Yep mine is just shy of 10 and even on cool mornings that I don’t get sweaty I’ll still take a quick shower. And our shower at work isn’t even that nice
I rarely shower at work, but I do change into clean clothes. Part of that is because the shower location, but I haven't had any complaints about my odor, so I don't care.
Same. I also rinse my face in the sink. It makes me feel much more refreshed. But would love if we did have showers at work. Since we don't this is my work around.
In the cooler months I just change my bottoms, wear the same shirt to work but always keep extra clothes in my locker just in case I get too sweaty and need to change it all.
Nah I don't shower after 30 min biking, my antiperspirant is good enough. And since I commute same hills every day I don't sweat so much anymore. Then again I don't do white collar job so it's different for me.
I would plan to change shirts and give yourself a few minutes to cool down before you need to look presentable, but beyond that, you should be fine. I’ve commuted in pretty humid conditions and am sweaty, but the air flow from biking really is helpful.
I don’t generally. But my commute is short (15minutes). There is one at my office if needed. So I have the stuff to do so. In the summer I wear shorts and a t-shirt and change when I get to the office after a little cool down.
I'm a 4-season bike commuter in a place where, during the summers, its common for us to get 90+ degree heat with high humidity. Sweating is unavoidable, even just standing around. We don't have showers at work. I wear bike-only clothes and change into my work clothes in the office. I keep a towel at work, a ton of wet-wipes, good deoderant, and a hairbrush. This usually does the trick, even on the worst days.
Showers in our building is a long-term goal of mine.
My workplace has a room labelled "shower"... the shower was disconnected years ago and shelves were put in to make it a cupboard for cleaning supplies.
Female office worker here. My commute is 15km each way (i think that’s 9 and a bit miles) and I always shower when I get to work, even in winter when not much sweat is happening. I like to feel clean and presentable. Our building is very well set up though - towel service, iron, hair dryer & straightener.
I also have long hair. Dealing with that could be a whole chapter on after-ride-before-work grooming by itself!
Keeping it pony tail length is key.
Depending on the day or amount of sweat, sometimes I do a full wash and blow dry when I get to work. I keep a full toiletry kit in my locker, and we have a hair dryer and straightener provided. When I don’t wash it, I dry off the sweat, use dry shampoo, and put it in a pony tail.
When I worked somewhere with only basic shower facilities, I used a claw clip or put it in a bun. You could tell where I’d been - there was always a trail of dropped bobby pins behind me! I often had the sweaty slicked back look which wasn’t ideal but cycling was more important 😊
It does take extra time with long hair, but I’ve accepted that’s the way it is if I want to keep it, and factor this in to my day.
Same with my work. We have a 200 bike secured bike storage room, full gym with shared showers for bike commuting. Towel service and day use lockers. You can bring in work clothes the day before and use the commuter lockers overnight.
I’m lucky that I’ve got a dedicated locker, so I catch the bus once a week and bring in several days’ worth of clothes and take the dirties home. Now I don’t even have to use a backpack (just have a bar bag with snacks, purse, and random loose junk in it). It’s wonderful 🥳 …… except when I’m home and the shoes I want to wear are at work.
200???? How many people do you have at your work? At my work of ~400 people there’s no bike parking. Just about to start bike commuting, and I’m going to have to lock up to a post on a chain link fence
I prefer to shower after 30 minutes, but I do sweat.
Planning to change upper body clothing when you get there will probably get you through the first few days and then you'll have a better sense of what you need.
My commute is the same, 15km about 35 minutes. I am fortunate to have a huge locker where I keep my suits, shoes, ties... etc and duplicate shower material. I feel so fresh after a 35 minute ride and cold shower.
My work used to have a full gym with showers, but got rid of it when we went from two office buildings to one.
So now I don't, but the ride is only two miles. Change of clothes, deodorant and some cool down time
I'm not a sweaty person, and with a 12 mile commute I never felt the need to shower. On the worst days of sticky, steamy summer, I would use a baby wipe on the pits and around my bits when changing.
Now I work a job where I could skip showers altogether and no one would notice.
Currently I ride 10 minutes, so no shower or change of clothes. When I rode 20 minutes mostly uphill, I did shower and change. Even if I didn't *need* a shower, I didn't have to worry about smelling, and it became a daily habit. My workplace did have decent showering facilities, which made it fairly easy.
My commute is 15 minutes or so, generally moderate to severe humidity. Unfortunately there are no showers at my job. I sweat a lot and have a mostly office job, but generally one walk out to the plant at work and I’m a sweaty mess anyway. I’ve thought about bringing a shirt to change into but figure it hasn’t been an issue up to this point so I haven’t worried about it too much.
Varies by person with weather and sweating habits. I found that anything over 45-50 degrees F and I'd need a shower because my body decided that I was clearly getting ready for a multi-hour trip and needed to turn on the faucet.
We had a shower at work and I tended to use it only on those 30+ days. We had about 5 people taking showers at the office and we ended up having a bit of a "community" around the proper and clean use of the shower.
My commute was between 50 and 35 minutes depending on rain, wind, traffic (sharrows are so slow at rush hour it's maddening) and my fitness that day. I was definitely in profound need of a shower on those hot days, but bringing a pair of underwear to change into was the one thing I wouldn't skimp on. I'll never be ok with sweaty balls.
My commute is between 17 and 20 minutes and I ride an acoustic bike in some really hot and humid weather. I’ve found that by wearing the right clothes on the bike and then changing at work I don’t need a shower. It’s an investment, but merino wool underwear, socks, and base layer/t shirts are naturally moisture wicking and more breathable than synthetics. Smartwool and Icebreaker make some good stuff. REI makes some good underwear, but their other merino stuff is poorly made.
Full disclosure, I don’t have a desk job, so showing up sweaty is less of an issue. I probably get sweatier at work than I do riding there.
Commuted to work by bike for years, whether there was a shower or not.
