Bicycle commuters, share your wisdom!

Ariadne

I'm probably going to be commuting to work by bike starting in July. I'm looking for tips on how to make this as easy and style-friendly as possible. Right now I think I'll have to change and do hair and makeup at work, which sounds like a huge PITA. I can't think of a way around it, though. I sweat a lot, and I must wear a helmet, so makeup, clothes and hair would be ruined during the commute if I did them at home.

Anyone BTDT and have tips to share?

10 years ago

General

12 replies

Latest reply was from Greyscale

Kathleen

Active Member

How far are you going to be commuting each way? And are you going to commute by bike everyday? I used to bike commute to a previous job on days when I was at my regular office for the full day. If I had a day where I had to drive I would bring several days worth of clothes and hang them in a back closet at work. If I had to pack clothes on my bike, I would pack them in a plastic bag and put the bag in my grocery bag pannier rather than stuff them in the little bag on the back of my bike. My old office had a small gym with a shower area, so I would get ready there. I just kept a 2nd set of my makeup essentials and hair styling products at work so I wasn't carting everything back and forth.

10 years ago

Glory

Veteran

It has been some time but I used to bike to work every day. I had to change and get ready there as well. In my case there was a shower available but I stopped using it because it was in the very deep basement (sub 4) and it scares the bejeeses out of me.
I ended up rolling my clothes and putting them in my paniers. I had my shoe farm in the office. I used moist towlettes to freshen up (I like the ones from Costco). I know they are not very green but it worked well and I wanted to transport as little as possible.

10 years ago

Ariadne

Veteran

It'll be a short commute: 15-30 minutes each way depending on if I have to drop my kids off at childcare or not. I'll be doing it two or three days per week. No shower or storage space at my office.

10 years ago

MTBGirl

Veteran

I've commuted. It is about 45 minutes to an hour. I wore my standard biking gear and stuffed my outfit and my lunch into my backpack. Ugh! Very heavy! If you plan ahead, can you put some clothing in a drawer or something? I keep a small fan and a spray bottle of water at my desk and mist in front of it. It can make a big difference since you can't take a rinse once you're at work!

10 years ago

Isis

Veteran

I bike commute every day, about 3 miles each way. Takes me 20 minutes door to door. I wear my regular clothes and bike slowly so I don't sweat that much and it's never that hot at 7 or 8 or 9 AM when I am biking to work. Even on 100 degree days, it's doable (I might towel off in the bathroom on a super hot day). Biking home at 5 or 6 I sometimes get really sweaty, but then I change and shower once I get home. I put shorts underneath if I'm wearing a skirt or dress. I carry everything in panniers on the bike; much better than a backpack. (I carry alot: gym clothes, a lunch, a laptop, some books). I find it very relaxing and like it much more than driving.

Definitely get a back rack and some panniers. I like these:
http://www.amazon.com/Jandd-Gr.....B003UWIIIQ
Then you can just throw your usual bags in there. If I go to the gym on the way to work, I wear my gym clothes and then roll my regular clothes into a gym bag and throw that in the pannier. I also have clips on the pedals so I don't need special bike shoes.

Will your kids be on separate bikes or will they be in a trailer? when my kids were little, I'd drop them off on a trailer and then lock up the trailer at school, picking it up when I biked them home.

It probably helps that I usually dress smart casual, I don't wear makeup and I have no fuss hair that I just run a comb through....

10 years ago

Ariadne

Veteran

Thanks, Isis! I may try wearing my regular clothes and see how it goes. I'm not sure yet about the particulars of kid drop-off and pick-up. I do have a trailer that I may use. It depends on timing.

10 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Like Isis, I wear my regular clothes, for my commute, 2 miles one way. I work in retail, so I can dress casually. My bike is a hybrid cruiser style; fenders, a rack, 24 gears for good, slow hill climbing; and no toe clips. I only bike on fair days and avoid the rainy ones, and I don't plan to ride when it becomes uncomfortably cold. (Fortunately I have a car I can take on bad weather days.)
I actually find helmet head to be a non-problem, despite my initial worries. Also like Isis, I don't ride hard enough to work up a sweat on the way to work in the morning, though I do get my heart-rate up on the uphill parts, so I feel I'm getting some good exercise. I also use a pannier to carry my lunch, purse, and u-lock for the bike.

