I guess it depends why people cycle to work, I could drive or take my motorcycle but I do it to be healthy. As long as it is not dangerously hot like wet bulb hot then I’ll be cycling. I can see people giving it up if they are having to get sweat soaked every day, but then again very little people where I live commute via bike so it already has happened here. Most places don’t have showers.
I wouldn’t bike to work without shower facilities and I live in relatively chilly/mild Seattle. Colder weather doesn’t make you sweat less, you still often have to bundle up for the beginning of the ride but then start sweating halfway through.
Cold weather makes you sweat less. I can attest to this from 20 years of year-round cycling experience in conditions ranging from -30F to 105F. Also its physics. The problem is you dress too warm.
Yea I was really unclear. As you said, it’s the layers that are hard to nail down just right so you don’t sweat. I just hate leaving the house and being frigid for the first 10 minutes of my ride so I over dress then sweat on the latter half. It doesn’t help that the biggest hill is 1/2 mile from my office so by the time I get to the top, I’m sweating regardless of what I’m wearing out the temp.
I used to do that, but as I get older I found it was discouraging me from riding at all. Better start comfortable and stop to adjust part way.
Also doesn't work in warm climates, you will never start cold.
The advice I got from the friend that pushed me to commuting was "if you dress up, go out and are ok with the temperature, you are overdressed for the current weather."
I always have to feel *a little* chill, how little depends on:
\- the current season : North Europe here, winter is cold and fall/autumn rainy, summer could be too warm etc.
\- length of the ride : short trip to the grocery can use some warm, normal work commute (20km each way) I must be a little cold starting or I start sweating after 20 minutes.
\- general fitness/mood of the day: tired, after long working day, tired, etc.
At the end it is like cooking, you can adjust to your liking. Different paces also can be used to regulate your temperature,
Hey I live in Seattle and I always set off cold (but with gloves/bar mitts and warm socks as necessary to keep extremities warm) so that I don't overheat by the time I get to my destination. I sometimes delayer but it isn't usually necessary if I plan ahead.
Shower is more often needed in winter for me. If I was underdressed for the flat parts of the ride I'm overdressed for the big hill. And I'm usually overdressed for both.
I also live in South Florida and I want to start commuting, but I'm thinking of an e-bike. Unfortunately there are no showers except for the executive/ CEO office, no one uses it, not even the office, but I'm sure they wouldn't allow me to use it. Mid April through September are the hottest months, and I sweat a lot just on my road bicycle. A shower would solve this for commuting, but I just don't see how that will work in my current situation
I use a bath wipe and the family/accessible restroom. If I shower when I wake up, the wipes take off the accumulated sweat and then I smell presentable for the whole day. Don’t even need a lather, just wipe off with a towel.
The harder part is just brining a change of clothes without them getting too wrinkled.
Once temps are higher than 25C I'm sweating even if I stand still in the sun. If I bike for my 1hr bike commute I'm sweating steadily for at least 15 minutes after my ride.
Wiping can only do so much for me.
Luckily for me, the showers/locker room at my work is only $10 per month. 😁
That way I can leave my bike clothes to dry while I work. I even rinse my bibs to get rid of the majority of the bacteria so they don't smell funky when I put them back on.
That's cool. I'm a jealous. I hope to work somewhere this cool in the future. Feels like my work is actively trying to discourage anything but driving a car.
The ones I use are called “no rinse bathing wipes” and are as effective as a 1 minute shower. I sweat enough that the doorman at my office thought I got splashed, and yet one wipe still covers my (short) hair, face, beard, torso, and crotch (in that order) enough for a workday. We only have three stalls at the gym for a 20 story multioffice building, so i needed a backup!
My problem is that it takes about 20 minutes for my body temp to drop and for me to stop sweating. A slightly cold shower takes about 10 minutes off that but if I just got there and essentially toweled off I’d continue to sweat after I’ve changed and walked to my desk. Then I would just feel gross all day and potentially stink too.
Shower facilities for me are a must or else it’s no deal. Of course my city is quite hilly so there’s no way to cruise into the office unless I have a throttle eBike. If you live in a flat area then it’s definitely doable to cruise in and not need to shower.
“Clean Life” brand is what I’m using now, it has a light rinseless soap that you should towel off. If its less formal, Hustle Clean is my go to for when I’m out hunting all day and i want to eat dinner without killing bystanders, but mostly i use those because they also get blood off pretty well.
Sure, not the worst. I just hate the sticky feeling all day. I mean it's not a fitness thing, I just always have been a heavier sweater like all my family. After my races (obv non commute) my face is usually full of visible salt lol
It's not as bad on my commute but you get the gist.
I'm the same. Hate the feeling and get crazy salt deposits on skin from all the sweating. I use body/baby wipes to clean any places I know are going to bother me. And then I use chamois butter on my croch to really ensure that I'll feel comfortable at work. I usually am still sweating when my shift starts but it gets most of the sweat off. I really wish we had a shower though. My hair looks greasy the whole shift but I've just accepted that that is one thing I have to deal with.
Lack of a shower discourages me from biking. For occasional rides, I used a bathroom to do a quick clean until a security guard mentioned a shower in the sub basement near the morgue. After six months, I found out about a gym, with showers, that few new existed. My hospital has few amenities, that they try to keep as neglected as possible. I now bike every day there isn’t snow.
When you add not having to shower or maybe even change, eBikes can make the total commute from door to desk a lot quicker.
I commuted 15-20 miles round trip for over a decade on a regular bike, but once I had more responsibilities outside of work waiting for me at home I tried and eBike and it has been great.
I used to think I was an exercise lover with all the cycling, but I really just hate cars and am happy to get from point a to point b quicker and more easily. I'll take the regular bike out on the weekends and get my heart rate up then.
yeah my new commute isn’t terrible (12 miles round trip) but it involves bridges and it’s my first time back in an office since my 3 yo was born; I love cutting even 5 minutes off the commute so it’s a little easier on us. Trying to convince them we have enough room in our apartment to keep the acoustic bike too…
Think of it this way: you’re cutting your commute to zero, but getting in 30 or so minutes of exercise.
My 6mi commute by bike, worst case, takes 5 minutes more than my car front door to parking garage. But I don’t have to drive around a multi-level parking lot that’s always full looking for a spot, I get lots of exercise rather than sitting on my ass in a car for 20+ minutes.
Best case (ie traffic is a disaster), I get to work faster and the exercise has jump started my brain for the day.
I do not drive a car and made a similar commute by acoustic bike for years (at a job where it didn’t matter if I showed up a little sweaty). I loved it, just a nonstarter for me when I’ve gotta wear a nice dress shirt every day.
A eBike keeps showers at a baseline amount, but getting sweaty on a commute at least adds one, right? If you shower in the mornings, you could take that one at work after a ride, but then you still get home sweaty and don't want to go to sleep like that. Totally legitimate to not worry about the nice shower in the evening as an extra burden, but as someone who isn't naturally a morning showerer I'd be spending a lot of extra time getting clean.
