Frustration with my boss over bike...

[The Crofted Crest]

I would if I didn't need it for driving around my toddler and 91 year old grandfather. That would be fabulous!

Well that's your choice of course. It's a question of priorities. But if you value your children and Gramps more than your bicycle, so be it. Who am I to criticize?

 

[byegad]

I suggest you buy a very heavy bike lock, the bigger the better, then clobber your boss with it. It'll mean getting a new job when you get out of gaol, but well worth it!

 

[Cuchilo]

Amazing how different people react to cycling isnt it . I mentioned to one of my customers that i intended to drop off the windows ive made for his house and then cycle over to him every day to fit them . He said feel free to throw yourself in the swimming pool when you get here or i was welcome to use the shower

 

[steveindenmark]

A couple of snaps of our works bike shed.

 

[johnnyb47]

It's a shame to read that your boss is so narrow minded. I could understand him not wanting you bringing your bike into a office dripping wet ,if the the office was a show piece where client's often visited , but from what I've read this is not the case. We have well 300 people who work at our place and only a handful of them cycle to work. The company provides a bike rack but as there's so few that cycle in to work the company turns a blind eye to where there kept. Most of the employees keep them tucked away somewhere in the warehouse out of sight. Is there anywhere else nearby you could leave your bike such as another business next door to you..If you're boss sees that a neighbouring business is more proactive in helping cyclists it may shame him into being a little more flexible in helping his own staff out.

 

[rivers]

It's funny how anti-cycling some places are. We have several different cycle storage areas on campus, most of them covered. I tend to store my bike in the workshop of my building as I can't be asked to carry a lock to work.
My employer tries to encourage cycling to work over driving as we have limited parking available, and are in the middle of nowhere between Bath and Bristol, so limited bus service to campus as well as the smaller towns/villages. Hell, I live in Bristol, and for me to get to work it's either 3 buses, or a 40 minute walk on one end to Temple Meads and 20 minute walk on the other to get to campus. I might as well cycle as it's quicker (which I do). They trialled an electric bike loan scheme this year and are switching cycle to work providers to enable employees to get an electric bike as there is what non-cyclists/new cyclists would consider to be a large hill to get to campus. The electric bikes are now available for employees to use for inter-site travel and business meetings in town.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

A couple of snaps of our works bike shed.

Impressive space, but those wheel benders... yuk!

 

[ADarkDraconis]

WOW what a difference in bosses.

A few years ago I raised the point of a bike shed at our works monthly meeting. At that time I was the only person riding to work. The boss said he would look into it, and I left it at that.

A couple of weeks later I turned up to work and nearly fell off my bike. A bike shed had been built right outside the entrance to my work. I dont even get wet when I go into the building. But its not just a 6 foot by 6 foot shed. Its big, really big, for a bike shed. Especially when you think I was the only person using it. They even fitted racks. A whole row of racks. Which I dont use and didnt need. We have used it for BBQs and 20 of us had a sit down buffet, complete with trestle tables and chairs. Now in the summer we usually have about a dozen empoyees riding to work and using the bike shed.

The bike shed was so big that I suggested seperating part of it and using it for the smokers. We made a curtain out of sail cloth and put a couple of tables and benches in and the smokers have their lunch out there. There is still lots of room for bikes.

If I were the OP I would have no problem going over the bosses head and would let him know before I did it. We have a right to stay fit and healthy and cycling is a great way to help with strass and anxiety. It sounds like the OP may need this with the boss he has.

Wow, SteveInDenmark, that's pretty awesome! I won't hold my breath for a shed, this boss is the type that takes over a year to fix the broken faucet in the ladies' restrooms, but maybe his boss will be a bit more welcoming to the idea. I was just surprised as he and I normally get on very well and on days when he's not in a mood we joke around and have a decent relationship, and he is competent at his job, but on this he was just like No!

 

[ADarkDraconis]

It's a shame to read that your boss is so narrow minded. I could understand him not wanting you bringing your bike into a office dripping wet ,if the the office was a show piece where client's often visited , but from what I've read this is not the case. We have well 300 people who work at our place and only a handful of them cycle to work. The company provides a bike rack but as there's so few that cycle in to work the company turns a blind eye to where there kept. Most of the employees keep them tucked away somewhere in the warehouse out of sight. Is there anywhere else nearby you could leave your bike such as another business next door to you..If you're boss sees that a neighbouring business is more proactive in helping cyclists it may shame him into being a little more flexible in helping his own staff out.

That's what I had figured, it's one little bike, not like a fleet of 30! Unfortunately the establishment next to us is a wing restaurant/bar frequented by college kids and bikers of the Harley variety. On the other side is a cell phone tower and a gun store

 

[Leaway2]

Buy a knackered old Jeep Wagoneer, and he'll soon get fed up looking at it and ask you to cycle instead.

Yes, and just leave it permanently in a parking space, and bung the bike in the back every day when you get to work.

Edit: Damn @wonderloaf beat me to it.

 

[jay clock]

I am absolutely behind the idea of buying a (fully legal) van and parking it on site as suggested.

Great idea!

 

[johnnyb47]

That's sounds a bit awkward then to keep your bike next door. I think the next best thing I would suggest would be to buy a decent lock and cover and keep them at work so you don't have to carry them on your commute. When the locks not in use ,keep it locked to where your bike will usually get kept and keep the cover in your locker until needed. Hopefully over time your miserable old boss see that your keen and serious on wanting to cycle to work and will be a little more helpful towards you.
I hope you get it all sorted to your satisfaction buddy and of course Happy Cycling to you :-)

 

[ADarkDraconis]

That's sounds a bit awkward then to keep your bike next door. I think the next best thing I would suggest would be to buy a decent lock and cover and keep them at work so you don't have to carry them on your commute. When the locks not in use ,keep it locked to where your bike will usually get kept and keep the cover in your locker until needed. Hopefully over time your miserable old boss see that your keen and serious on wanting to cycle to work and will be a little more helpful towards you.
I hope you get it all sorted to your satisfaction buddy and of course Happy Cycling to you :-)

This sounds great, thanks! This may sound silly but as I had always haf a place to park inside I never had to regularly lock up and so hadn't thought of leaving it and the cover at work! I'd probably want to get a small spare then for the grocery store, etc. But better than lugging that monstrous OnGuard with me every day!

Edit: don't know why it quoted twice, it kept saying there was no post so I did it again- my phone is odd. Apologies!

 

[johnnyb47]

That's good to hear buddy. Given a few weeks and hopefully"old miseryguts boss man" will come round to being a little more flexible :-) :-)

 

[DangerousDan]

Why don’t you post his email address here so we can all email him and let him know what kind of person he is.
MOD NOTE: please do NOT use CycleChat to do this!

Genuniely. I’ll do it. Shan’t mention you at all.

Some people need to know what they are.