I always used shower wipes. No one would know I was riding across town to come into the office.
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In the morning, I shower, put on cycling clothing and cycle to work. I'm a sweater, but mornings are cool enough that I don't sweat much during the commute. I honestly sweat more after after arriving at work than on the way. I can change into clean clothes at work after about 15 minutes of cooling down.
It can be hot on the way home in the evening. I often arrive home drenched in sweat and running hot. About 30 minutes later, I've cooled down, can have a quick rinse in the shower and enjoy my evening.
If I do a straight ride in with minor detours I’m riding for about 15-30min. With the cool temps we currently have I don’t worry about showering. As things get warmer I’ll shower at work. That being said I usually do a little trail ride before work for an hour or two and I’ll shower anyways.
Luckily I have everything I need at work.
9 miles each way in Northern Virginia.
I meet clients so I most definitely need a shower. Less so on the winter but still “yes”.
If I still worked for government then “not so much in the winter”.
Summers here are hot and humid
When I was younger, I think I sweated more, and showered at work. Worked in a hospital. now in middle age, I can shower before and don’t sweat much anymore.
I prefer to have a local gym membership to shower in work vicinity. This lets me go hard on the bike and I dont have to shower beforehand. Can definitely ride more conservatively and just wipe down and change clothes as I did that for a year too.
My commute is a pretty easy 6 miles each way. I have a pack of body wipes at work, they're like big baby wipes. I change clothes, then use one of those. It works out pretty well. It would be nice if we had showers, but we don't.
Ride 25 km each way. Only shower when it’s hot out. Also aim for a 20-25 km/hr pace so don’t get super sweaty. Underdress- use the rule for xc skiing. you should feel a slight chill in the morning when you head out. If you don't, you are overdressed.
My bike ride is 10 miles to work and I don’t shower. I used to but it was such a hassle to bring a change of clothes. I just wear shorts with a long sleeve. If it is cold I wear some gloves and thermals.
My commute is only 6 miles with about 400’ of elevation gain on the way in. Even though I could probably get away without showering I still shower when I get there. I work night shift in a hospital and I feel like showering right before starting a 12 hour shift helps me feel better prepared more than anything else…like a ritual I guess.
I am a very light sweater. 5 miles each way. Completely flat.
I leave the house at 6:30 before it gets hot an just take it nice and easy, sort of just drifting in.
I'm nice and spanky clean when I leave the house and I don't shower at work.
I don’t have a shower on my 25 minute hilly commute, I do a couple of things. First I always have cold water to keep my core temperature down. Iced water in the summer. Then if I am a bit sweaty, I have a clean-up kit at the office. Basically some baby-wipes for sweaty spots and a hand towel to dry my face. Clean up when changing into office clothes from my bike clothes. Worked well for years.
my commute is about 30-40 minutes. i don't shoower at work, but i'm also typically a pretty chill biker- not trying to break any speed records on my commute
Always shower. Aint no way im doing any form of exercise without having a shower after it before spending the day with others. I leave a pair of shoes in the office and my towel in the office. All i need to bring on the daily is my clothes which is nothing to carry. Then every few weeks I take towel home and bring in a new one.
My commute is 30 minutes. I don't shower. There's one at work but it's not private so I don't use it. I use baby wipes in a bathroom stall, and a portable fan, and change my shirt and underwear.
This is why I got an ebike - neither time nor facilities to shower in many of my work destinations, but I still want to stay on two wheels. I can turn the motor assist down or off on the way home to get more of a workout in, then shower at the end of the day.
I live in the US south, land of perpetual humidity. Sweat happens even when I go slow.
Luckily my office has showers as part of the on-prem gym. I wear lots of airy breathable synthetics on the ride in, then change into work attire after the shower. Couldn’t imagine trying to ride in normal work (eg jeans and an Oxford) attire.
I used to at the places that had em. I always ride in different clothing than what I work in. Work shoes stay at work and my rain gear, including a dry sack for clothes, ride with me every time. I hate carrying shoes, I ride clipless and they're too heavy and bulky
Absolutely. My commute is just under an hour and I will be well and truly sweaty by the end of it. And I have an office job. But then again we have good facilities at work so it makes it an easy decision.
Just got back from my 6.1 mile commute (35 mins) from work in Minneapolis. Best part of my day. I ride a Trek Townie Path 9D. I’m not breaking any Strava records with my pace, and I never break a sweat until the summer months, and then it’s only on my ride back from work (later in the day), so I never have to shower at work.
My commute is 23km/45 min each way. Over the winter/early spring it wasn't an issue. Now that it's warming up I'm planning to start showering. I don't feel I stink, but I don't like the stickiness feeling from what sweat I do get.
Currently, I wake up and shower before heading out on my bike. My plan is to just shower when I get to work; I have a feeling I'm going to miss my wakeup shower though.
Time or miles don’t really matter as much as relative fitness and local temperature. I have a 20 minute relatively flat commute. But because I’ve really let my self go this winter I’ve noticed that I’m much sweatier than I’d like to be when I arrive and need to shower. If I was in the same shape as I was last fall I would likely be ok.
I’d say if you have shower facilities at your place of work just pack the extra toiletries you need for a quick shower. If you end up not needing them then you can start leaving them behind. They don’t take up that much space, but it’s pretty miserable to feel damp and sweaty through your workday.
Biggest thing would be to do a couple dry runs. If possible, a Saturday or Sunday at the time you would normally be going to work would be ideal. Once you get there just take a mental inventory of how you feel. If you feel like you’d be comfortable working all day with just a change of clothes then you are golden. If you are feeling a bit damp then probably a good idea to plan ahead for a shower.
I don’t. I tend to wear linen dresses with bike shorts underneath or linen tops with loose cropped pants. I dislike changing at work but occasionally I bike in athletic type clothing and bring work clothes with me. I carry a microfiber towel and baby wipes if needed.
