we would be told to figure out other parking arrangements. I’ve spoken to a parking garage around the corner about installing a bike rack and charging a nominal fee for bike commuters and they looked at me like I was an alien. A lot of people ride beaters and lock them up at lightposts, etc. You see plenty of skeletons of bikes locked up to lightposts around here. For the first month or so after I started bike commuting I locked my bike up to a lightpost but I had to spend 5 minutes taking everything off the bike so that it wouldn’t get stolen and that was a pita. I like being able to simply wheel into work and put the bike in a corner.
- ajk
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 06:00
  
  Return to top
  
  I commute 6 miles and don’t have access to a shower. I try to wear mostly antimicrobial clothing, and once I get to work, I wash up with an antibacterial moistened wipe (e.g., Wet Ones) and apply deodorant. Body odor has not been a problem, and my sense of smell is pretty acute.
  
  If my employer installed a shower, would I use it? Sure.
  
  I’d really like to have some kind of storage locker for my bike so I could leave the lights and panniers on. We don’t have those, either, so I either use the bike rack or, when it might rain, wheel it up to my office.
- J. Ryan
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 06:05
  
  Return to top
  
  The company I work for has 3 buildings but only 1 of them has showers. There is 1 shower in the men’s bathroom area and 1 in the women’s bathroom area. My commute it 12 miles and is in Florida so there is no escaping the excessively humid and sweaty ride. I think I’m the only one that currently uses the showers though.
- J. Ryan
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 06:06
  
  Return to top
  
  I forgot to mention that the showers were put in when the building was built, not necessarily for commuters. Probably more for shop employees that happen to get dirty/oily.
- 100poundsago
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 06:20
  
  Return to top
  
  I am extremely fortunate as far as amenities. I am a Professional Fire Fighter so when I go to work for the day it’s for a full 24 hour shift. Basically I live at the station from 8am until 8 am the next day. The station I work at has 4 showers and a full locker room where I have my own assigned locker. On top of all of that we have 2 washers and 2 dryers so I can wash my uniforms and cycling gear for the ride home the next day. I never take my uniforms home since I can wash them at the station which also cuts down on the amount of stuff I have to travel in with. I have a nice and secure place to store my bike and even a nice place full of tools should I need to work on it.
  
  As far as numbers of showers etc….I work on a shift with 9 other guys all of which usually arrive at the same time about half of which are coming from exercising of one form or another. The 4 showers are more than sufficient with no waiting time for us.
  
  I adjust my riding schedule so that I am going much farther than usual to get to work. My commute if I just rode from my front door to station door would be about 4 miles I stretch it into 40 miles. I most likely would not do the 40 miles if I did not have access to showers, washers, dryers, and a locker room.
- scott
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 06:28
  
  Return to top
  
  I commute year round 15 miles each way in south eastern Pennsylvania. My building has a single shower stall/dressing room in each of the bathrooms on the first floor.
  
  I’ve had to occasionally wait in line to use it, but never for more than one person (ie, a few minutes). I’m not the only one who commutes, but I’m the only one who commutes on a regular basis. Most of the people using the shower are from the small gym that’s in the building.
  
  I definitely would not be able to commute without the shower. It’s absolutely essential for me. I sweat even when I’m just riding at a slow to moderate pace. And I sweat all year round, too. I could probably get by without one if my commute were 5 or 6 miles. But for anything over 10 miles, a shower is a must for me.
  
  I’m not sure what the showers were originally created for. I think they were part of the original design of the building, because they were there before they built the gym and well before there were any bike commuters.
- Emily
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 06:53
  
  Return to top
  
  What a great post to bring out a lurker! My commute is 7 miles each way, and my workplace provides mens/womens showers and locker rooms. I know we are spoiled. I use the shower every day.
  
  As far as the quantity of units to put in, our showers were installed per LEED requirements…not sure if people are familiar with the term but it’s a rating system for green/sustainable buildings. Anyway, they recommend showers for 0.5% of the building’s “full-time equivalent” occupants. Basically meaning for every 100 people in your building, you should (rounding up) have at least 1 shower. We have about 150 people in our building with 2 female and 2 male showers, and there is NEVER a line. Of course, we don’t have very many bike commuters either – 3 on a good day.
  