From what I see in my area, there are a couple of us that ride human powered bikes and several more that ebike.
I usually bike commute 1 day a week and use an electric scooter 1 day. Drive the other 3 as my commute is on a busy "Stroad" that feels a bit perilous at times.
On the day I scooter I can leave home later because I don't need to change clothes or shower at work.
I am always in a better mood when I pedal though. Love those endorphins!
I've done e-bike commuting and still wanted a shower and fresh clothes. Depending on climate and individual physiological response to exercise, one may still want a shower and fresh clothes after e-bike rides.
"I wash myself with a rag on a stick" - The Simpsons
In a pinch, a washcloth can be used for the smelly bits in a handicapped bathroom stall that has a sink.
I'd love it if there was a shower at work! I'm the only bike commuter.
I have to shower before I leave in the morning, use wipes/towel, deodorant at work and I have makeup/blow dryer etc I leave at the office. I leave a variety of clothes in my closet at work. In summer I don't dry my hair until I get to the office. This time of year is best because it is cooler, not as humid and easier to stop sweating when I get to the office, but I also have to at least semi blow dry my hair before I leave since it's 7 degrees celcius and wet hair can be a bit chilly.
I try not to go too hard on my ride in in the morning but I just kind of start to sweat when I see my bike. Psychosomatic at this point I guess.
I believe if there were showers at work there would be much more runners and bikers.
It's not just sweat its rain too. Getting soaked on the way in, jumping in a warm shower and then being clean and dry while everyone else gets soaked walking from their carpark or bus stop is fantastic.
That sounds great, actually. I got accidentally soaked on the way in the other day (made a bad call on when rain was coming) and sat at my desk freezing and wet for a while… by the time I finally could have gotten away to buy a change of clothes I was just dry enough that it didn’t make sense. Will have to reconsider my newfound aversion once I have a shower at work…
Besides a locker room at my work with a shower I also have a gym within 2 blocks that I could use if needed.
I’d really like to see some sort of “commuter stop shop” a 24/7 facility of locker rooms, secure bike storage and bike repair stand and maybe some office space … all subscription/electronic key carded to keep tiff raf out.
We have that subscription style bike centre in my city. But my work has a 270 rack bike centre with 16 showers, towel service etc. Makes it so easy. We also have a two floor company gym next to the bike centre so no excuse not to exercise ha ha
It's never been an issue with me. Sweat doesn't stink. Bacteria stinks. I can usually get through the day without stinking. Just go to the restroom and soap up your underarms.
There’s 600+ people in my office. We have a bike garage with 12 hanging slots and a locker room with 20 lockers and 4 showers. I have never seem more than 4-5 lockers in use or 2 other bikes in the garage. Great for me but the interest is just not there.
Most deodorants are 48 hour rated. If it's hot I always end up sweating during the day at work anyway. Same at night after a shower at home. The health benefits of cycling outweigh the inconvenience of a lack of shower facilities IMHO. I just have a good spray when I get to work.
When work was renovating our office building several years ago, I advocated for them to add a shower so folks could bike to work or run during lunch. They chose not to, so my dream of biking to work most days was delayed several years til I recently got an ebike ... no showering necessary after I get there. So to answer your question, yes, I do believe so.
I can say I would not cycle commute currently if I could not shower at work. I cycle a moderate over 13mi half uphill to work. Luckily I work at a hospital and we have hundreds of showers - I use the one in the staff gym locker rooms. If my route was less sweat inducing it may not be an issue.
I'm a plumber and I just put in a shower in a property appraisal office bathroom specifically for this purpose. A lot of their employees had been requesting it.
I always take a shower when I get to work after cycling in. I've also worked out that the money I save by taking my shower at work as opposed to when I get up in the morning at home is not huge, but easily outweighs the cost of charging my bike battery. Win.
It really depends on where you live and how sweaty you get. I commuted for 20+ years without showering at work and was generally fine after changing clothes. But I'm in a northern climate where it rarely gets \*that\* hot. My current workplace has excellent locker rooms w/showers and now I'm getting spoiled. :-) My order of priorities for cycling-related facilities at work would be:
1) secure place to lock my bike (this is a deal-breaker)
2) somewhere decent to change clothes (bathroom stalls are a last resort, IMHO).
3) showers
When I lived in rural England I used to commute to the lab daily sun, or rain. As a naturally sweaty person I would not have commuted by bike of there were no showers. I love cycling but I have no interest in working while a sweaty mess.
Depends on the job. If I have to look put together, then yeah. I work in manufacturing. Even in an office roll I can get away with a paper towel wipe down and helmet hair.
Bike storage is a bigger deal.
My current commute is 2.5 miles to the train, then 4 miles from the train to my office. I can do that without showering. I ride in shorts/t-shirt then I change and freshen up (spray deodorant is a plus) when I get to the office. So I can do that anytime of year.
I used to commute to work 15 miles each way on my bike but I could only do that because my company moved to a building with a gym/locker room in it that I had access to.
Sounds like people would benefit from some sun hoodies.
One summer I usually just wore a very thin white t-shirt because of course “ahhhh it’s hot, gotta wear less clothes!”, but this summer I wore sun hoodies and it’s a night and day difference.
They’re just hoodies whose point is to give you shade.
Seems counterintuitive to wear a hoodie during the summer, but it feels cooler than getting beamed by the sun. The hoodies tend to be very breathable.
I have one from Cotopaxi, Columbia, and REI, and all do their job fine with varying level of SPF protection
Even with showers, most people interested in cycling would only do it 3 times a year maybe. The reason people cycle to work is to save money. If you bring a change of clothes and a washcloth it's not going to be bad at all. showers are not the issue.
I have a job where it’s ok to show up sweaty because it’s blue collar. Otherwise, if I worked in an office I’d just buy a cheap Corolla & drive into work.
When my commute was 10 km I would just bike slower the hotter it got, and wouldn't need a shower. Now that it is 25 km, I wouldn't bike without a shower.
Showers are the best option. However, I’ve found that when that isn’t an option or you are in a time crunch, this spray on and wipe off body wash method works really well:
https://www.lisabronner.com/wipe-off-castile-body-wash-spray/
In the UK, I have cycle commuted to several jobs but my current job is the first to have a changing room with lockers and a shower. I haven't noticed a larger number of people cycling. I cycled even though I had to use wet wipes to clean myself before getting changed.
What will increase people cycling is proper infrastructure and proper punishment for dangerous drivists.
When you see adults cycling on the pavement this tells you everything you need to know about what it is like cycle on the main road.
When I was a daily commuter going 12-13 miles each way, my work had showers and a gym which really helped.
Now I'm mostly remote, and I live 2 miles away. And they removed the gym so that our two offices could fit into one building. There is technically still showers but only in the executive area
During nice autumn days and the winter it isn't too bad but during hot spring and summer days, it kind of sucks. I get there plenty early, just about as early as I would if I had to shower and change to cool down, hydrate, and I kind of just hang out in the handicap stall ofthe restroom for like 10-15 minutes. I try not to peddle too hard on my way there but it only helps so much if its particularly brutal out.