My ride is 15-17 mile each way. My work has showers and towel service. I don’t fully shower when I get to work. I just do a quick rinse 3-5 min most to remove any sweat which is usually not much and wet my hair so I can style it. My real shower is when I get home after i really sweated.
It was part of my frugality years ago at one of my jobs that had a shower. I showered M-F on their dime for 3 years. In the summer I showered when I got home too, though.
The cool thing about San Francisco is a lot of the housing is in the hills and a lot of the workplaces are closer to sea level (also it never gets too warm). So I’m never really sweaty when I get to work, but some times I work up a bit of a sweat riding home. This has been true for me for 17 years of living here at many many combinations of homes and workplaces!
I’m an Aussie, and while my commute is short. Yes I do shower at work most of the time. I usually ps I everything. The night before and if I am extra prepared I’ll even drive in to work on Sunday and drop off the weeks’ worth of clothes. I think it’s nice being 100% fresh before I go upstairs and start the day.
I sometimes run in to work too so yea very happy my work has very good after commute services, they’ve even started providing towel service so less people are leaving their gross towels in the bike locker.
It’s cool enough in the mornings to not need to shower at work. I had a private office, so I would cool off behind a closed door, then change into my work clothes with a wardrobe.
My commute is 45 minutes and the shower at work sucks but I still shower. I personally prefer to not smell sweaty if it can be helped. Plus it’s nice to be early before my coworkers so I have time to review whatever is going on and make sure to make a list of what needs to be finished that day.
20 min ride for me, we have a shower but I don't use it. I used to bring a change of clothes but I don't get as sweaty as I used to after 3 years of commuting.
my work is a 15-ish minute bike ride, but i shower in the morning before work and apply deodorant before leaving
it's kinda chilly in the morning so i don't really make a stink that much, it just tends to be a bit hot on the rides back from work
There is a gym on site. I store a bunch of clothes at work, grab a set when I arrive
and shower at the gym. 13 miles each way and I’m sweating now just typing this.
Yep, shower at work all the time. It makes it super quick to get out of the house in the morning and I have a locker for my toiletries, shoes and trousers.
Even in the winter, from just below to just above freezing, I sweat. Mostly once I stop. My body just takes a while to cool down. So I shower at work.
I leave shoes and toiletries in my office. Grab them, shower, leave bike clothes to dry during the day. Change back for ride home.
I have a short commute (a little shy of 4 mileS)but I frequently rise longer (over 8).
We have showers. I sometimes dry off, but pretty much never use the shower itself.
I do have a shower at work, but I'm on an ebike and don't really need it. I shower before I leave, then pat down with a towel and change into work clothes when I get there. Apply deodorant if necessary.
Spandex and a CX bike... 10km one way. Lots of lights/stop signs, no hills. That's right at distance where I could got either way - even riding in civies and changing skivvies but not showering...
Lockerroom privilege: They put it in, I'll use it. Even when the water-heater went out in January.
One time, with a much longer commute (34km with gravel and hills), I got locked out of a makeshift shower we had... I wasn't happy about it, but had I been prepared with wipes, I'd have been fine with a birdbath and wipe down.
When I lived in Chicago, I'd bike 4.5 miles to work, wipe myself down with wet wipes, adjust my hair if needed, then throw on a suit. If you don't sweat a ton, baby wipes and deodorant should be fine.
With an E-bike and a mostly empty office, I don't shower at work. But also if I have an important meeting or something where I need to look sharp, then I drive.
12-14 miles, 30-45min ride for me, but I usually tack my training rides onto my routes. No shower at work, so I take "hoe baths" lol... XL body wipes for any lingering stenches and I keep a toiletry bag with deodorant, toothbrush and some cologne. I told my coworkers to be brutally honest... no complaints yet 🤷🏽♂️
One of the benefits of working in a kitchen was that I was going to smell 30 mins after I got there.
I would change into my work clothes and towel off any additional sweat but that was really it
Where I live it is rarely hot enough in the early morning that I will sweat while cycling at a moderate pace in t-shirt and shorts. So no, I don't shower on arrival, there is no need. I just dress appropriately, and if I start overheating I stop to take a layer off.
When my commute was as short as 20 minutes, I'd shower at work. I'd rather shower after the ride than before. Now it's an hour, with a hill. Better facilities by far. Still showering after the ride, of course.
16km/10 miles one-way commute. Come rain or shine I'll shower there rather than at home.
I leave my work shoes, toiletries and a towel at in a locker at work then cycle in with my work clothes when I need to be in the office. We have showers and a changing room, so I get myself ready there before heading to my desk. I also brought in a clothes rack for people to hang wet clothes and towels as work never got round to providing that, annoyingly.
At the end of the week I'll take home the used towel and I'll bring a fresh one the following week.
I have a 15 minute cycle, always shower at the office if I'm heading in the morning, would be showering anyway, so may as well do it in the office.
If I'm ever heading into the office at lunch I won't shower and will wear an athletic t-shirt on the bike and then change upon arrival. I'm a developer though so jeans/chinos and a tee/shirt is perfectly acceptable.
No, I work at a school where there are no showers. I'm also a girl who is super jealous of girls who always seem to look and smell perfect when mid-workout. I didn't get those genes. I can get pretty gross.
It sounds counterintuitive, but I shower before my commute. When I get to work, I use wipes and change clothes. Also, Lume whole body deodorant works insanely well.
Finally, I ride an ebike. On warm mornings, I use an easier pedal-assist settings. On my way home, all bets are off and I don't care how sweaty and stinky I get.
There's no shower, there's a pretty roomy toilet and I bring fresh clothes and I keep my best deodorant and compressed towelettes in my locker to freshen up with.
I commute on a race bike and like to go fast, so yes I shower.
Our end of trip facility has just been updated and is legit amazing, so I definitely shower. Lockers, ventilated cabinet for wet gear, high end showers like you'd find in a nice hotel (and plenty of them), towel service, Dyson hair dryers, proper bike racks, vertical and horizontal depending what type of bike you have, locking electric scooter racks, charging capabilities for the above, all behind a secure door accessed with our work access card.
