Author Topic: How to bike to work?  (Read 7338 times)

Timmmy

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How to bike to work?
« on: August 05, 2014, 02:45:43 PM »
I'm an admitted clown car driver.  I live stupidly close to work to not ride a bike but I don't.  My reason excuse is my morning routine. 

Some facts:
- I go to the gym 5 days a week before work
- I have to be dressed nice for work (read - dress shirt)
- Gym is 6 miles away
- Work is 5 miles away and 1 mile from gym
- One day a week I work in an office 18 miles away

So my normal routine is:
Wake up @ 5:00
Leave house @ 5:20
Workout
Shower and dress at gym
Leave gym sometime between 7:15 and 7:45
Start work at 8:00

I don't have a problem getting up earlier to ride to the gym or riding home after work.  My issue is, how do I get dress clothes from home to the gym so that they are still presentable?  As of now they are on hangers when I take them in to the gym. 

Any suggestions as to how to make this work?

Eric

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #1 on: August 05, 2014, 02:50:32 PM »
I'm also dressed nice for work.  I just fold my button down dress shirt and slacks and put them (on top) in my backpack.  It doesn't seem to be an issue as far as wrinkles go.

Edit -- I also keep my dress shoes at work instead of carrying them everyday, so I wear my tennis shoes to and from work
« Last Edit: August 05, 2014, 02:54:19 PM by Eric »

marblejane

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #2 on: August 05, 2014, 02:57:43 PM »
Yeah, just fold your items carefully. I also keep my dress shoes at work and have folding flats to wear to/from the gym to the office.

In my gym locker room, there is a clothes rack with hangers. I hang up my items before I shower to allow any wrinkles some time to fall out.

I've never used it, but my gym locker room also has a full sized ironing board and iron, so I guess I could technically iron my clothes in the gym before work.

mjs111

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #3 on: August 05, 2014, 03:21:31 PM »
You can drive some nice clothes in to work and keep them there.  I bike 4 times a week and take the car one time a week to use the car for grocery shopping and other errands.  You could do something like that.

Mike


frugalnacho

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #4 on: August 05, 2014, 03:26:13 PM »
You could fold them and put them in a back pack as suggested.  Or drive one day a week and drop everything off.  Then it is waiting for you when you bike to work the other days.

MidwestGal

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #5 on: August 05, 2014, 03:32:06 PM »
Agreed with the backpack idea.  If you aren't wearing sharply pressed office attire, rolling clothes may save you some space.  If done carefully it works wonders.  I've successfully rolled starched pants and thin blouses, but haven't quite got creased shirts down yet (not entirely sure it's possible).  No point in taking the trouble to roll it though if driving the car once a week idea is more your thing.

ThirdTimer

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #6 on: August 05, 2014, 03:36:50 PM »
Yeah, it sounds like leaving nice clothes at work and changing into them when you get there would be a good option for you. If your normal office is on the way to/from the 18-mile office, you could drop them off that day since you'd be driving anyway.

Also, maybe this is just my profoundly lazy way of thinking, but if you start biking 40 miles a week, couldn't you cut back on the number of days a week you go to the gym?

Roses

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #7 on: August 05, 2014, 03:44:05 PM »
These are great ideas but are you totally sure there isn't a place to shower/change at your work?  Sounds funny but I once worked in a very small office for a year before I realized that a door I thought led to a closet was actually a shower that nobody used!  If not, the suggestions to drive clothes into work sound good.  But if you do end up folding clothes into a backpack and keep dressing at the gym here's what you could do:  If your clothes look wrinkled once you're dressed, step into the steam room for like 10 seconds.  It won't make you sweaty, just a little humid but that evaporates quickly and your wrinkles will go away :)

marblejane

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #8 on: August 05, 2014, 04:55:44 PM »
Also, maybe this is just my profoundly lazy way of thinking, but if you start biking 40 miles a week, couldn't you cut back on the number of days a week you go to the gym?