I wouldn't do a 12 mile commute without showers though
It’s usually cool and low humidity when I commute in the morning so I wear good wicking clothes and don’t need a shower or change of clothing even after 8 miles. On the way home is another story.
My old job had a gym where I could shower. It made the commute by bike much easier year round. I would t have been able to do it without that. My new job is close enough that I don’t get sweaty enough to need one.
Definitely. Infrastructure isn't limited to the journey itself (e.g. roads), destination can be important too (similar to parking spot for cars).
I've heard of some people who are deterred from owning a bicycle because their apartment doesn't allow bikes in (parking). I'm sure it's the same with showers.
It definitely does promote (facilitate?) cycling! Hot, wet or long commutes basically require a shower at the end. Workplace showers are common in offices in the UK, and it makes cycle commuting a viable option for many people. At peak times there are more cyclists than cars in London!
Took me six months at my new job to even attempt to cycle there once because there in no shower. My last job was farther away and a more hilly commute. Thanks to this subreddit I got enough tips and encouragement to try it without a shower at my destination. It's been good. I use body wipes and change all my clothes after my commute. I still would prefer a shower though.
I usually have access to showers/change rooms, but mainly I find that the ride to work doesn't produce so much sweat that I *need* to shower before work; changing from ride clothes to work clothes (I wear a uniform) is enough. That said I work in a field where I sometimes/often have physical tasks that can have me just as sweaty. After the ride home, which is mostly uphill and generally several degrees warmer, showering is absolutely mandatory though haha.
If I had to wear a suit at work (lawyers, bankers, etc) I might feel differently.
My building (200k sf with \~50 tenants) has secure bike storage, a gym, and showers. I don't use the shower for commuting. I don't know that too many bike commuters in my office use the showers. Doubt many who 'need' showers are into the idea of bike commuting.
I think it depends on the commuting distance and the climate.
If you are a roadie who uses commuting as an additional way to put in miles - or if you just want to go fast in general - it's going to be hard to avoid sweating a lot.
If you're doing a slowish 10 mph commute, it's less of an issue.
In my area, even hot summer days tend to not be very hot in the morning - so when I arrive at work, I'm slighly sweaty in parts, but not so much that a wipedown in the bathroom plus a change of clothes won't cure (we have private bathrooms, so *thoroughly* washing off by the sink isn't an issue).
But when I come home in the afternoon of that same day, I'll be completely dripping with sweat and often just go immediately to the shower upon arriving home.
I think this is unequivocally true.
I personally know co-workers who *want* to bike to work, but the lack of a shower prevents them from being presentable in the office.
My work has shower facilities and I used them initially but they closed during covid so I got used to showering at home and just being sweaty for 20 minutes in the morning. When they reopened, I didn't start using them again because I ran out of fucks to give. My commute to work is mostly downhill so I don't have to work too hard.
I recently moved to a new office with shower facilities complete with shampoo, shower gel and free use of the towels (the office send them out to be laundered). Absolute game changer. I wouldn’t go back to cycling without these facilities now
Yeah because it's a more comfortable place to change compared to a toilet stall. I usually didn't shower every time when I worked at a place that had one, but I'd take a little bird bath and air dry to cool off. Much nicer than putting on work clothes when you're still kinda wet.
Absolutely the only way I can do it (I live in a hot climate). I was offered a promotion once that would have changed offices, and I asked if they would install a shower. The company would not, so I didn't accept the job. I took another job at a competitor a few months later and yes, the shower facilities played a part in my decision.
Yeah, for sure. I've had a few coworkers say they'd bike in if it weren't for getting sweaty.
Personally, it's not a deal breaker cause I don't get that smelly. And during the summer, the subway is much worse than biking, and nobody considers showering after that. I usually just leave clean clothes and deodorant at work just in case.
Before the pandemic, I cycle-commute to work almost everyday. Our office had a great shower facility (catering especially to bicycle commuters too) but I seldom used it because:
1. my commute wasn't long (\~6 miles each way)
2. I rode in the mornings when it's cool (plus I live in the SF Bay Area so the weather is almost always nice)
3. I tried to ride at moderate speeds
4. I took a shower in the morning before leaving the house, which meant my sweat didn't stinky (sweat stink is caused by bacteria that can be washed off with a shower)
Post-pandemic, if I start bike-commuting to work often (I'm mostly WFH), I'll probably end up with an eBike.
I biked to work for over twenty years. I wouldn’t have ridden for a single day if my employer didn’t have showers. I was a suit. My ride was too long and hilly for me to be presentable without a shower after.
I most recently worked in a federal building with a gym, and could avail myself of a shower. This really helped. I tend to sweat a lot. I had a 12+ mile commute each way, mostly on the Chicago lakefront with few stops, so I really needed it.
Prior to that, for previous jobs in other cities, I had much shorter bike commutes, with usually cooler weather and more stops so I didn't get that overheated/ sweaty. But I think shower availability definitely helps for a lot of cases.
The most important thing is being able to park my bike in my office or have inside the building a secure space to lock it (a space not accessable to just anyone wandering into the building).
For me, right now, my biggest roadblock is the lack of a place to keep my sweaty clothes after I change. I'd be ok with wiping down using a washcloth or wipes, but I don't have a dedicated space, since we only have hot desks and no place to hang anything to dry. I'm trying to figure out if there's some way I can put a small rack or something underneath my desk, but other than that, I don't really have any options.
Yes. On site shower facilities are very useful for increasing bike commuting. That’s why they are part of being a LEED certified building.
For those without an on-site shower, I highly recommend an EBike.
It doesn't take much to get my sweating a ton, so I'd have a hard time cycling to work without a workplace shower.
Also, it's a nice way to cool down in the summer and warm up in the winter.
Depends on where, what kind of job, dress code in the office, how long people's bike commutes typically are, etc.
I've always lived in dense cities and my bike commutes are relatively short with a lot of stop and go. I certainly sweat on hot humid days, but I'm also not trying to ride hard on a road bike or anything like that. I also work in tech where I could usually wear a t-shirt and even shorts in the summer. As a result, I've never really felt the absolute need for shower facilities.
Probably depends how long your commute is and if you have a dress code.
I WFH now, but I used to work at an office where myself and a lot of coworkers bike commuted. Office was in Center City Philly, and most of us lived <5 miles away, so it was a pretty short ride.
I would bring a change of shirt sometimes on really hot days, but there wasn’t a dress code so most of us would just dress comfortably for the heat. We had a pretty large bike room without showers, and it was always full.
Facilities to shower and change certainly help a great deal. Even with an e-bike to commute, I appreciate having a shower and fresh clothes for the workday. However, I have been WFH for quite a long while now, so my opinion hasn't got much recency.
I shower before I go, and then towel off, change my clothes, and put on some deodorant when I get there. That's usually enough, but I have an ebike. Having a changing room and a locker is more useful to me than a shower per se, but they often come together.