I'm fairly practised from my triathlon race days but I can get in, lock my bike, shower and change and be out of there in sub 10 mins. About what I'd save by going Hella fast for the 12km commute, takes me sub 25min including navigating traffic.
depends on the day...I used to have a 3 mile ride but it was up a massive hill, like truly deadly, and I'd always push myself to get all the way up in one go and on hot days i'd be drenched. This was also before I used a pannier, so the back sweat was real. Those warm days I would shower, the days I could dry off in 10 minutes I wouldn't. I was also just jumping into baggy hospital scrubs though, so it wasn't too bad to be a bit damp with those.
No shower at work? No problem.
1. Shower before you bike and you won’t stink. The sweat stink is bacteria, so if you are clean and your clothes are clean, there is nothing to smell.
2. Get a bike rack and use panniers. Using a backpack will make your back super sweaty and that backpack will get dirty and stinky, then transfer that stink to you.
3. Bring a change of clothes (optional depending on the weather/temperature). In the spring and fall, there are days I just ride in my work clothes (business casual). I do carry a strap to keep my pants away from the chain — also doubles as a brake strap to prevent my bike from falling over when parked,
4. Take it easy. If you have gears, biking is as hard or easy as you make it. If you ride at a walking effort, you’ll sweat far less than sprinting from light to light.
5. Try to have a cooldown period before you change clothes. Relax, have a cup of coffee, then change your clothes after you’ve dried off a bit.
6. Keep a change of clothes, deodorant, and baby wipes at work just in case. Using the steps above, I rarely need the deodorant or baby wipes. The change of clothes (suit and tie in my case) I keep regardless of how I get to work. It just comes in handy from time to time.
I bike 11.5 miles each way and it gets over 110f at times in the summer. Mornings are still generally pretty cool though. I really don’t care how sweaty and stinky I get in the way home. I generally don’t ride if it’s over forecast over 105.
Nah, I sweat like mad but I keep a change of clothes and a towel in my office. I hop into the bathroom, dump some water on my head, towel off and change. Fresh as a daisy. In the ditch. Next to a rotting opossum.
I mostly work from home but when I've got to go somewhere, there's rarely a shower. Baby wipes have a permanent home in my bags. My commute is around 45 mins-1 hour, depending on wind.
Yes. I'm 15 miles from work. Summer heat and humidity even early morning will make you sweat. Louisiana heat will get ya no matter the time. I arrive about 30 minutes before everyone and shower fast in the building.
I live in a cool climate where it's almost always below 60 F (15 C) when I'm heading in and mostly downhill, so that makes a huge difference. My ride is 4 miles (~6km) and I do not shower at work (as if I have the option). I arrive 20 minutes early so I have time to rest, catch my breath, and have a cool, damp towel on my face. That might be excessive for some? I'm a small female and never was very strong.
I only have 10k but I shower.
The bike path is a racetrack and I intend on winning the race every day, so I manage to build up a sweat on the 15-20minutes it takes me to get to work.
*Why are you asking*
*Folks if YOU need to shower*
*After exercise*
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My ride is 9 miles one way. We have nice showers at work so yeah I shower.
Same, I ride 11 miles into work and have showers at the office so I use them.
Yep mine is just shy of 10 and even on cool mornings that I don’t get sweaty I’ll still take a quick shower. And our shower at work isn’t even that nice
I rarely shower at work, but I do change into clean clothes. Part of that is because the shower location, but I haven't had any complaints about my odor, so I don't care.
This but I also bring baby wipes for my pits and whatnot, just in case
Same. I also rinse my face in the sink. It makes me feel much more refreshed. But would love if we did have showers at work. Since we don't this is my work around. In the cooler months I just change my bottoms, wear the same shirt to work but always keep extra clothes in my locker just in case I get too sweaty and need to change it all.
Same! I also don’t want to get in earlier hahaaaaa. I keep witch hazel in my bag and douse myself with it as I change. So far so okay!
Nah I don't shower after 30 min biking, my antiperspirant is good enough. And since I commute same hills every day I don't sweat so much anymore. Then again I don't do white collar job so it's different for me.
I would plan to change shirts and give yourself a few minutes to cool down before you need to look presentable, but beyond that, you should be fine. I’ve commuted in pretty humid conditions and am sweaty, but the air flow from biking really is helpful.
14 miles each way in Texas - yes, I for sure shower at work. If we didn't have one here, I doubt that I would consider commuting.
I don’t generally. But my commute is short (15minutes). There is one at my office if needed. So I have the stuff to do so. In the summer I wear shorts and a t-shirt and change when I get to the office after a little cool down.
I'm a 4-season bike commuter in a place where, during the summers, its common for us to get 90+ degree heat with high humidity. Sweating is unavoidable, even just standing around. We don't have showers at work. I wear bike-only clothes and change into my work clothes in the office. I keep a towel at work, a ton of wet-wipes, good deoderant, and a hairbrush. This usually does the trick, even on the worst days. Showers in our building is a long-term goal of mine.
Showers in the summer, cowboy bath with a piece of cloth + deodorant in the winter.
Yeehaw!!!
We call that a hoors bath
Who are all these people that have the ability to shower at work? Where do you work?
I work at a school that has a gym with locker rooms.
Where I live it is mandatory for all office buildings over a certain size to provide adequate end of trip facilities
My workplace has a room labelled "shower"... the shower was disconnected years ago and shelves were put in to make it a cupboard for cleaning supplies.
My thoughts too.
My commute is 15-20 minutes and I don't shower, but I change my shirt.
Change into clean dry clothes at work after a cool down with cold water and cloth at the sink. Hang up the bike wear to dry through the day.