Just to clarify- I use my gym exclusively for showering after my morning bike ride. I assumed that is what the OP is contemplating, too. However, cycling won't replace a weights workout or flexibility (stretching/yoga) workout regime.

ThirdTimer

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #9 on: August 05, 2014, 05:04:40 PM »
Also, maybe this is just my profoundly lazy way of thinking, but if you start biking 40 miles a week, couldn't you cut back on the number of days a week you go to the gym?

Just to clarify- I use my gym exclusively for showering after my morning bike ride. I assumed that is what the OP is contemplating, too. However, cycling won't replace a weights workout or flexibility (stretching/yoga) workout regime.


Ah, that makes a lot of  sense. And, yes, totally agreed on the strength/flexibility components, but I figured some part of his current workout routine is probably cardio, which the bike commute could be a substitute for. I myself have mostly banished the treadmill and elliptical from my life since I started bike commuting, which I view as an extremely favorable life change. :)

Timmmy

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #10 on: August 06, 2014, 07:07:16 AM »
I'll have to try the backpack idea.  I thought for sure they would come out looking horrible.

There's no place to shower at my office.  There's also no good place to store clothes at the office. 

Biking 6 miles is no substitute for my morning workout.  I'll still be going to the gym and working out before going to work.  I get about 10-12 workouts in per week so the extra bike miles won't have much impact. 

I realized something yesterday when thinking about this.  I can leave clothes at the gym.  It's a crossfit gym and I'm good friends with the owner.  I'll just stock up on clothes when I drive there.  Then I just have to bike the one mile to work in nice clothes.  I don't know why this didn't occur to me sooner. 

enigmaT120

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #11 on: August 06, 2014, 11:06:19 AM »
Is that mile from the gym to work hilly?  If not, that might work.  Good idea. 


Timmmy

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #12 on: August 06, 2014, 11:20:07 AM »
Is that mile from the gym to work hilly?  If not, that might work.  Good idea.

It's perfectly flat.  The whole ride is flat really. 

SF Semi-Mustache

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #13 on: August 06, 2014, 01:30:43 PM »
It's not worth replacing your whole wardrobe to do this, but I only buy non-iron shirts and slacks.  Initially, it was because I hate ironing.  But now, it makes my bike commuting easy as well.  I don't keep clothes at work, only in a backpack which also holds my work laptop. 

I also bike to a CrossFit box and shower there before heading into work, FWIW.  Though 10-12 workouts -- you're far more committed than I am. 

LibrarIan

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #14 on: August 06, 2014, 01:49:02 PM »
Are you unable to shower at the gym? Bike the 6 miles to the gym, workout, shower, put on nice clothes, bike a mile to the office. Or bike to the office, then go into the bathroom and change.

Beric01

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #15 on: August 06, 2014, 02:03:59 PM »
Panniers are much better for keeping dress clothes flat - they're what I use. You might want to look into them. I hear there's some inserts for them that help even more.

drg

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #16 on: August 06, 2014, 04:15:11 PM »
Ditto panniers: bigger and more comfortable than a backpack.

Put your work clothes on at the gym, and cycle the 1 mi to work.  If you're worried about sweating, you don't have to ride it like it's the Tour de France.  I've done more than that distance in a cocktail dress---on multiple occasions.
« Last Edit: August 06, 2014, 04:19:19 PM by drg »

Timmmy

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Re: How to bike to work?
« Reply #17 on: August 07, 2014, 06:20:59 AM »
It's not worth replacing your whole wardrobe to do this, but I only buy non-iron shirts and slacks.  Initially, it was because I hate ironing.  But now, it makes my bike commuting easy as well.  I don't keep clothes at work, only in a backpack which also holds my work laptop. 

I also bike to a CrossFit box and shower there before heading into work, FWIW.  Though 10-12 workouts -- you're far more committed than I am.

My wardrobe is slowly converting.  It'll take some time at the rate I need to replace clothes. 

Only 5 or 6 of those are crossfit workouts.  The rest are training for a marathon or hockey. 

I'll check out panniers too.  Thanks for all the tips!

 

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