  I like to consider myself a serious cyclist and even still, without a shower, I would be hard-pressed to bike to work on hot days (and being in Missouri we have plenty). So for me, it’s a real deal-MAKER.
- ethan
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 06:57
  
  Return to top
  
  My company, in Upstate New York, has 30 something employees and one shower. I am the only bicycle commuter, the shower was here when I started working here. There is never a line. Truth is, it gets more use around lunch time, when a few people ride bikes or go running on their breaks.
- Ryan O.
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 07:01
  
  Return to top
  
  I live in South Florida and started commuting by bike occasionally, five miles each way, last winter. Winter in Florida is mild enough that I could ride in my work pants and shoes and just change my shirt and underwear when I got in to work.
  
  Then in the spring, my company did a renovation, adding a third unisex bathroom with a shower. As soon as the shower was done, I started commuting daily, and another coworker started riding her bike in as well. I sweat heavily, so I don’t think I’d be comfortable riding in during the summer without the shower.
  
  Like I said, we have three bathrooms, one mens, one womens, and the third for both with one shower and one toilet in it. In four months of us both commuting, today was the first day we both arrived at work close enough together that I had to wait for the shower.
  
  I don’t think the shower was added specifically to encourage bike commuting, but it was definitely added to make people comfortable exercising at work.
  
  We don’t have specific bicycle storage, but our office is a converted warehouse, so there’s plenty of space for us to park our bikes indoors in the back. I usually hang my wet riding clothing on my handlebars to dry during the day. I don’t know if I’d be comfortable doing that if our office wasn’t so big and the bike wasn’t so far away from all the employees.
- Ptld
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 07:27
  
  Return to top
  
  I work in a 39 story building and we have a locker room for just our company. It has one shower stall, a sink with plenty of counter space and a wall of cubby spaces to place personal items. It has a key pad so only our employees can get into the room. The main time it is used is lunch when everyone goes to work out. I use it in the morning when I get done with my ride (10 miles).
- wade G.
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 07:40
  
  Return to top
  
  Hooks for hanging sweaty stuff and shelves outside the shower for putting shoes etc help out. Also hanging smelly clothes in a cubicle is a problem so plenty of fans are a big help.
- jt
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 07:49
  
  Return to top
  
  I live in Phoenix and bike commute to work (7 miles) almost exclusively. My office has about 40 people in it, 4 of us that ride to work. We have two locker rooms (one per gender), each with a shower and changing area and lockers.
- missjulied
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 08:08
  
  Return to top
  
  I think they should definitely separate the men’s and women’s showers if they can. I’ve read a few complaints on the Team Estrogen forums about companies that just have one or two stalls for everyone, and it sounds awkward at best.
  
  Our building has separate locker rooms for women and men, so I’m able to wear a towel while I dry my hair and lotion sinks into my skin.
  
  If they decide to go with shared facilities, they need to have enough room in each stall so that people can get dressed completely before coming back out. They’ll need a shelf for people to rest their stuff on while they shower, the doors will have to close completely and lock, and they’ll need to be well-ventilated. It needs to be set up so women will feel safe and private while using them.
  
  Our lockers have 2 small showers and one handicapped shower per locker room. It’s a 6-floor building, but it’s only partially occupied. I’ve never had to wait for a shower. My commute is short (~5 miles), but I take a shower when I get to work because I use the commute as my exercise (meaning it’s a 5-mile sprint), so I’m pretty drenched when I get to work.
- Matt
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 10:38
  
  Return to top
  
  I only have a 4-mile commute presently (down from a 7, and before that a 17) but I almost always use the shower here. It just doesn’t make sense to me to shower before getting all sweaty and helmet-haired.
  
  We have 2 showers here, 1 mens 1 womens, in bathrooms on one side of the bldg. There’s a couple hundred people who work here, and I’m the only regular bike commuter.
  
  I could commute to a place with no shower if I had to, but it’d be a downer for me… I sweat easily, and I have to wear a tie and look “professional” at work.
- Cyclin' Missy
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 11:47
  
  Return to top
  
  My company doesn’t have showers, but if it did, I would definitely use them after bike commuting. I’d just come in earlier, shower and do my hair at work.
  