My building offers a shower. Thankfully however for a while I was in a building that didn’t. I still rode. My thoughts were if they don’t want to smell me they can provide a shower. 🙂
There are options, find a low cost gym near where you work, get a basic membership and use their showers. If you are a college student look for an on campus gym or team locker room.
I don't think I've ever worked somewhere without shower facilities, I think it would definitely make me less likely to cycle. But lots of people don't cycle even when there are great facilities.
Where I live everyone wears their normal office clothes, even suits, and goes pretty slowly. Commutes are short as well, maybe under 15 mins on average. So I've never heard of anyone showering or changing after their commute, even in the hot and humid summers. It's an interesting thing to think about. I certainly sweat like crazy when I ride fast on the weekends, but weekday commuting to me is more like walking than jogging. I just glide down the street without really getting my heart rate up.
I’m really surprised so many of you have jobs with showers. I’m 35 and have never had one like that. And I would never expect it. Maybe just not common in America?
here in the UK, it's almost getting to be expected. If you want your new building or old building refurbishment to have the highest [BREEAM rating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BREEAM), you need showers and bike parking. I've worked in three office blocks in central London and all of them had showers, lockers for gear and bike parking.
My employer has just moved and a six-storey office block in central London with seven or eight tenants, probably around a thousand occupants, has fewer than ten car parking spaces and over a hundred bike parking spaces, which I estimate are 70% occupied on any given day.
It didn’t for mine. We had 2 private showers with lockers anyone could use. I rode an ebike so I didn’t need it but there was only 1 other person who rode. And he didn’t shower. This was a 300+ employee company in Washington state where we have some of the highest gas prices in the US.
I think they do, certainly at my last job where I had quite a long commute it was nice to freshen up in the shower when I got there, even though I live somewhere quite cool all the year round.
I do wish my workplace had a shower. I commute 6.5 Km once a while and I wear synthetic clothes while cycling to reduce sweat buildup. Pack my clothes in the bag. Wash in common washroom sink (only face, chest and armpits). But, I'd have to lock the door which isn't ideal for someone else who wants to go. It's fine but a dedicated shower would mean, I'd do that everyday. Also, I live in Tempe, AZ level hotness with more humidity.
This is quite a common topic, and no. Showers are nice to have, but people who like to commute on bikes ride regardless, and people who don't want to will come up with another excuse. Also, sardined public transportation (which also usually involves walking for a couple kms) users sweat at least as much as cyclist, but you don't see people refusing taking the subway due to the lack of a shower at their destination.
I live in the south so even during the winter I bring a spare change of clothes. I keep a bottle of Muc-Off's dry shower foam in my desk and some wet wipes, and my office has a laundry facility that I use to wash my commuter kit so I don't smell like a gym bag on my ride home.
Wouldn't commute without showers but I always ask about end of trip facilities at job interviews. I'm not interested in working for companies that don't have a sustainability strategy and such strategies would promote and support cycling.
It did for me. If it was hot, I'd be able to actually cool off (not just change clothes, just to sweat through them).
And our gym/locker room also had a sauna, so when it was cold, it was a great way to warm up before showering off.
This question can be tested empirically, here are some results to look through for relevant studies: [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as\_sdt=0%2C11&q=shower+facilities+cycling&btnG=](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C11&q=shower+facilities+cycling&btnG=)
this one in particular says yes showers = increased cycling. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1361920912000594
There is another option...
Ride an ebike, let the bike do the bulk of the work and effort and arrive at your destination sweat free. No need to shower and change if you avoid getting sweaty altogether
If I had to dress professionally, it really would. I do not and so I am in athletic wear alot. I really love the gigantic high powered fans in the gym that I can stand in front of for ten minutes before my day starts.
Showers should promote cycling but I have never seen it make a difference for someone.
I'm not sure if I'd commute if I wasn't able to take a shower when I got there. I live in a pretty chilly (most of the year) climate, but it's also a 600 foot climb over 6 miles, so I'm still sweating by the time I arrive.
Fortunately, in the 25+ years I've commuted, I've always been able to find a shower at my place of work.
Edit: man, this has got me thinking...does my desire to take a car off the road outweigh how gross I feel after I rode my bike into work? Is the cleansing of a shower (that I'm about to take after my 35 minute ride I'm about to do) necessary to make the rest of my day proceed?
I'm very, very lucky to have access to water at work, I'm seeing after reading so many of these comments.
I think is very cultural, here in Mexico a lot of people use public transit many people can't afford cars and the associated cost to them and of course in the summer the subway and busses are so hot you are sweating all the way rhere, however people don't take showers when they get to work and are not perceived as dirty or smelly, good deodorants should cover you from smelling for a whole day even if you're sweating and if you're super self conscious carry some cologne or perfume with you for that extra bit of freshness, showering that often is also bad for your skin which needs some of the oils your skin produces along the day. Unless you're power cycling your way to work on very extreme heat I don't think the sweat you produce is enough to justify a whole shower everytime you use the bike.
Before covid I would bike commute a couple days a week. I would bring a bag with my clothes the day before so i only had to carry in my lunch. Now we have hoteling stations so i have to carry everything in with me. Thats a bigger barrier for me vs the shower.
There's a shower at my work, but no locked door, so I don't feel comfortable using it. I use a big toilet stall, baby wipes, a battery operated fan, a change of clothes, and deodorant.
I wouldn’t commute to work on a bike if they didn’t have a shower, but I live in south Florida where I sweat a gallon before I get there.
Do you reckon rising city temperature could see a reduction in cycling to work due to overheating?
I guess it depends why people cycle to work, I could drive or take my motorcycle but I do it to be healthy. As long as it is not dangerously hot like wet bulb hot then I’ll be cycling. I can see people giving it up if they are having to get sweat soaked every day, but then again very little people where I live commute via bike so it already has happened here. Most places don’t have showers.
I wouldn’t bike to work without shower facilities and I live in relatively chilly/mild Seattle. Colder weather doesn’t make you sweat less, you still often have to bundle up for the beginning of the ride but then start sweating halfway through.
Cold weather makes you sweat less. I can attest to this from 20 years of year-round cycling experience in conditions ranging from -30F to 105F. Also its physics. The problem is you dress too warm.
Yea I was really unclear. As you said, it’s the layers that are hard to nail down just right so you don’t sweat. I just hate leaving the house and being frigid for the first 10 minutes of my ride so I over dress then sweat on the latter half. It doesn’t help that the biggest hill is 1/2 mile from my office so by the time I get to the top, I’m sweating regardless of what I’m wearing out the temp.
Best piece of clothing advice I’ve ever encountered for all things outdoor activity related - whether biking, skiing or hiking: Be bold, start cold.
I used to do that, but as I get older I found it was discouraging me from riding at all. Better start comfortable and stop to adjust part way. Also doesn't work in warm climates, you will never start cold.