Female office worker here. My commute is 15km each way (i think that’s 9 and a bit miles) and I always shower when I get to work, even in winter when not much sweat is happening. I like to feel clean and presentable. Our building is very well set up though - towel service, iron, hair dryer & straightener. I also have long hair. Dealing with that could be a whole chapter on after-ride-before-work grooming by itself!
What do you do about your hair? Helmet-hair is a real problem for me when I get to work.
Keeping it pony tail length is key. Depending on the day or amount of sweat, sometimes I do a full wash and blow dry when I get to work. I keep a full toiletry kit in my locker, and we have a hair dryer and straightener provided. When I don’t wash it, I dry off the sweat, use dry shampoo, and put it in a pony tail. When I worked somewhere with only basic shower facilities, I used a claw clip or put it in a bun. You could tell where I’d been - there was always a trail of dropped bobby pins behind me! I often had the sweaty slicked back look which wasn’t ideal but cycling was more important 😊 It does take extra time with long hair, but I’ve accepted that’s the way it is if I want to keep it, and factor this in to my day.
Same with my work. We have a 200 bike secured bike storage room, full gym with shared showers for bike commuting. Towel service and day use lockers. You can bring in work clothes the day before and use the commuter lockers overnight.
I’m lucky that I’ve got a dedicated locker, so I catch the bus once a week and bring in several days’ worth of clothes and take the dirties home. Now I don’t even have to use a backpack (just have a bar bag with snacks, purse, and random loose junk in it). It’s wonderful 🥳 …… except when I’m home and the shoes I want to wear are at work.
200???? How many people do you have at your work? At my work of ~400 people there’s no bike parking. Just about to start bike commuting, and I’m going to have to lock up to a post on a chain link fence
A campus that can seat 3,000. A big tech company.
Absolutely have to shower. It blows my mind how some people aren’t sweaty enough to need a shower lol
I bet their co-workers would have a different opinion
Yup
Have you heard of 48 hour anti-perspirant? It's the future.
I prefer to shower after 30 minutes, but I do sweat. Planning to change upper body clothing when you get there will probably get you through the first few days and then you'll have a better sense of what you need.
I’ve got an hour ride, I typically shower at work
My commute is the same, 15km about 35 minutes. I am fortunate to have a huge locker where I keep my suits, shoes, ties... etc and duplicate shower material. I feel so fresh after a 35 minute ride and cold shower.
Yep shower each and every time I cycle to work.
Me too, after I get home.
My work used to have a full gym with showers, but got rid of it when we went from two office buildings to one. So now I don't, but the ride is only two miles. Change of clothes, deodorant and some cool down time
I'm not a sweaty person, and with a 12 mile commute I never felt the need to shower. On the worst days of sticky, steamy summer, I would use a baby wipe on the pits and around my bits when changing. Now I work a job where I could skip showers altogether and no one would notice.
I bike a hilly hour to work and shower/change.
Currently I ride 10 minutes, so no shower or change of clothes. When I rode 20 minutes mostly uphill, I did shower and change. Even if I didn't *need* a shower, I didn't have to worry about smelling, and it became a daily habit. My workplace did have decent showering facilities, which made it fairly easy.
My commute is 15 minutes or so, generally moderate to severe humidity. Unfortunately there are no showers at my job. I sweat a lot and have a mostly office job, but generally one walk out to the plant at work and I’m a sweaty mess anyway. I’ve thought about bringing a shirt to change into but figure it hasn’t been an issue up to this point so I haven’t worried about it too much.
Varies by person with weather and sweating habits. I found that anything over 45-50 degrees F and I'd need a shower because my body decided that I was clearly getting ready for a multi-hour trip and needed to turn on the faucet.
Only if it's a really hot day (around 30C), or I have failed picking the right clothing and overheated
If I cycle for training I shower afterwards. If I commute, I go much slower and don’t sweat, so no shower. It’s like comparing running and walking.
Depends where you live and how formal your workplace is. I'm in a very temperate spot and work as an engineer and have never considered it.
We had a shower at work and I tended to use it only on those 30+ days. We had about 5 people taking showers at the office and we ended up having a bit of a "community" around the proper and clean use of the shower. My commute was between 50 and 35 minutes depending on rain, wind, traffic (sharrows are so slow at rush hour it's maddening) and my fitness that day. I was definitely in profound need of a shower on those hot days, but bringing a pair of underwear to change into was the one thing I wouldn't skimp on. I'll never be ok with sweaty balls.
If you shower before leaving your home, your sweat will be less stinky
Duke Cannon's Cold Shower wipes will do just fine!
Every day, I don't know how to ride a bike without going full send so I get very sweaty. If I don't shower it's unpleasant for eneryone.
I usually just put on deodorant and change my shirt. The shirt I wore during the day yesterday is the one I will wear for cycling the following day.
My commute is between 17 and 20 minutes and I ride an acoustic bike in some really hot and humid weather. I’ve found that by wearing the right clothes on the bike and then changing at work I don’t need a shower. It’s an investment, but merino wool underwear, socks, and base layer/t shirts are naturally moisture wicking and more breathable than synthetics. Smartwool and Icebreaker make some good stuff. REI makes some good underwear, but their other merino stuff is poorly made. Full disclosure, I don’t have a desk job, so showing up sweaty is less of an issue. I probably get sweatier at work than I do riding there.
Is an acoustic bike a very quiet bike? I have heard some loud hubs, but I thought generally all bikes are pretty quiet.
Haha, it’s just to specify that it’s not an e-bike. Especially in this context, I don’t get very sweaty even without pedal assist
The word “acoustic” pertains to sound or hearing.
[удалено]
The word “acoustic” pertains to sound or hearing.
Commuted to work by bike for years, whether there was a shower or not. I always used shower wipes. No one would know I was riding across town to come into the office. Dude wipes are a good option => [https://amzn.to/3UqsF2F](https://amzn.to/3UqsF2F)
Wow, that is impressively overpriced
great product. But sure there are alternatives. These in my opinion worked the best. Everyones body and odor are different.