  I’d prefer a shower in the women’s room – separate from the men. But if the whole shower locked, that would be fine too.
  
  At this point, I carry everything I need to clean up after riding in a backpack. But a small locker would be a stellar place to keep some shampoo, a hair drier and a brush that I could use over and over again.
- Ghost Rider
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 12:28
  
  Return to top
  
  It looks like separated showers (or a stoutly-locking unisex setup) are the winners here. And it makes sense…I mean, it can be awkward enough to have to go through all this extra effort at work — why chance walking in on someone and opening that whole can of worms?
- Zyzzyx
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 12:59
  
  Return to top
  
  I gotta agree with Dominic (#13, #14), what’s the big damn deal? Folks in the USA are in general way too freaked out about a little bit of sweat, or even just a wee bit of odor. Its part of life, deal with it!
  
  Get clean before you ride, and then don’t ride at a crazy pace. Take another note from the Europeans and just ride, slowly. Don’t be in a hurry, far less likely to be drenched in sweat when you get there.
  
  And again, its not the sweat that stinks, its the bacteria that feeds on it. Check out the link on the right side up there for “The Best Deodorant in the World!” (www.thecrystal.com) So very, very worth it. I use it every day and can honestly say that yes, my sweat don’t stink. (also very nice for an actual hard bike ride, little to no stink there either)
  
  But for all that, yes, I do have a shower available at work. I have used it a few times when I’ve intentionally ridden hard coming to work, but usually I’m just using its area (separate little room) to change clothes, at least when I take the recumbent. On my upright, just wear normal work clothes, don’t ride hard, take it even easier the last bit, and just go to work. (Oh, 10 mile one-way commute, BTW)
- Jim
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 13:49
  
  Return to top
  
  11 mile commute 2x per week.
  
  We have showers, and I use them every time.
  
  Much more use by the gym users, though.
- zendude
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 16:20
  
  Return to top
  
  We have 2 showers at our work and they are unisex. Showers are a must in Tucson, AZ! I don’t really have any problems with lines.
- William
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 16:49
  
  Return to top
  
  I worked for an environmental nonprofit in Los Angeles that had around 50 employees. Of those, maybe 3-5 commuted by bicycle (which I think is very low but it was at the top of a hill). They rarely used the shower but from talking to them they liked having it as a safety blanket. They knew it was there just in case they did end up riding a little extra harder and showering at the end of the day made it easier to go onto other activities. Then again, they were very casual.
- Rick
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 17:15
  
  Return to top
  
  I’m a neighbor and fellow commuter of the great Ghost Rider, and I have to say that without the shower facility I have at work, I probably wouldn’t commute as much, especially in the Summer. Florida is just too darn hot most of the year. Ours are divided by gender. I am the only bike commuter I know of in the office, and usually have the facility all to myself! Ours has lockers and is attached to restrooms.
- Ev
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 18:07
  
  Return to top
  
  I work for a media company in Victoria, Canada which provides showers and lockers for employees. As far as I know I am one of only 2 or 3 people who regularly use the shower which is invaluable to me since I like to use my lunch break for jogging workouts too. Having a shower at work is definitely a plus, but I find having an indoor storage area for my bike is what has kept me biking everyday for the past 8 years.
- Dean Peddle
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 19:12
  
  Return to top
  
  My company had a fitness center with 6 individual showers in the mens locker room and probably another 6-8 in the womans. The building has 6000 employees but I think less than 10% joined the fitness center. I never saw more than 3 showers used at same time. A couple of years ago the fitness center shut down and cause of the cost to tear down and chance to pretend they were green they left the locker rooms/showers for bike commuters and runners. Since then I’ve never seen another person in the shower. So I would expect 1-2 showers would suffice for normal office commuter conditions.
- ook
  
  September 11th, 2009 at 21:32
  
  Return to top
  
  I work for a company with about 100 workers. In addition to the usual restrooms, we have two shower rooms with lockers. One shower per room, one room for women, one for men. I’m pretty sure the company had the showers built before we moved in a few years ago.
  