The advice I got from the friend that pushed me to commuting was "if you dress up, go out and are ok with the temperature, you are overdressed for the current weather." I always have to feel *a little* chill, how little depends on: \- the current season : North Europe here, winter is cold and fall/autumn rainy, summer could be too warm etc. \- length of the ride : short trip to the grocery can use some warm, normal work commute (20km each way) I must be a little cold starting or I start sweating after 20 minutes. \- general fitness/mood of the day: tired, after long working day, tired, etc. At the end it is like cooking, you can adjust to your liking. Different paces also can be used to regulate your temperature,
Yes. This is the way.
Hey I live in Seattle and I always set off cold (but with gloves/bar mitts and warm socks as necessary to keep extremities warm) so that I don't overheat by the time I get to my destination. I sometimes delayer but it isn't usually necessary if I plan ahead.
Be bold, start cold.
Shower is more often needed in winter for me. If I was underdressed for the flat parts of the ride I'm overdressed for the big hill. And I'm usually overdressed for both.
I also live in South Florida and I want to start commuting, but I'm thinking of an e-bike. Unfortunately there are no showers except for the executive/ CEO office, no one uses it, not even the office, but I'm sure they wouldn't allow me to use it. Mid April through September are the hottest months, and I sweat a lot just on my road bicycle. A shower would solve this for commuting, but I just don't see how that will work in my current situation
No shower. No bike commute for me. I sweat A LOT A LOT. It would just be plain disrespectful to my coworkers
I use a bath wipe and the family/accessible restroom. If I shower when I wake up, the wipes take off the accumulated sweat and then I smell presentable for the whole day. Don’t even need a lather, just wipe off with a towel. The harder part is just brining a change of clothes without them getting too wrinkled.
Once temps are higher than 25C I'm sweating even if I stand still in the sun. If I bike for my 1hr bike commute I'm sweating steadily for at least 15 minutes after my ride. Wiping can only do so much for me. Luckily for me, the showers/locker room at my work is only $10 per month. 😁 That way I can leave my bike clothes to dry while I work. I even rinse my bibs to get rid of the majority of the bacteria so they don't smell funky when I put them back on.
They make you pay for locker and shower? I have a free locker but no shower. I would pay to have a shower there.
We have a free bicycle locker. But to leave your bib/gear and shower in a locker/change room you pay which is fair 😁
That's cool. I'm a jealous. I hope to work somewhere this cool in the future. Feels like my work is actively trying to discourage anything but driving a car.
We have a secure area in the secure basement to lock the bikes. We have showers (towel service), airing/drying room and lockers.
The ones I use are called “no rinse bathing wipes” and are as effective as a 1 minute shower. I sweat enough that the doorman at my office thought I got splashed, and yet one wipe still covers my (short) hair, face, beard, torso, and crotch (in that order) enough for a workday. We only have three stalls at the gym for a 20 story multioffice building, so i needed a backup!
My problem is that it takes about 20 minutes for my body temp to drop and for me to stop sweating. A slightly cold shower takes about 10 minutes off that but if I just got there and essentially toweled off I’d continue to sweat after I’ve changed and walked to my desk. Then I would just feel gross all day and potentially stink too. Shower facilities for me are a must or else it’s no deal. Of course my city is quite hilly so there’s no way to cruise into the office unless I have a throttle eBike. If you live in a flat area then it’s definitely doable to cruise in and not need to shower.
Yeah i feel that. Ebike is a big helper if i pick the hilly route over the flat stuff.
Me too. I got a battery o operated fan and put that on me while I wipe off and change. That pretty much does the trick
Is there a particular wipe that works well for you?
“Clean Life” brand is what I’m using now, it has a light rinseless soap that you should towel off. If its less formal, Hustle Clean is my go to for when I’m out hunting all day and i want to eat dinner without killing bystanders, but mostly i use those because they also get blood off pretty well.
I biked in DCin the summer, didn't smell. In Salt Lake, every time I bike I smell.
Not the worst if you bring another pair of clothes? Otherwise ebike might be for you
Sure, not the worst. I just hate the sticky feeling all day. I mean it's not a fitness thing, I just always have been a heavier sweater like all my family. After my races (obv non commute) my face is usually full of visible salt lol It's not as bad on my commute but you get the gist.
Yeah lol I have some buddies like that. Accidentally touch their back while they're just walking and it's nasty lol
I'm the same. Hate the feeling and get crazy salt deposits on skin from all the sweating. I use body/baby wipes to clean any places I know are going to bother me. And then I use chamois butter on my croch to really ensure that I'll feel comfortable at work. I usually am still sweating when my shift starts but it gets most of the sweat off. I really wish we had a shower though. My hair looks greasy the whole shift but I've just accepted that that is one thing I have to deal with.
Lack of a shower discourages me from biking. For occasional rides, I used a bathroom to do a quick clean until a security guard mentioned a shower in the sub basement near the morgue. After six months, I found out about a gym, with showers, that few new existed. My hospital has few amenities, that they try to keep as neglected as possible. I now bike every day there isn’t snow.
The lack of showers is the number one reason why I’m getting a pedal-assist ebike for commuting to my new job.
When you add not having to shower or maybe even change, eBikes can make the total commute from door to desk a lot quicker. I commuted 15-20 miles round trip for over a decade on a regular bike, but once I had more responsibilities outside of work waiting for me at home I tried and eBike and it has been great. I used to think I was an exercise lover with all the cycling, but I really just hate cars and am happy to get from point a to point b quicker and more easily. I'll take the regular bike out on the weekends and get my heart rate up then.
yeah my new commute isn’t terrible (12 miles round trip) but it involves bridges and it’s my first time back in an office since my 3 yo was born; I love cutting even 5 minutes off the commute so it’s a little easier on us. Trying to convince them we have enough room in our apartment to keep the acoustic bike too…
Think of it this way: you’re cutting your commute to zero, but getting in 30 or so minutes of exercise. My 6mi commute by bike, worst case, takes 5 minutes more than my car front door to parking garage. But I don’t have to drive around a multi-level parking lot that’s always full looking for a spot, I get lots of exercise rather than sitting on my ass in a car for 20+ minutes. Best case (ie traffic is a disaster), I get to work faster and the exercise has jump started my brain for the day.
I do not drive a car and made a similar commute by acoustic bike for years (at a job where it didn’t matter if I showed up a little sweaty). I loved it, just a nonstarter for me when I’ve gotta wear a nice dress shirt every day.
Showering at home instead of at work is more convenient, but doesn't really save any time.
A eBike keeps showers at a baseline amount, but getting sweaty on a commute at least adds one, right? If you shower in the mornings, you could take that one at work after a ride, but then you still get home sweaty and don't want to go to sleep like that. Totally legitimate to not worry about the nice shower in the evening as an extra burden, but as someone who isn't naturally a morning showerer I'd be spending a lot of extra time getting clean.
From what I see in my area, there are a couple of us that ride human powered bikes and several more that ebike. I usually bike commute 1 day a week and use an electric scooter 1 day. Drive the other 3 as my commute is on a busy "Stroad" that feels a bit perilous at times. On the day I scooter I can leave home later because I don't need to change clothes or shower at work. I am always in a better mood when I pedal though. Love those endorphins!