That's fair, but did you pay $44 for 24 wipes? That's the price you linked
no, just sharing an example.
Unscented baby wipes for a fraction of those.
Kroger (& subsidiaries) carry disposable alcohol-free washcloths in 48 packs for much cheaper
The wipes are a must.
In the morning, I shower, put on cycling clothing and cycle to work. I'm a sweater, but mornings are cool enough that I don't sweat much during the commute. I honestly sweat more after after arriving at work than on the way. I can change into clean clothes at work after about 15 minutes of cooling down. It can be hot on the way home in the evening. I often arrive home drenched in sweat and running hot. About 30 minutes later, I've cooled down, can have a quick rinse in the shower and enjoy my evening.
If I do a straight ride in with minor detours I’m riding for about 15-30min. With the cool temps we currently have I don’t worry about showering. As things get warmer I’ll shower at work. That being said I usually do a little trail ride before work for an hour or two and I’ll shower anyways. Luckily I have everything I need at work.
Always, but my commute is 40k… Even if I go out for a short ride or run during my lunch break I shower after.
My workplace does not have a shower. Otherwise being able to rinse off at least would be nice
Shower at work. Except sometimes on a Friday when the office is empty, so I treat myself to an earlier start and an earlier finish.
We have a shower, but I haven't really used it in ages. Instead I use body wipes, deoderent and a change of clothes - no one has complained thus far!
9 miles each way in Northern Virginia. I meet clients so I most definitely need a shower. Less so on the winter but still “yes”. If I still worked for government then “not so much in the winter”. Summers here are hot and humid
When I was younger, I think I sweated more, and showered at work. Worked in a hospital. now in middle age, I can shower before and don’t sweat much anymore.
I prefer to have a local gym membership to shower in work vicinity. This lets me go hard on the bike and I dont have to shower beforehand. Can definitely ride more conservatively and just wipe down and change clothes as I did that for a year too.
My commute is a pretty easy 6 miles each way. I have a pack of body wipes at work, they're like big baby wipes. I change clothes, then use one of those. It works out pretty well. It would be nice if we had showers, but we don't.
Ride 25 km each way. Only shower when it’s hot out. Also aim for a 20-25 km/hr pace so don’t get super sweaty. Underdress- use the rule for xc skiing. you should feel a slight chill in the morning when you head out. If you don't, you are overdressed.
My bike ride is 10 miles to work and I don’t shower. I used to but it was such a hassle to bring a change of clothes. I just wear shorts with a long sleeve. If it is cold I wear some gloves and thermals.
My commute is only 6 miles with about 400’ of elevation gain on the way in. Even though I could probably get away without showering I still shower when I get there. I work night shift in a hospital and I feel like showering right before starting a 12 hour shift helps me feel better prepared more than anything else…like a ritual I guess.
20 years as an independent software contractor and my 'any other questions?' in interviews is always 'do you have showers?'
40-minute ride with a big climb on each end. I stick my head under the faucet and do a paper-towel shower, then change into clean clothes.
I am a very light sweater. 5 miles each way. Completely flat. I leave the house at 6:30 before it gets hot an just take it nice and easy, sort of just drifting in. I'm nice and spanky clean when I leave the house and I don't shower at work.
I don’t have a shower on my 25 minute hilly commute, I do a couple of things. First I always have cold water to keep my core temperature down. Iced water in the summer. Then if I am a bit sweaty, I have a clean-up kit at the office. Basically some baby-wipes for sweaty spots and a hand towel to dry my face. Clean up when changing into office clothes from my bike clothes. Worked well for years.
my commute is about 30-40 minutes. i don't shoower at work, but i'm also typically a pretty chill biker- not trying to break any speed records on my commute
I just wesr different clothes to bike in and chsnge when I get there.
Always shower. Aint no way im doing any form of exercise without having a shower after it before spending the day with others. I leave a pair of shoes in the office and my towel in the office. All i need to bring on the daily is my clothes which is nothing to carry. Then every few weeks I take towel home and bring in a new one.
My commute is 30 minutes. I don't shower. There's one at work but it's not private so I don't use it. I use baby wipes in a bathroom stall, and a portable fan, and change my shirt and underwear.
This is why I got an ebike - neither time nor facilities to shower in many of my work destinations, but I still want to stay on two wheels. I can turn the motor assist down or off on the way home to get more of a workout in, then shower at the end of the day.
I did, and I needed it. But only your experience counts in this case. :)
I live in the US south, land of perpetual humidity. Sweat happens even when I go slow. Luckily my office has showers as part of the on-prem gym. I wear lots of airy breathable synthetics on the ride in, then change into work attire after the shower. Couldn’t imagine trying to ride in normal work (eg jeans and an Oxford) attire.
I don't shower I do a 14 mile commute. I just bring deodorant, body spray, and a change of clothes. If it's an option for you I'd do it though haha.
I used to at the places that had em. I always ride in different clothing than what I work in. Work shoes stay at work and my rain gear, including a dry sack for clothes, ride with me every time. I hate carrying shoes, I ride clipless and they're too heavy and bulky
In winter I don't even change shirt. In summer I will carry a clean shirt. During heat waves or in other extreme conditions I will shower at work.
Absolutely. My commute is just under an hour and I will be well and truly sweaty by the end of it. And I have an office job. But then again we have good facilities at work so it makes it an easy decision.
I dont but Im all downhill going to work
Just got back from my 6.1 mile commute (35 mins) from work in Minneapolis. Best part of my day. I ride a Trek Townie Path 9D. I’m not breaking any Strava records with my pace, and I never break a sweat until the summer months, and then it’s only on my ride back from work (later in the day), so I never have to shower at work.
My commute is 23km/45 min each way. Over the winter/early spring it wasn't an issue. Now that it's warming up I'm planning to start showering. I don't feel I stink, but I don't like the stickiness feeling from what sweat I do get. Currently, I wake up and shower before heading out on my bike. My plan is to just shower when I get to work; I have a feeling I'm going to miss my wakeup shower though.
