Showers

So, I start a new job having checked they have all the facilities I need, buy a new commute bike, turn up suited on the first day fully planning to commute from day 2 (spesh with the tube strike looming) and I'm informed that the showers are being refurbished until "some point next year"!!!

FFS!! That's 350 on the bike and £100 pcm on tube travel instead of a bloody nice 10miler in the morning/evening!

grrr - Looks like I'll have to join a local gym just to use the shower - any ideas? Hammersmith Road it is, between Barons Court and Hammersmith.

Sod that - I was there once. Short hair, baby wipes and flannel in the basin in the gents. Folk get used to it, problem solved.

Ask 'em to contribute to the gym costs until they sort the showers out.

Why will it take so long to refurbish the showers, according to them?

Well it's winter, so you don't really need showers until spring.

Who are these magical people who can ride 10 miles, carrying a bag, without sweating?

Just don't wear too many layers, the high was 12 degrees today and the low 9. As long as you don't try to be Lance Armstrong and you don't overdress you'll be fine.

Give it a shot anyway, you might be surprised. Especially in Winter.

My commute's around 11 miles and I find just some anti-persipirant, a fresh t-shirt, a flanel, a pair of socks and some after-shave do the job. Although a casual dress code at work helps a lot.

If only! I go for the sweat-loads-but-still-can't-feel-my-toes-for-the-cold approach. Not out of choice, mind.

But again, my office have showers. It's great.

I can recommend a good plumber if that will speed things up?

Otherwise it's either babywipes... or a very very slow cycle to work.

Yeah, I'm, err, a very efficient human being meaning I'm a bead machine :)

I might go for the birdbath look, foot in sink stylee!

(And I might ask about a contribution as I did make a special point of raising this in 2nd interview)

Yeah, I'm, err, a very efficient human being meaning I'm a bead machine :)

loving the analogy - yeah I sweat like a pig too :-))

I don't have the self control to ride slowly to work.

Who are these magical people who can ride 10 miles, carrying a bag, without sweating?

Me (well, with a saddlebag rather).

I just take it a bit easier, riding the 'dutch' bike mean I don't cane it as often as I does on the road bike, it's very easy to let yourself go with other commuter to treat their commute as a time trial and end up being a human waterfall by the time you reach work.

I also notice the time difference, on the dutch bike, it take me 10 minutes more to get to work compare to riding the roadie.

Well it's winter, so you don't really need showers until spring.

Fox speak the truth.

Like other has said, try not to put on too many layer, even if it's a very chilly morning, you'll be a bit cold for the first few miles, but after that you'll end up being warm enough to not need a lots of layer, personally I have a baselayer and windbreaker which is plentiful once you warmed up.

have a turkish shower when you get to work. (it involves emptying almost a whole can of cheap deodorant on ones person)

Ed's right on this one.

I take it steady, tootle in to work.
Saddle bag rather than carrying anything on my back, breathable layers, and most importantly, a hot shower before I set off. The small amount of sweating that does occur is 'clean' sweat.

I've commuted by bike for twelve years and there's never been any showers here.

swats away flies buzzing around arse

Lucy, you are in the grim norf where no one has showers and where everyone's stench cancels everything else out.

We has showers.

They come off the hills and wash off the pig shit, sometimes thrice a month.

Anyroad, we can't smell our sens.

That's cause o't big pile of burning Southern jessies we keep lit at all hours.

Now stop bawling and get in t'whicker man, you namby pamby bastard!!!

Where I am working right now they had a legionella infection. Hence the shower is shut for a month or two.

German efficient approach to deal with this:

All it needs is a small towel and a little flask of soap or so.
Wet about a third of the towel to wash with, dry off with the rest.
Make sure you do the private parts last.
No baby wipes needed.

We has showers.

They come off the hills and wash off the pig shit, sometimes thrice a month.

Anyroad, we can't smell our sens.

That's cause o't big pile of burning Southern jessies we keep lit at all hours.

Now stop bawling and get in t'whicker man, you namby pamby bastard!!!

I tried to convert this into english using Bablefish but it does not seem to have a northern option.

Oh and go for Baby wipes.. festival chic

The disabled loos often allow one the space and privacy to wash in comfort.
Aim to take an hour over the 10 miles. That should allow you to get there without too much of a sweat.

Baby wipes aren't re-usable ... wash cloth / towel is.

We have showers at work, but for some reason I find the idea of showering at work deeply odd – I either ride steadily, or if not, just tough out the sweats

+1, I only use them during the summer. I always feel guilty when I'm in ours as we only have one, I feel like I'm blocking someone else from using it. There are possibly deep seated issues about my self esteem/lack of sense of entitlement there (calls shrink).