  The showers did help increase biking to work. We went from about 8 bike commuters to about 20 and now sometimes there’s a line for the showers. but our shower rooms also have a toilet and often the lines are caused co-workers using them for that purpose while bike commuters wait. When there’s a line, I just work while sitting on my exercise ball (keeps my chair dry), cool down and eat breakfast at my desk. And because biking is now part of our culture, it’s rare, but usually OK to hit that morning meeting in your bike garb when you couldn’t get the shower.
- Stuart M.
  
  September 12th, 2009 at 00:21
  
  Return to top
  
  I now realize I wasn’t completely honest in my post a bit earlier. I now remember that I carefullly folded my suit pants and put them in an old shirtbox and brought them to work with me. On the bicycle I wore casual pants that weren’t such a tragedy to get oil stains on or wear a hole through. Most schools where I worked had a teacher’s locker room where I could change my pants before work. The few that didn’t, I just changed in the men’s bathroom.
  
  Interestingly, many times when I would first meet someone, they would announce, “Hey, I’ve seen you before on your bicycle. It’s rare to see someone riding a bike in a suit and tie.”
- Michael Mueller
  
  September 12th, 2009 at 01:30
  
  Return to top
  
  Bicycling Victoria has a Bicycle parking hand book that details all the options for bicycle parking at work places and adds guides for shower facilities. http://www.bv.com.au/bicycle-parking/ free pdf download.
- Ghost Rider
  
  September 12th, 2009 at 02:17
  
  Return to top
  
  Michael, that’s a good resource for planners…thanks!
- Powerful Pete
  
  September 12th, 2009 at 13:02
  
  Return to top
  
  I commute to work by bike every day, with a Kona Jake the Snake and all my stuff in a set of Arkel Panniers.
  
  I take a shower every morning in our shower/changing facilities (attached to an in-house gym facility).
  
  There are about 15 male cyclists who commute regularly, and we have access to five showers. Never had to wait. Everyone comes in at slightly different times, so usually there are no more than 2 people using the facilities at any one time.
- barbara
  
  September 12th, 2009 at 17:50
  
  Return to top
  
  I commute ~17 miles each way in Dallas. No showers at the office. I have worked out a routine where I shower before leaving the house in the AM, and wipe down with baby wipes soaked in a “home brew” of water, witch hazel, and IPA. That, along with the usual hygiene items that I keep stashed in a drawer, works pretty well.
  Everyone in the office is on strict orders to tell me if I smell, and no one ever has said anything.
  A gym opened across the street in the spring, and I tried it,but found I liked my routine better so I stuck with that.
  I am the only one at my company and one of only three in my building who commute so I doubt there will be any showers or bike shops on site in my future!
- Jon Karak
  
  September 13th, 2009 at 12:59
  
  Return to top
  
  Over the past few years, I’ve commuted to three companies at four different locations for an average distance of 13-15 miles each way. Generally, I commute for three seasons per year, all of which is in the New England area.
  
  I’ve tried a variety of ways to freshen up. This includes:
  1) showering
  2) washcloth wipe-down with soap
  3) washcloth wipe-down with deodorizer spray
  
  When balancing the time, effort, and effectiveness involved with each of the three options, I found that #2 works the best while using a single-occupancy handicap bathroom. This provides me with a lockable door, a sink, and plenty of room to dress/undress. Depending on the facilities available, I generally prefer #2 over #3.
  
  Personally, I think showering takes too much time and preparation, but I support it as long as it gets more people to commute by bike.
- Ian Bone
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 01:28
  
  Return to top
  
  It’s all about preparation!
  I used to shower and shave before I left for work each morning, now I shower and shave at work. It takes the same time, you just need to be a bit better organised!
  At work I keep my suit, a wash bag with shampoo, shaving stuff etc, shoes. So a place for staff to keep this sort of stuff is a good idea also, as under the desk is not ideal! I then just need to carry a clean shirt, tie and underwear each day, and a fresh suit on a Monday. All fits nicely into a pannier. (I stay in Scotland, and my 10 mile commute makes me very sweaty, or very wet with the rain!) A shower at work is a great thing, however, one will cause a bottleneck, better to have two or three. Some lockers as mentioned, and an area to hang wet clothes to dry for the ride home. I work in office of about 300 and I would say 5% to 10% of staff cycle or run to work and use the facilities.
  