This is the pannier I have, and I love the design. (But mine is a combination of bright aqua blue, dark blue, and lime.) It can be carried as an over-the-shoulder tote or a backpack, and it clips on and off the bike rack super easily.

10 years ago

shiny

Veteran

Not a bike commuter but my husband is. As others have said, he just bikes slowly so he doesn't sweat that much. It is weird because I'm always joking with him that he doesn't smell, even when he does sweat. Maybe eco-friendly bike commuters naturally smell like flowers or something. I don't know what it is. He is glistening & glowing when he arrives home -- but doesn't smell like gym sweat. So wait and see... same may happen for you. You may find you need less make up because you'll be glowing and naturally flushed from the exercise too.

Most days he wears his street clothes. He has a casual office. I did get him some Levi's commuter jeans, which have a higher back rise (no butt crack showing while biking), and have reflective tape on the inside seam that show when you cuff them. He really likes these jeans. He likes Levi's in general but the commuter jeans have a few extra nifty features for bicycling:
http://us.levi.com/shop/index......d=12837229

I also have purchased him a few bike commuting jackets over the years (would have to recall which brands, blanking right now) which he likes a lot too.

I would say that you definitely want those hazard tape things for around your ankles, to cuff in any pants so they don't get caught in your gears. Grease stains are the number 1 reason we have to toss out his clothes. Skirts of course avoid this.

He bike commutes in ALL weather -- and does have an array of "gear" for bad weather. If it's pouring down rain or snowing, he'll wear gear and bring a change of clothes in his messenger bag. There is a shower at work, though he doesn't use it every day -- only if he gets muddy, or sleeps in too late to take one before work.

10 years ago

Firecracker (Sharan)

Veteran

Shiny's comment reminds me that I have lusted after this Levis commuting jacket, too. So far, I haven't succumbed. My regular jean jackets, leather moto, and other outerwear have worked fine. But isn't it cute? I love the removable rain capelet.

10 years ago

Aziraphale

Veteran

My husband does. He's a die-hard fan of cycling to work (and he's an insufferable moralist about it...I keep having to remind him that it's hard to pick up the kids from school and get groceries on a bicycle).

Anyway, his bike commute is about an hour long, and he showers at work. There's no way around it. He's a sweaty mess by the time he gets there. Can you do that? How hard is your bike ride? It's one thing if it's a gentle flat ride, but it's something else if you've got to get up hills.

10 years ago

Kathleen

Active Member

When I had a shorter commute, I too would just wear my regular clothes and then freshen up at work, unless the weather was really bad. I live in Minnesota though. I would think for a 15-30 minute commute, you wouldn't have to shower at work.

If you have REI near you, I would maybe check out what they have for camping gear. They might have some wipes or similar type products to freshen up.

10 years ago

Greyscale

Veteran

I don't bike often, but when I do, I have a one-mile bike to the subway and then a mile on the other side. It's fine on this side of the bay where it's cool and foggy in the morning, but even the few minutes on the other side leaves me a bit sweaty. On days I bike, I just try to wear very practical clothes and shoes, and sometimes I change my tshirt. I don't wear makeup, but hair is an issue - my curls are rather fragile so if I wear my helmet I just resign myself to wearing my hair up or in a ponytail for the day.

To avoid sweat I never wear a jacket on my way to work, even if it's chilly. I often wear sleeveless blouses then wash my armpits at work. (I don't use antiperspirant, but Tom's of Maine deodorant is amazingly effective for me.)

I have a bike-friendly backpack that's big enough to hold a jacket, a change of tee, etc. Evening is always cold at all times of year, so I have to remember to bring warm clothes for the return trip. I'd get panniers but I don't bike often enough to want to spend money on it.

I used to bike ~3 miles to the Caltrain station, then another mile to the Stanford campus, where it's much hotter and sunnier. That also wasn't a real problem for sweat. But in either case, because I hate feeling hot, I sometimes walk into the cold room (4C / 40F) immediately upon arriving at lab!

10 years ago

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