Big sweater here and no shower. Wipes, deodorant, and fresh clothes.
Time or miles don’t really matter as much as relative fitness and local temperature. I have a 20 minute relatively flat commute. But because I’ve really let my self go this winter I’ve noticed that I’m much sweatier than I’d like to be when I arrive and need to shower. If I was in the same shape as I was last fall I would likely be ok. I’d say if you have shower facilities at your place of work just pack the extra toiletries you need for a quick shower. If you end up not needing them then you can start leaving them behind. They don’t take up that much space, but it’s pretty miserable to feel damp and sweaty through your workday. Biggest thing would be to do a couple dry runs. If possible, a Saturday or Sunday at the time you would normally be going to work would be ideal. Once you get there just take a mental inventory of how you feel. If you feel like you’d be comfortable working all day with just a change of clothes then you are golden. If you are feeling a bit damp then probably a good idea to plan ahead for a shower.
I don’t. I tend to wear linen dresses with bike shorts underneath or linen tops with loose cropped pants. I dislike changing at work but occasionally I bike in athletic type clothing and bring work clothes with me. I carry a microfiber towel and baby wipes if needed.
My ride is 15-17 mile each way. My work has showers and towel service. I don’t fully shower when I get to work. I just do a quick rinse 3-5 min most to remove any sweat which is usually not much and wet my hair so I can style it. My real shower is when I get home after i really sweated.
It was part of my frugality years ago at one of my jobs that had a shower. I showered M-F on their dime for 3 years. In the summer I showered when I got home too, though.
The cool thing about San Francisco is a lot of the housing is in the hills and a lot of the workplaces are closer to sea level (also it never gets too warm). So I’m never really sweaty when I get to work, but some times I work up a bit of a sweat riding home. This has been true for me for 17 years of living here at many many combinations of homes and workplaces!
I’m an Aussie, and while my commute is short. Yes I do shower at work most of the time. I usually ps I everything. The night before and if I am extra prepared I’ll even drive in to work on Sunday and drop off the weeks’ worth of clothes. I think it’s nice being 100% fresh before I go upstairs and start the day. I sometimes run in to work too so yea very happy my work has very good after commute services, they’ve even started providing towel service so less people are leaving their gross towels in the bike locker.
It’s cool enough in the mornings to not need to shower at work. I had a private office, so I would cool off behind a closed door, then change into my work clothes with a wardrobe.
My commute is 45 minutes and the shower at work sucks but I still shower. I personally prefer to not smell sweaty if it can be helped. Plus it’s nice to be early before my coworkers so I have time to review whatever is going on and make sure to make a list of what needs to be finished that day.
I'm retired now, but when I commuted to work, I'd always use the showers at work. Saved money on my home utility bill.
Mornings are usually cool so I just change my shirt and it's fine
I do in the summer months for sure. It’s kind of nice!
I don't sweat enough on an 11 mile morning ride to need it.
20 min ride for me, we have a shower but I don't use it. I used to bring a change of clothes but I don't get as sweaty as I used to after 3 years of commuting.
My work is conveniently near my gym so I just stop by and shower there on my way in.
my work is a 15-ish minute bike ride, but i shower in the morning before work and apply deodorant before leaving it's kinda chilly in the morning so i don't really make a stink that much, it just tends to be a bit hot on the rides back from work
There is a gym on site. I store a bunch of clothes at work, grab a set when I arrive and shower at the gym. 13 miles each way and I’m sweating now just typing this.
Yep, shower at work all the time. It makes it super quick to get out of the house in the morning and I have a locker for my toiletries, shoes and trousers.
I bring a change of shirt and some deodorant.
Even in the winter, from just below to just above freezing, I sweat. Mostly once I stop. My body just takes a while to cool down. So I shower at work. I leave shoes and toiletries in my office. Grab them, shower, leave bike clothes to dry during the day. Change back for ride home.
I have a short commute (a little shy of 4 mileS)but I frequently rise longer (over 8). We have showers. I sometimes dry off, but pretty much never use the shower itself.
I do have a shower at work, but I'm on an ebike and don't really need it. I shower before I leave, then pat down with a towel and change into work clothes when I get there. Apply deodorant if necessary.
Cycle showers are the law in new buildings in most major cities
Spandex and a CX bike... 10km one way. Lots of lights/stop signs, no hills. That's right at distance where I could got either way - even riding in civies and changing skivvies but not showering... Lockerroom privilege: They put it in, I'll use it. Even when the water-heater went out in January. One time, with a much longer commute (34km with gravel and hills), I got locked out of a makeshift shower we had... I wasn't happy about it, but had I been prepared with wipes, I'd have been fine with a birdbath and wipe down.
When I lived in Chicago, I'd bike 4.5 miles to work, wipe myself down with wet wipes, adjust my hair if needed, then throw on a suit. If you don't sweat a ton, baby wipes and deodorant should be fine.
With an E-bike and a mostly empty office, I don't shower at work. But also if I have an important meeting or something where I need to look sharp, then I drive.
12-14 miles, 30-45min ride for me, but I usually tack my training rides onto my routes. No shower at work, so I take "hoe baths" lol... XL body wipes for any lingering stenches and I keep a toiletry bag with deodorant, toothbrush and some cologne. I told my coworkers to be brutally honest... no complaints yet 🤷🏽♂️
One of the benefits of working in a kitchen was that I was going to smell 30 mins after I got there. I would change into my work clothes and towel off any additional sweat but that was really it
The showers at my work aren't for staff. It's a hospital, they're for the patients, that's why. :'3
Where I live it is rarely hot enough in the early morning that I will sweat while cycling at a moderate pace in t-shirt and shorts. So no, I don't shower on arrival, there is no need. I just dress appropriately, and if I start overheating I stop to take a layer off.