  Ian.
- rapps
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 05:32
  
  Return to top
  
  I work in a pool so it’s a done deal for me. If I didn’t I believe the storage of the bike inside would be my first concern. I’d keep showered up on regular schedule (like before I can smell my self -ha ha ha) and wear clean clothes. I will be increasing my commute from 2.5 miles one way to 8 mile one way if I get this new job (again in a pool) so it will mostly be the challenge of getting my self to do it. I think if I smelled it would be a badge of honor or a bio-hazard.
- Iron Man
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 06:24
  
  Return to top
  
  I’ve been commuting for about six years now and my understanding of what is necessary in my morning cleanup routine has changed in that time. Basically when I started I thought I needed a shower. Soon I realized I could get away with baby wipes. Soon after that I realized I didn’t need anything but time to cool down, dry off, and hit the underarms with deodorant. Believe it or not I have gone two days without a shower. In all honesty we Americans are just a bit too obsessed with body odor.
  
  For the record my commute is 7 miles each way, I sweat profusely, and I work in an office where I am required to be clean and professional. No one has ever told me about any unsavory body odors coming from me—and believe me, I work with guys who would have no trouble telling me I stink. One thing worth mentioning is that I shave my head. So to those who are not so follically challenged I have no advice for you.
- Crank Mule
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 08:53
  
  Return to top
  
  I do a 9 mile each way commute on very hilly roads. I do not need to shower every time but sometimes it’s nice, sometimes necessary. Even if all your current bike commuters don’t need it I would vote for installing. It opens the option up to more people to bike more often.
  
  I commuted for years with out being able to shower, it did not stop me but it was something I was always wishing for.
- burnhamish
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 12:16
  
  Return to top
  
  My commute is 19.5 miles one-way. I shower before I ride (sweat itself is not what makes you stinky). I leave at 5:30 in the morning, long before the heat of the summer day has begun to set in (at least here in Detroit). I will towel off what doesn’t evaporate, and reapply deoderant before getting on with the workday. Returning home is often a different story, and I have to give my children “air-hugs” hello until I can properly clean up.
  
  My company is a little daft in the bike commuting department, because our new locker room (presumably co-ed) has only a sink and toilet, but no shower. The available showers are actually in a building next door, and are not used (or cleaned?) often. Over there, the men’s locker room and showers were separated from the toilets and sinks by a poorly planned remodeling project years ago. The women’s is still intact (but no women I know of commute by bike here). Despite the obvious flaws in the facilities arrangement, my company still cites its “bike commuting-friendly” features in promoting its LEEDS certification.
- Al
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 15:17
  
  Return to top
  
  Now let’s try to focus things a bit…for those of you WITH shower facilities, were they created expressly for commuters/ gym workout folks? And how many individual stalls are there?…
  
  Yes, our showers/locker room was installed for commuters & those who exercise during the day. I work for a health research organization and every building on campus has a shower/locker facility and lots of bike racks. Lockers and towels are also provided for free and lockers are assigned. We must pay for our own lock.
  
  MY locker room usually has at least 5 women cyclists using it daily, but that number can increase during the summers. Joggers, walkers and those who attend exercise classes also use the showers throuhout the day. It can get crowded with more than 5 people in there – there’s 45 small lockers (good for stashing helmet and shower amenities), two shower stalls, one toilet, two sinks with mirrors and an additional full-length mirror. I assume the men’s side is the same.
  
  I love it. My last two jobs have had showers and it’s a huge improvement over sink-washing. I get sweaty with the hills (Seattle) and dirty with the weather so it’s essential.
- Al
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 15:19
  
  Return to top
  
  One addtion: There’s lots of hooks on the walls so it’s easy to hang my wet, sweaty stuff in the locker room and let my shoes dry there too. No issues with stealing.
- Al
  
  September 14th, 2009 at 15:21
  
  Return to top
  
  Oh yeah, about 800 total employees are at my organization.
No Trackbacks yet

Leave a Reply

Click here to cancel reply.

Name (required)

Mail (will not be published) (required)

Website

Spam protection by WP Captcha-Free

web analytics