Dear Miss Panniers,
How on earth do you manage to bike to work without ruining your attire or appearance? I’m not sure how sweet I’d look after a long, hilly rainy commute on any bike seat.
Daisy Bell, Kirkland
Gentle Seater,
Some commuters prefer to arrange their dress and tresses at home, simply pedaling along in their work attire. While Miss Panniers is pleased to see more suits and skirts on her daily commute, she recognizes that this may not work for everyone.
For carrying your clothes, Miss Panniers recommends wrinkle-resistant materials. For example, knits pack well, but linen does not. Also, roll – rather than fold- the clothes to further minimize wrinkling. Finally, pack the clothes on the top of your bag, so they do not get crushed by heavy items such as a laptop or those overdue library books.
Some bicycle commuters prefer not to transport clothes back and forth at all. Some stage their clothes for the week by bringing them on a driving or busing day. Others maintain an exclusive at-work wardrobe that goes from office to cleaners and back. For example, suits, scrubs and sensible work shoes see little action on the weekend. Ride home unburdened of such things.
Of course, maintaining a workplace wardrobe requires a place to store one’s things. While savvy worksites provide on-site lockers and showers for bicycle commuters, you may need to venture to a nearby healthclub for good facilities. Many locker rooms are equipped with towels, hair dryers and basic toiletries, further lightening your load. If you need or prefer to provide your own towel, Miss Panniers finds that a medium sized camp towel does the job, dries quickly, and transports easily for occasional laundering.
While Miss Panniers herself does not have a locker at her worksite, she does have taste and creativity. Her wardrobe hangs wrinkle-free in a garment bag, while a simple file box contains her favorite work shoes. A well-appointed kit of your favorite grooming essentials in travel-sized bottles will ensure positive outcomes for hair and makeup.
Miss Panniers wonders how her readers manage to look (and smell) sweet for a day in the office. Please share your suggestions, gentle readers.
Here is how I manage bicycle commuting hygene: First, I start out freshly showered either the night before, or in the morning, with a fresh application of my favorite antiperspirant. Second, since we are blessed with cool mornings I wear the minimal amount of clothes when I head off to work so that I feel a bit chilled in the breeze. I make sure that I wear a couple of thin layers, rather than one thick one. If I begin to feel too warm, I stop and remove a layer. I also refrain from pedaling too hard so that I do not break a sweat. But even if I do, my ride is only 1/2 hr, and I only get a little sweaty during the last 15 minutes. Us northwesterners are spoiled, but even without cycling to work, most people in the world get sweaty just walking across the parking lot on a typical hot humid morning anywhere else. When I ride home at night, that is when I let it all out and get my workout, because my home shower awaits…
I prefer to stage things such as shoes, toiletires, towel and anything else I use to groom. I do carry my daily clothes neatly folded or rolled in my pannier and I am fortunate enough to have a fitness center close by to change and shower after my hour plus ride in. Like anything else, its learning by doing that will lead to the best solution for you.
I just haul it all, every time. I find it hard to get to my desk for supplies in my sweaty biker gear without being pulled into a meeting. I’ve found it’s better for me to have everything with me when I roll into the downstairs shower room so I can make a perfectly clean appearance upstairs.
It made a big difference for me when I upgraded to the nice tall Ortlieb Backroller panniers. They hold shoes of any size and are easy to over-stuff if I’ve got extra work to take home.
I haul my clothing, leave my shoes at work along with some hygiene products. I don’t have good access to a shower or sink (I change in my office since bathroom space is quite limited) so I use biodegradable baby-wipes to wipe myself down after my long morning ride, then I apply fresh deodorant and am pretty good to go!
I just ride like a mad-dog and go straight to work. You’d be amazed at how much more productive I am. Apart from the obvious adrenaline rush, there are other benefits. No more lost time at the water cooler–when I arrive everybody else leaves. Nobody comes by my desk to chat anymore, and I no longer have to attend intra-office meetings. I’ve even been given my own office (with a spring-hinged, self-closing door), complete with aromatic candles and a private exit to the street.
When you’re cycling through the air, the sweat dries off before your clothes even get wet. I only get wet when I stop, and that lasts for only a few minutes before I cool off. A little sweat from a morning workout never causes stink as long as I’m clean. If necessary I can wash up a little with water from the men’s room sink. I bring a clean undershirt every day and keep a stash of clothes and shoes at the office. I can rotate the stash one piece at a time without driving. I’ve been doing this for six years now and never had a shower at work.
I have two offices, one in Bellevue and one I Seattle. In Bellevue I can leave towel belt, shoes and towel. Seattle I have to drag belt an shoes as we have “hoteling” office space, but I stash a towel and a sport coat. I have laundry pick up in both places so clean pressed shirts are the order so I look sharp for clients. A quick check of my achedule at night and shoes/ belt or no, I pack slacks, sock t-shirts and underwear and I’m done. I carry a small refillable shampoo and deodorant and a brush. I’m presentable in 15 min and my pannier is about 20 lbs. Whoops forgot the office , with lunch and snacks, pannier– a mobile office that goes on the bike or the overhead bin of a flight. Ouch– about 25 lbs. Thanks to ABR for the larger spokes for all that weight!