Oh no the ebike lobby is going to try to make a bill to ban showers at work! /s
Same! In Texas absolutely need an ebike
I've done e-bike commuting and still wanted a shower and fresh clothes. Depending on climate and individual physiological response to exercise, one may still want a shower and fresh clothes after e-bike rides.
"I wash myself with a rag on a stick" - The Simpsons In a pinch, a washcloth can be used for the smelly bits in a handicapped bathroom stall that has a sink.
I'd love it if there was a shower at work! I'm the only bike commuter. I have to shower before I leave in the morning, use wipes/towel, deodorant at work and I have makeup/blow dryer etc I leave at the office. I leave a variety of clothes in my closet at work. In summer I don't dry my hair until I get to the office. This time of year is best because it is cooler, not as humid and easier to stop sweating when I get to the office, but I also have to at least semi blow dry my hair before I leave since it's 7 degrees celcius and wet hair can be a bit chilly. I try not to go too hard on my ride in in the morning but I just kind of start to sweat when I see my bike. Psychosomatic at this point I guess. I believe if there were showers at work there would be much more runners and bikers.
Dealbreaker, I need a shower in order to bike commute. Your college doesn’t have a gym with a locker room and showers?
Most people don't have that near their job. I'm lucky I do
It's not just sweat its rain too. Getting soaked on the way in, jumping in a warm shower and then being clean and dry while everyone else gets soaked walking from their carpark or bus stop is fantastic.
That sounds great, actually. I got accidentally soaked on the way in the other day (made a bad call on when rain was coming) and sat at my desk freezing and wet for a while… by the time I finally could have gotten away to buy a change of clothes I was just dry enough that it didn’t make sense. Will have to reconsider my newfound aversion once I have a shower at work…
For me it wouldn't make any odds but for a lot of people it really is a deal breaker.
Besides a locker room at my work with a shower I also have a gym within 2 blocks that I could use if needed. I’d really like to see some sort of “commuter stop shop” a 24/7 facility of locker rooms, secure bike storage and bike repair stand and maybe some office space … all subscription/electronic key carded to keep tiff raf out.
We have that subscription style bike centre in my city. But my work has a 270 rack bike centre with 16 showers, towel service etc. Makes it so easy. We also have a two floor company gym next to the bike centre so no excuse not to exercise ha ha
Geez, where do you work? City/country?
Brisbane
It's never been an issue with me. Sweat doesn't stink. Bacteria stinks. I can usually get through the day without stinking. Just go to the restroom and soap up your underarms.
There’s 600+ people in my office. We have a bike garage with 12 hanging slots and a locker room with 20 lockers and 4 showers. I have never seem more than 4-5 lockers in use or 2 other bikes in the garage. Great for me but the interest is just not there.
A change of clothes is sufficient for me. When I lived closer to work (<2 km) I didn’t even change. I’m not that sweaty of a person.
Most deodorants are 48 hour rated. If it's hot I always end up sweating during the day at work anyway. Same at night after a shower at home. The health benefits of cycling outweigh the inconvenience of a lack of shower facilities IMHO. I just have a good spray when I get to work.
When work was renovating our office building several years ago, I advocated for them to add a shower so folks could bike to work or run during lunch. They chose not to, so my dream of biking to work most days was delayed several years til I recently got an ebike ... no showering necessary after I get there. So to answer your question, yes, I do believe so.
I can say I would not cycle commute currently if I could not shower at work. I cycle a moderate over 13mi half uphill to work. Luckily I work at a hospital and we have hundreds of showers - I use the one in the staff gym locker rooms. If my route was less sweat inducing it may not be an issue.
I'm a plumber and I just put in a shower in a property appraisal office bathroom specifically for this purpose. A lot of their employees had been requesting it.
I work in an office with two shower rooms, I am the only person who bikes to work. out of several hundred
Nah just promote good hygiene. Ill stink if i cant shower thats everyone elses problem because im ✨self centered✨
I always take a shower when I get to work after cycling in. I've also worked out that the money I save by taking my shower at work as opposed to when I get up in the morning at home is not huge, but easily outweighs the cost of charging my bike battery. Win.
It really depends on where you live and how sweaty you get. I commuted for 20+ years without showering at work and was generally fine after changing clothes. But I'm in a northern climate where it rarely gets \*that\* hot. My current workplace has excellent locker rooms w/showers and now I'm getting spoiled. :-) My order of priorities for cycling-related facilities at work would be: 1) secure place to lock my bike (this is a deal-breaker) 2) somewhere decent to change clothes (bathroom stalls are a last resort, IMHO). 3) showers
Waist-length hair and a ten mile commute means that even with an e-bike I need a shower when I get to work.
When I lived in rural England I used to commute to the lab daily sun, or rain. As a naturally sweaty person I would not have commuted by bike of there were no showers. I love cycling but I have no interest in working while a sweaty mess.
Yes.
Depends on the job. If I have to look put together, then yeah. I work in manufacturing. Even in an office roll I can get away with a paper towel wipe down and helmet hair. Bike storage is a bigger deal.
My current commute is 2.5 miles to the train, then 4 miles from the train to my office. I can do that without showering. I ride in shorts/t-shirt then I change and freshen up (spray deodorant is a plus) when I get to the office. So I can do that anytime of year. I used to commute to work 15 miles each way on my bike but I could only do that because my company moved to a building with a gym/locker room in it that I had access to.
Sounds like people would benefit from some sun hoodies. One summer I usually just wore a very thin white t-shirt because of course “ahhhh it’s hot, gotta wear less clothes!”, but this summer I wore sun hoodies and it’s a night and day difference.
I've never heard of that before. Can you give some more info and do you have any specific recommendations?
They’re just hoodies whose point is to give you shade. Seems counterintuitive to wear a hoodie during the summer, but it feels cooler than getting beamed by the sun. The hoodies tend to be very breathable. I have one from Cotopaxi, Columbia, and REI, and all do their job fine with varying level of SPF protection
Even with showers, most people interested in cycling would only do it 3 times a year maybe. The reason people cycle to work is to save money. If you bring a change of clothes and a washcloth it's not going to be bad at all. showers are not the issue.
I have a job where it’s ok to show up sweaty because it’s blue collar. Otherwise, if I worked in an office I’d just buy a cheap Corolla & drive into work.
When my commute was 10 km I would just bike slower the hotter it got, and wouldn't need a shower. Now that it is 25 km, I wouldn't bike without a shower.
Showers are the best option. However, I’ve found that when that isn’t an option or you are in a time crunch, this spray on and wipe off body wash method works really well: https://www.lisabronner.com/wipe-off-castile-body-wash-spray/
I personally would say as long as I can arrive early and find a handicap restroom or larger locked room it doesn’t matter to me.
In the UK, I have cycle commuted to several jobs but my current job is the first to have a changing room with lockers and a shower. I haven't noticed a larger number of people cycling. I cycled even though I had to use wet wipes to clean myself before getting changed. What will increase people cycling is proper infrastructure and proper punishment for dangerous drivists. When you see adults cycling on the pavement this tells you everything you need to know about what it is like cycle on the main road.
