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Commuting on a bike when there is no shower



 
 
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  #1  
Old February 26th 06, 02:43 PM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower

In the building where I work there is no shower. In my line of work
I'm generally expected to wear a suit, which isn't particularly
practical riding gear especially this time of year...

Building codes do not require office buildings to have showers and many
office buildings, at least around my parts, are built to the absolute
minimum legal spec. Not having a shower facility would be a common
problem.

So how do people handle this? Does the lack of showers mean I have no
other choice but to commute by shower? Putting on a suit without
washing isn't an option, nor is seeing clients while wearing lycra
riding gear, and I don't have THAT much faith in anti-BO sprays. So
what do I do?

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  #2  
Old February 26th 06, 02:44 PM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower


Travis wrote:

So how do people handle this? Does the lack of showers mean I have no
other choice but to commute by shower?


Ignore this first post, I only noticed this little slip when I had
already hit the send button.

Its more interesting this way though, I'll admit. :-)

  #3  
Old February 26th 06, 08:16 PM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower

In aus.bicycle on 26 Feb 2006 05:43:00 -0800
Travis wrote:

So how do people handle this? Does the lack of showers mean I have no
other choice but to commute by shower? Putting on a suit without
washing isn't an option, nor is seeing clients while wearing lycra
riding gear, and I don't have THAT much faith in anti-BO sprays. So
what do I do?


Working for a Very Big Company I asked HR and they told me which
buildings had showers.

One of them was OCS, the big brown Optus building in North Sydney,
there was a shower in the carpark!

So maybe have a trawl around any carparks under big ofice buildings?

Also, ask the local council. North Sydney council has showers at
recreation grounds. GYms have them of course, but the costs will
probably be prohibitive. But you won't know if you don't ask, so
investigate the cheapest option if there's a gym nearby.


Zebee
  #4  
Old February 26th 06, 09:16 PM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower

Go in the bathroom - the Disabled if there is one - and have a 'sponge
bath' in the basin. Slosh around as much water as you need. Use a
chamois towel to dry down.

  #5  
Old February 26th 06, 10:15 PM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower

On Sun, 26 Feb 2006 19:16:35 +0000, Zebee Johnstone wrote:

Also, ask the local council. North Sydney council has showers at
recreation grounds. GYms have them of course, but the costs will probably
be prohibitive.


Also check if your work has a gym membership arrangement. A couple of the
places I've worked have had free gym access.

--
Dave Hughes |
"Reading computer manuals without the hardware is as frustrating as
reading sex manuals without the software." - Arthur C Clarke

  #6  
Old February 27th 06, 12:03 AM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower

Travis wrote:

In the building where I work there is no shower. In my line of work
I'm generally expected to wear a suit, which isn't particularly
practical riding gear especially this time of year...

Building codes do not require office buildings to have showers and many
office buildings, at least around my parts, are built to the absolute
minimum legal spec. Not having a shower facility would be a common
problem.

So how do people handle this? Does the lack of showers mean I have no
other choice but to commute by shower? Putting on a suit without
washing isn't an option, nor is seeing clients while wearing lycra
riding gear, and I don't have THAT much faith in anti-BO sprays. So
what do I do?


Retrograded built a "urinal shower" which is not as bad as it sounds.
Basically, you hook a hose with a shower-type nozzle onto a tap in the
bathroom (presumably the building has toilets, with cleaner's taps) and
wash yourself like that.

Another _brilliant_ idea, which may have been suggested in another post,
is the bird bath... fill up a sink and splash splash splash, take a
washer with you. Or if there's not enough room, use baby wipes.

Tam
  #7  
Old February 27th 06, 12:45 AM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower


"Tamyka Bell" wrote in message
...
Travis wrote:

In the building where I work there is no shower. In my line of work
I'm generally expected to wear a suit, which isn't particularly
practical riding gear especially this time of year...

Building codes do not require office buildings to have showers and many
office buildings, at least around my parts, are built to the absolute
minimum legal spec. Not having a shower facility would be a common
problem.

So how do people handle this? Does the lack of showers mean I have no
other choice but to commute by shower? Putting on a suit without
washing isn't an option, nor is seeing clients while wearing lycra
riding gear, and I don't have THAT much faith in anti-BO sprays. So
what do I do?