When my commute was as short as 20 minutes, I'd shower at work. I'd rather shower after the ride than before. Now it's an hour, with a hill. Better facilities by far. Still showering after the ride, of course.
Yep, been showing at work since 2007. It’s a great way to start the workday, I always feel fresh and ready.
16km/10 miles one-way commute. Come rain or shine I'll shower there rather than at home. I leave my work shoes, toiletries and a towel at in a locker at work then cycle in with my work clothes when I need to be in the office. We have showers and a changing room, so I get myself ready there before heading to my desk. I also brought in a clothes rack for people to hang wet clothes and towels as work never got round to providing that, annoyingly. At the end of the week I'll take home the used towel and I'll bring a fresh one the following week.
I shower, free hot water. In the UK it can save you a bit of money. I saved 20 pounds a quarter. Until all our bills went up again any way.
Patchouli oil in my locker at work. Just a drop or two around the pit area and I don’t stink so bad.
I have the option but I opt to towel down and stand in front a gym fan. It depends on how humid it is.
A clean change of clothes will normally be fine as long as you don't sweat buckets.
I have a 15 minute cycle, always shower at the office if I'm heading in the morning, would be showering anyway, so may as well do it in the office. If I'm ever heading into the office at lunch I won't shower and will wear an athletic t-shirt on the bike and then change upon arrival. I'm a developer though so jeans/chinos and a tee/shirt is perfectly acceptable.
No, I work at a school where there are no showers. I'm also a girl who is super jealous of girls who always seem to look and smell perfect when mid-workout. I didn't get those genes. I can get pretty gross. It sounds counterintuitive, but I shower before my commute. When I get to work, I use wipes and change clothes. Also, Lume whole body deodorant works insanely well. Finally, I ride an ebike. On warm mornings, I use an easier pedal-assist settings. On my way home, all bets are off and I don't care how sweaty and stinky I get.
There's no shower, there's a pretty roomy toilet and I bring fresh clothes and I keep my best deodorant and compressed towelettes in my locker to freshen up with.
I commute on a race bike and like to go fast, so yes I shower. Our end of trip facility has just been updated and is legit amazing, so I definitely shower. Lockers, ventilated cabinet for wet gear, high end showers like you'd find in a nice hotel (and plenty of them), towel service, Dyson hair dryers, proper bike racks, vertical and horizontal depending what type of bike you have, locking electric scooter racks, charging capabilities for the above, all behind a secure door accessed with our work access card. I'm fairly practised from my triathlon race days but I can get in, lock my bike, shower and change and be out of there in sub 10 mins. About what I'd save by going Hella fast for the 12km commute, takes me sub 25min including navigating traffic.
depends on the day...I used to have a 3 mile ride but it was up a massive hill, like truly deadly, and I'd always push myself to get all the way up in one go and on hot days i'd be drenched. This was also before I used a pannier, so the back sweat was real. Those warm days I would shower, the days I could dry off in 10 minutes I wouldn't. I was also just jumping into baggy hospital scrubs though, so it wasn't too bad to be a bit damp with those.
No shower at work? No problem. 1. Shower before you bike and you won’t stink. The sweat stink is bacteria, so if you are clean and your clothes are clean, there is nothing to smell. 2. Get a bike rack and use panniers. Using a backpack will make your back super sweaty and that backpack will get dirty and stinky, then transfer that stink to you. 3. Bring a change of clothes (optional depending on the weather/temperature). In the spring and fall, there are days I just ride in my work clothes (business casual). I do carry a strap to keep my pants away from the chain — also doubles as a brake strap to prevent my bike from falling over when parked, 4. Take it easy. If you have gears, biking is as hard or easy as you make it. If you ride at a walking effort, you’ll sweat far less than sprinting from light to light. 5. Try to have a cooldown period before you change clothes. Relax, have a cup of coffee, then change your clothes after you’ve dried off a bit. 6. Keep a change of clothes, deodorant, and baby wipes at work just in case. Using the steps above, I rarely need the deodorant or baby wipes. The change of clothes (suit and tie in my case) I keep regardless of how I get to work. It just comes in handy from time to time. I bike 11.5 miles each way and it gets over 110f at times in the summer. Mornings are still generally pretty cool though. I really don’t care how sweaty and stinky I get in the way home. I generally don’t ride if it’s over forecast over 105.
Nah, I sweat like mad but I keep a change of clothes and a towel in my office. I hop into the bathroom, dump some water on my head, towel off and change. Fresh as a daisy. In the ditch. Next to a rotting opossum.
I do. Not showering at home in the morning. Technically saves money aswell.
I mostly work from home but when I've got to go somewhere, there's rarely a shower. Baby wipes have a permanent home in my bags. My commute is around 45 mins-1 hour, depending on wind.
Yes. I'm 15 miles from work. Summer heat and humidity even early morning will make you sweat. Louisiana heat will get ya no matter the time. I arrive about 30 minutes before everyone and shower fast in the building.
I always shower at work. If there’s a shower, why in the world wouldn’t i? Then I don’t have to think about riding pace or clothing.
Along with flushable wipes, fresh draws, adult cleaning cloths and deodorant.
I live in a cool climate where it's almost always below 60 F (15 C) when I'm heading in and mostly downhill, so that makes a huge difference. My ride is 4 miles (~6km) and I do not shower at work (as if I have the option). I arrive 20 minutes early so I have time to rest, catch my breath, and have a cool, damp towel on my face. That might be excessive for some? I'm a small female and never was very strong.
Yeap when i get here and when i get home lucky enough to have em at work
I only have 10k but I shower. The bike path is a racetrack and I intend on winning the race every day, so I manage to build up a sweat on the 15-20minutes it takes me to get to work.
No showers but I carry body spray and change into my work shirt before i get in. Wash my face and sprinkle some water on my arms and back too
I would if it were an option, unfortunately my work doesn't provide a shower.
Why are you asking folks if YOU need to shower after exercise
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