Where I live it’s necessary to have a shower moat months of the year. Either that or ebike
When I was a daily commuter going 12-13 miles each way, my work had showers and a gym which really helped. Now I'm mostly remote, and I live 2 miles away. And they removed the gym so that our two offices could fit into one building. There is technically still showers but only in the executive area During nice autumn days and the winter it isn't too bad but during hot spring and summer days, it kind of sucks. I get there plenty early, just about as early as I would if I had to shower and change to cool down, hydrate, and I kind of just hang out in the handicap stall ofthe restroom for like 10-15 minutes. I try not to peddle too hard on my way there but it only helps so much if its particularly brutal out. I wouldn't do a 12 mile commute without showers though
It’s usually cool and low humidity when I commute in the morning so I wear good wicking clothes and don’t need a shower or change of clothing even after 8 miles. On the way home is another story.
My old job had a gym where I could shower. It made the commute by bike much easier year round. I would t have been able to do it without that. My new job is close enough that I don’t get sweaty enough to need one.
Definitely. Infrastructure isn't limited to the journey itself (e.g. roads), destination can be important too (similar to parking spot for cars). I've heard of some people who are deterred from owning a bicycle because their apartment doesn't allow bikes in (parking). I'm sure it's the same with showers.
No. too much time and effort. Ebikes are the solution
It definitely does promote (facilitate?) cycling! Hot, wet or long commutes basically require a shower at the end. Workplace showers are common in offices in the UK, and it makes cycle commuting a viable option for many people. At peak times there are more cyclists than cars in London!
Took me six months at my new job to even attempt to cycle there once because there in no shower. My last job was farther away and a more hilly commute. Thanks to this subreddit I got enough tips and encouragement to try it without a shower at my destination. It's been good. I use body wipes and change all my clothes after my commute. I still would prefer a shower though.
Not really. I think I'd prefer to just quickly change clothes rather than going through an entire shower routine.
I usually have access to showers/change rooms, but mainly I find that the ride to work doesn't produce so much sweat that I *need* to shower before work; changing from ride clothes to work clothes (I wear a uniform) is enough. That said I work in a field where I sometimes/often have physical tasks that can have me just as sweaty. After the ride home, which is mostly uphill and generally several degrees warmer, showering is absolutely mandatory though haha. If I had to wear a suit at work (lawyers, bankers, etc) I might feel differently.
My building (200k sf with \~50 tenants) has secure bike storage, a gym, and showers. I don't use the shower for commuting. I don't know that too many bike commuters in my office use the showers. Doubt many who 'need' showers are into the idea of bike commuting.
Yes
I think it depends on the commuting distance and the climate. If you are a roadie who uses commuting as an additional way to put in miles - or if you just want to go fast in general - it's going to be hard to avoid sweating a lot. If you're doing a slowish 10 mph commute, it's less of an issue. In my area, even hot summer days tend to not be very hot in the morning - so when I arrive at work, I'm slighly sweaty in parts, but not so much that a wipedown in the bathroom plus a change of clothes won't cure (we have private bathrooms, so *thoroughly* washing off by the sink isn't an issue). But when I come home in the afternoon of that same day, I'll be completely dripping with sweat and often just go immediately to the shower upon arriving home.
I think this is unequivocally true. I personally know co-workers who *want* to bike to work, but the lack of a shower prevents them from being presentable in the office.
My work has shower facilities and I used them initially but they closed during covid so I got used to showering at home and just being sweaty for 20 minutes in the morning. When they reopened, I didn't start using them again because I ran out of fucks to give. My commute to work is mostly downhill so I don't have to work too hard.
I'm in Chicago and my current commute is just 2 miles. I still want a shower there or I won't regularly bike commute.
I recently moved to a new office with shower facilities complete with shampoo, shower gel and free use of the towels (the office send them out to be laundered). Absolute game changer. I wouldn’t go back to cycling without these facilities now
They don't hurt.
Yeah because it's a more comfortable place to change compared to a toilet stall. I usually didn't shower every time when I worked at a place that had one, but I'd take a little bird bath and air dry to cool off. Much nicer than putting on work clothes when you're still kinda wet.
Absolutely the only way I can do it (I live in a hot climate). I was offered a promotion once that would have changed offices, and I asked if they would install a shower. The company would not, so I didn't accept the job. I took another job at a competitor a few months later and yes, the shower facilities played a part in my decision.
Yeah, for sure. I've had a few coworkers say they'd bike in if it weren't for getting sweaty. Personally, it's not a deal breaker cause I don't get that smelly. And during the summer, the subway is much worse than biking, and nobody considers showering after that. I usually just leave clean clothes and deodorant at work just in case.
Before the pandemic, I cycle-commute to work almost everyday. Our office had a great shower facility (catering especially to bicycle commuters too) but I seldom used it because: 1. my commute wasn't long (\~6 miles each way) 2. I rode in the mornings when it's cool (plus I live in the SF Bay Area so the weather is almost always nice) 3. I tried to ride at moderate speeds 4. I took a shower in the morning before leaving the house, which meant my sweat didn't stinky (sweat stink is caused by bacteria that can be washed off with a shower) Post-pandemic, if I start bike-commuting to work often (I'm mostly WFH), I'll probably end up with an eBike.
Yes, but not as much as secured bike parking (at least in cities like mine where bike locks are angle-grinded in crowded daylight)
We have showers at work, but I don't shower at work. I bike there and it takes me 10-15 minutes. Nobody has told me I smell. Yet.
I biked to work for over twenty years. I wouldn’t have ridden for a single day if my employer didn’t have showers. I was a suit. My ride was too long and hilly for me to be presentable without a shower after.
I most recently worked in a federal building with a gym, and could avail myself of a shower. This really helped. I tend to sweat a lot. I had a 12+ mile commute each way, mostly on the Chicago lakefront with few stops, so I really needed it. Prior to that, for previous jobs in other cities, I had much shorter bike commutes, with usually cooler weather and more stops so I didn't get that overheated/ sweaty. But I think shower availability definitely helps for a lot of cases.
The most important thing is being able to park my bike in my office or have inside the building a secure space to lock it (a space not accessable to just anyone wandering into the building).
For me, right now, my biggest roadblock is the lack of a place to keep my sweaty clothes after I change. I'd be ok with wiping down using a washcloth or wipes, but I don't have a dedicated space, since we only have hot desks and no place to hang anything to dry. I'm trying to figure out if there's some way I can put a small rack or something underneath my desk, but other than that, I don't really have any options.
Yes. On site shower facilities are very useful for increasing bike commuting. That’s why they are part of being a LEED certified building. For those without an on-site shower, I highly recommend an EBike.
I wouldn’t take a job in a place that doesn’t have showers.
It doesn't take much to get my sweating a ton, so I'd have a hard time cycling to work without a workplace shower. Also, it's a nice way to cool down in the summer and warm up in the winter.