French bath, of course. (I kid, I kid…)
Fortunately, for me, my commute is 5 mi one-way… I start out showered, I use separate biking clothes and pack my work clothes in my back-pack along with my lunch. I usually have spare shoes at work or I pack those as well. I take a leisurely ride into work (approx 30 min) as to not sweat too much and back home, since I’m working out @ gym on my lunch hour 3 day/wk. I travel light, keeping a separate workout bag at work all the time with travel size toiletries to freshen up with, all I need is to wash my face before starting my workday since I get a shower @ lunch on the days I go to the gym. It takes some planning but it gets easier every day…
Gin
I can’t do the morning commute via bike. It’s just too far with a significant hill that even the coolest of minds could not help but break and shatter a sweat. And my day usually starts pretty early. I also don’t enjoy riding in the dark as there are too many hazards involved (debris, critters, etc.). So I make the short pedal from home to the bus stop and bring my bike to work on the bus. I’m already showered, dressed and ready for the day. At the end of the day, I change into my bike duds, roll my “day clothes” into my panniers and am free to pedal to my heart’s content knowing that I’ve got the hot shower upon my arrival at home.
I also highly recommend the Ortlieb waterproof panniers. Especially this year when we’ve had so many wet days. My gear, computer, etc. all stays nice an dry despite me arriving home a bit on the drippy side.
In the summer I’m forced in most cases to fold my clothes and commute in bike wear. To avoid wrinkles I pack some chinos and I have several non-iron cotton shirts. Out of summer I just wear my clothes and I take it easy so as not to break a sweat, especially under rain gear. For the rain, there is bullet-proof rain gear out there. It’s not cheap, but I always think of my rain gear purchases in terms of the number of gas tank fill-ups it is equivalent to, and that is never more than a few, and that makes me feel great about the investment. I’ve found that Gore makes the best stuff, especially the “City” booties. You’ll notice that Gore stuff is pricey, but it keeps you dry and it lasts longer, for a cheaper total cost of ownership. I wore my City booties almost every day this La Nina winter and they still look like new.
About once every 2-3 weeks I bring in 8 shirts to leave neatly folded in an office cupboard; the pack stays in the office, slowly filling up with used shirts. Shoes and slacks stay in the office all the time–there’s a dry cleaner just two blocks away. When the shirts run out, they go home in the same pack, so I have a bulky pack just once every few weeks. I arrive early before other staffers, but it’s hard to sneak out early in my bike gear ; )
@Mike: hilarious!! ROFL!
I have found that sweat stink is really only in the fabric of your clothes or trapped between your skin and the clothes if the layers don’t breathe. (Except in really hot weather or if you do ride like racer rather than a commuter.)
My solution is wool. It sounds crazy and hot and uncomfortable, but in reality just the opposite. I have a SmartWool t-shirt (one short and one long-sleeve) and wear that with other breathable layers over it while pedaling. It really wicks away the sweat like magic and, on a 6 mile commute with a mild hill, I can get away with no shower at work. Also, you can really can get away with washing it just at the end of the week, not every night.
At least I haven’t had any complaints yet. But then, I’m a high school teacher, so I’m not sure that my teenage students would care that much
I am lucky enough to work for the Y – and sweaty enough that I CANNOT bike in my work clothes – so I have a backpack, showers, and a locker to keep my sweatiness a secret. Can’t go wrong!
I have about an 8.5 mile one way. I have a big decline followed by a steep incline either way – so sweating is always included – which gives me the pleasure of knowing I burned some calories. I have 2 different work sites – at each, I have a locker with toiletries, travel hairdryer, towel, etc. I always pack whatever I’m going to wear that day -alternating between professional business & business casual – depending on the meetings. I truly HATE deciding what to wear. I long for the day that I can ride to “a place” where I can shower – walk out and have someone hand me an outfit that is perfectly stylish – (like a clothes rental- complete with handbag and accessories of course!) that I can return in the afternoon before I bike home. Anyone want to start that business – and make my life complete?
While this idea may be sacrilege to some, this solution works for me. Due to the lack (or hope) of a zero elevation gain route between Madison Park and UW, I am forced to climb two large and one small hill en route to my employer in my 5.3 mile commute. Historically, this has made me sweaty and smelly, which simply doesn’t fly in a business environment. My only alternative has been what others have already articulately answered and I need not repeat.
My solution, while radical, works rather nicely for me. I realize that others may be offended, and for that I apologize in advance. I have divorced the notion of bicycling from that of exercise for commute purposes only. I recently picked up a busted electric assist bicycle, fixed it by replacing the battery, and now simply buzz up the hills in my commute route with some assistance from my feet and get to work without being sweaty or smelly. My #1 barrier to bike commuting is now successfully vanquished.
Today I wore a button down dress shirt, Clarks lace up shoes, and the usual cycling rain shell. Sure, I had a bit of helmet head in my hair when I arrived, but otherwise was quite presentable. Even now, after not only riding home, but also to the Arboretum hearing, I’m still dressed presentably, am not stinky, and kinda like this. My 5.3 mile (each way) commute now only takes an average of 20 minutes and costs about 1 cent (0.1 kwh @10cents/kwh) each direction. I simply charge my battery at work for the ride home.
As I said, not for everyone. However, it’s working for me.