Retrograded built a "urinal shower" which is not as bad as it sounds.
Basically, you hook a hose with a shower-type nozzle onto a tap in the
bathroom (presumably the building has toilets, with cleaner's taps) and
wash yourself like that.

Another _brilliant_ idea, which may have been suggested in another post,
is the bird bath... fill up a sink and splash splash splash, take a
washer with you. Or if there's not enough room, use baby wipes.

Tam


I was wondering when you might reveal my "urinal shower" secret . My
urinal shower concept only works because I can lock the toilets when taking
a shower and there is a waste water trap in the floor. In the past I have
also used the bird bath solution.


  #8  
Old February 27th 06, 01:40 AM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower

On 27/02/06 at 06:16:35 Zebee Johnstone somehow managed to type:

snip

recreation grounds. GYms have them of course, but the costs will
probably be prohibitive. But you won't know if you don't ask, so
investigate the cheapest option if there's a gym nearby.


That's a good option. I was working in a shower free building for a
while with a gym a couple of doors down the street. I just went in and
asked about showers and they came up with the idea of ten bucks a week
for a daily shower. Two bucks a day was still a lot cheaper than PT and
****loads cheaper than driving.

Just pop into a nearby gym if there is one, of course, and see if you
can work something out.


--
Humbug
BE A LOOF! (There has been a recent population explosion of lerts.)
  #9  
Old February 27th 06, 03:14 AM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower


"Travis" wrote in message
oups.com...

So how do people handle this? Does the lack of showers mean I have no
other choice but to commute by shower? Putting on a suit without
washing isn't an option, nor is seeing clients while wearing lycra
riding gear, and I don't have THAT much faith in anti-BO sprays. So
what do I do?

Shower at home. Ride to work not near maximal heartrate. Wear your lycra
gear in, have the suits at work hanging up. Have a good stash of "Rexona
Body Refreshers*" hidden in your desk drawers somewhere. Towel yourself
down with said product in toilet cubicle. Put BO-spray on. Put suit on.
Return to desk. Get the 'superman' mantle at work.

Seriously, we didn't have adequate showers whilst our new bike room was
built. (Please see Australian Cyclist Mag this coming month for the story of
my workplace facilities - I think I'm a 'published author' now). The Rexona
Body Refreshers during building works were the product de jour. These are
like baby wipes for adults, but with an OK smell. Another analogy is
cleaning yourself with a giant KFC refresher towel :-)

*I don't know if there any any similar products for sale - there weren't
when we needed them. It was Rexona or nothing.

Gemm



  #10  
Old February 27th 06, 03:21 AM posted to aus.bicycle
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Default Commuting on a bike when there is no shower

Gemma_k wrote:

"Travis" wrote in message
oups.com...

So how do people handle this? Does the lack of showers mean I have no
other choice but to commute by shower? Putting on a suit without
washing isn't an option, nor is seeing clients while wearing lycra
riding gear, and I don't have THAT much faith in anti-BO sprays. So
what do I do?

Shower at home. Ride to work not near maximal heartrate. Wear your lycra
gear in, have the suits at work hanging up. Have a good stash of "Rexona
Body Refreshers*" hidden in your desk drawers somewhere. Towel yourself
down with said product in toilet cubicle. Put BO-spray on. Put suit on.
Return to desk. Get the 'superman' mantle at work.

Seriously, we didn't have adequate showers whilst our new bike room was
built. (Please see Australian Cyclist Mag this coming month for the story of
my workplace facilities - I think I'm a 'published author' now). The Rexona
Body Refreshers during building works were the product de jour. These are
like baby wipes for adults, but with an OK smell. Another analogy is
cleaning yourself with a giant KFC refresher towel :-)

*I don't know if there any any similar products for sale - there weren't
when we needed them. It was Rexona or nothing.

Gemm


You can get unscented baby wipes which have the advantage that you can
use them on your face. Those Rexona ones are a bit toxically
overpowering.

Someone mentioned a crystal deodorant stick earlier. I'd highly
recommend these (you can also get them pre-dissolved into a pump pack)
for use before physical activity. I think they're zinc based, which is
not going to cause you cancer like the aluminium ones (they say). The
difference between them and antiperspirants is that you still perspire,
which is important for heat loss, but the salts prevent bacteria from
cultivating/producing the smelly toxins which cause BO. (Which is also
why you shower before you go.)

I'd also recommend making sure your helmet is clean so your hair doesn't
get smelly during the ride in.

Tam
 




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