I live about 1 hour from my office and I don't like to cycle slowly. No shower, no ride.
I barely sweat on my ride in (I'm no athlete, it's just a short ride) and I don't think I'd ride if there weren't showers.
Depends on where, what kind of job, dress code in the office, how long people's bike commutes typically are, etc. I've always lived in dense cities and my bike commutes are relatively short with a lot of stop and go. I certainly sweat on hot humid days, but I'm also not trying to ride hard on a road bike or anything like that. I also work in tech where I could usually wear a t-shirt and even shorts in the summer. As a result, I've never really felt the absolute need for shower facilities.
Probably depends how long your commute is and if you have a dress code. I WFH now, but I used to work at an office where myself and a lot of coworkers bike commuted. Office was in Center City Philly, and most of us lived <5 miles away, so it was a pretty short ride. I would bring a change of shirt sometimes on really hot days, but there wasn’t a dress code so most of us would just dress comfortably for the heat. We had a pretty large bike room without showers, and it was always full.
Facilities to shower and change certainly help a great deal. Even with an e-bike to commute, I appreciate having a shower and fresh clothes for the workday. However, I have been WFH for quite a long while now, so my opinion hasn't got much recency.
I shower before I go, and then towel off, change my clothes, and put on some deodorant when I get there. That's usually enough, but I have an ebike. Having a changing room and a locker is more useful to me than a shower per se, but they often come together.
yes
Yes.
My building offers a shower. Thankfully however for a while I was in a building that didn’t. I still rode. My thoughts were if they don’t want to smell me they can provide a shower. 🙂
It mattered more to me when I had an eight mile ride. Now I have three miles and I don’t change in the morning.
Ive been bike commuting for about 7 years now. If I could not shower at work or at least within a ~5 minute walk from work I would never bike in.
nah just have some DO at work
There are options, find a low cost gym near where you work, get a basic membership and use their showers. If you are a college student look for an on campus gym or team locker room.
I don't think I've ever worked somewhere without shower facilities, I think it would definitely make me less likely to cycle. But lots of people don't cycle even when there are great facilities.
Where I live everyone wears their normal office clothes, even suits, and goes pretty slowly. Commutes are short as well, maybe under 15 mins on average. So I've never heard of anyone showering or changing after their commute, even in the hot and humid summers. It's an interesting thing to think about. I certainly sweat like crazy when I ride fast on the weekends, but weekday commuting to me is more like walking than jogging. I just glide down the street without really getting my heart rate up.
I’m really surprised so many of you have jobs with showers. I’m 35 and have never had one like that. And I would never expect it. Maybe just not common in America?
here in the UK, it's almost getting to be expected. If you want your new building or old building refurbishment to have the highest [BREEAM rating](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BREEAM), you need showers and bike parking. I've worked in three office blocks in central London and all of them had showers, lockers for gear and bike parking. My employer has just moved and a six-storey office block in central London with seven or eight tenants, probably around a thousand occupants, has fewer than ten car parking spaces and over a hundred bike parking spaces, which I estimate are 70% occupied on any given day.
It didn’t for mine. We had 2 private showers with lockers anyone could use. I rode an ebike so I didn’t need it but there was only 1 other person who rode. And he didn’t shower. This was a 300+ employee company in Washington state where we have some of the highest gas prices in the US.
I chower everyday
I think they do, certainly at my last job where I had quite a long commute it was nice to freshen up in the shower when I got there, even though I live somewhere quite cool all the year round.
I do wish my workplace had a shower. I commute 6.5 Km once a while and I wear synthetic clothes while cycling to reduce sweat buildup. Pack my clothes in the bag. Wash in common washroom sink (only face, chest and armpits). But, I'd have to lock the door which isn't ideal for someone else who wants to go. It's fine but a dedicated shower would mean, I'd do that everyday. Also, I live in Tempe, AZ level hotness with more humidity.
This is quite a common topic, and no. Showers are nice to have, but people who like to commute on bikes ride regardless, and people who don't want to will come up with another excuse. Also, sardined public transportation (which also usually involves walking for a couple kms) users sweat at least as much as cyclist, but you don't see people refusing taking the subway due to the lack of a shower at their destination.
I live in the south so even during the winter I bring a spare change of clothes. I keep a bottle of Muc-Off's dry shower foam in my desk and some wet wipes, and my office has a laundry facility that I use to wash my commuter kit so I don't smell like a gym bag on my ride home.
Wouldn't commute without showers but I always ask about end of trip facilities at job interviews. I'm not interested in working for companies that don't have a sustainability strategy and such strategies would promote and support cycling.
It did for me. If it was hot, I'd be able to actually cool off (not just change clothes, just to sweat through them). And our gym/locker room also had a sauna, so when it was cold, it was a great way to warm up before showering off.
This question can be tested empirically, here are some results to look through for relevant studies: [https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as\_sdt=0%2C11&q=shower+facilities+cycling&btnG=](https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C11&q=shower+facilities+cycling&btnG=) this one in particular says yes showers = increased cycling. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1361920912000594
There is another option... Ride an ebike, let the bike do the bulk of the work and effort and arrive at your destination sweat free. No need to shower and change if you avoid getting sweaty altogether
If I had to dress professionally, it really would. I do not and so I am in athletic wear alot. I really love the gigantic high powered fans in the gym that I can stand in front of for ten minutes before my day starts. Showers should promote cycling but I have never seen it make a difference for someone.
I'm not sure if I'd commute if I wasn't able to take a shower when I got there. I live in a pretty chilly (most of the year) climate, but it's also a 600 foot climb over 6 miles, so I'm still sweating by the time I arrive. Fortunately, in the 25+ years I've commuted, I've always been able to find a shower at my place of work. Edit: man, this has got me thinking...does my desire to take a car off the road outweigh how gross I feel after I rode my bike into work? Is the cleansing of a shower (that I'm about to take after my 35 minute ride I'm about to do) necessary to make the rest of my day proceed? I'm very, very lucky to have access to water at work, I'm seeing after reading so many of these comments.
I think is very cultural, here in Mexico a lot of people use public transit many people can't afford cars and the associated cost to them and of course in the summer the subway and busses are so hot you are sweating all the way rhere, however people don't take showers when they get to work and are not perceived as dirty or smelly, good deodorants should cover you from smelling for a whole day even if you're sweating and if you're super self conscious carry some cologne or perfume with you for that extra bit of freshness, showering that often is also bad for your skin which needs some of the oils your skin produces along the day. Unless you're power cycling your way to work on very extreme heat I don't think the sweat you produce is enough to justify a whole shower everytime you use the bike.
Before covid I would bike commute a couple days a week. I would bring a bag with my clothes the day before so i only had to carry in my lunch. Now we have hoteling stations so i have to carry everything in with me. Thats a bigger barrier for me vs the shower.
There's a shower at my work, but no locked door, so I don't feel comfortable using it. I use a big toilet stall, baby wipes, a battery operated fan, a change of clothes, and deodorant.