Sweaty cycling gear in the office...

[dee.jay]

I'll have to see if my cycling buddy at work could utilise that, I'd happily throw £25 towards that.

There's two of us on my shift that like to cycle in and hopefully a third soon

 

[Crankarm]

I just don't get this "my employer owes me everything" attitude by cyclists. We make a rod for our own backs. Yeah I can see the argument for secure cycle parking and enough of it, as employees who drive cars often get parking spaces at a work place, but many don't however, and some even have to pay. But showers, washing and drying facilities as well???!! Are you all for real??? Could any employer deal with, maintain and afford to fund a whole work force who cycled to work and wanted all the facilities that a lot of you lot seem to demand? I doubt it. First thing the work place would turn into a laundry which I suspect many employers would not want. The solutions to your problems lie with yourselves. Take ownership of your problems stop being such tightwads buy some more kit and stop hanging it up at work to dry thinking others won't or don't mind. We do and I am a cyclist myself!

 

[dodgy]

Calm down.

 

[Crankarm]

Calm down.

No calm down, just take your grotty smelly cycling shorts and jerseys down from the coat hooks .

And what's that pong coming from your desk ?

 

[dee.jay]

My company is very big on promoting healthy living and reducing the impact on the environment - I think if they did that but didn't provide the facilities (and they do in my case) then what would be the incentive for people to do it?

 

[Drago]

My employer talks a good fight when it comes to their environmental credentials and green transport policy, but in reality they spend more effort talking about it than actually taking action.

We do have decent showers a drying room though.

 

[dodgy]

No calm down, just take your grotty smelly cycling shorts and jerseys down from the coat hooks .

And what's that pong coming from your desk ?

I've got great facilities in my place of work, dedicated secure internal bike storage, drying areas etc. This thread is about helping with advice for people not so lucky, not getting angry like you often seem to do.

 

[Crankarm]

I'm not one to take it easy on my cycle in to work, and carrying a backpack I'm suffering from sweaty back syndrome. I already opted for the breathable/mesh style padding backpack which hasn't helped, presumably my intensity isn't helping. While my place of work has some great facilities (bike rack, teeny tiny lockers, shower room) there isn't anywhere obvious to hang clothes to dry other than the office coat rack.

I'm conscious that my clothes hanging from the desk is unsightly and might making the office smell, and while colleagues haven't complained yet, I think the time will come...

How do you air your sweaty jersey/shorts out at work without dedicated drying facilities without giving colleague grief?

I've got great facilities in my place of work, dedicated secure internal bike storage, drying areas etc. This thread is about helping with advice for people not so lucky, not getting angry like you often seem to do.

Errr ……….. no. Comprehension fail on your part. I suggest you read the OP again. I quote it above for your convenience and highlight it in bold blue. Your response does not address it nor suggest a solution but instead gloats how good you've got it which is fine, but of no help to the OP. You also whinge about the amount of space employees who drive are afforded to park their cars as opposed to cyclists who have little space even to hang up their cycling shorts. I suggested an alternative but you seem to be under the impression that a choice of commuting by bicycle is some one else's problem. Rather than blame every one else why not take the initiative and solve it yourself as I suggested, but of course you don't need to as your employer provides excellent facilities. Of course this might change if a lot more of your colleagues decided to cycle to work like you, shower and hang up their wet, damp and dirty cycling gear. Careful what you wish for.

 

[400bhp]

Funny that in many companies, every car driving employee gets a minimum of 150 square feet of storage and cyclists have to scratch around looking for somewhere to hang a pair of shorts.

I know what you mean but it's not really true. Each cyclist in such an organisation has an empty car space. I have one and am still waiting for a itsy bitsy locker. I'd happily trade one in for the other.

Give it 2 years and we will have car spaces as a taxable benefit anyway.

 

[400bhp]

I just don't get this "my employer owes me everything" attitude by cyclists. We make a rod for our own backs. Yeah I can see the argument for secure cycle parking and enough of it, as employees who drive cars often get parking spaces at a work place, but many don't however, and some even have to pay. But showers, washing and drying facilities as well???!! Are you all for real??? Could any employer deal with, maintain and afford to fund a whole work force who cycled to work and wanted all the facilities that a lot of you lot seem to demand? I doubt it. First thing the work place would turn into a laundry which I suspect many employers would not want. The solutions to your problems lie with yourselves. Take ownership of your problems stop being such tightwads buy some more kit and stop hanging it up at work to dry thinking others won't or don't mind. We do and I am a cyclist myself!

See the smart employers have turned this on its head. Encourage cycling with such facilities and you reduce the need for expensive parking spaces.

 

[Crankarm]

See the smart employers have turned this on its head. Encourage cycling with such facilities and you reduce the need for expensive parking spaces.

But everything as we know has a cost. Would it be more or less expensive to lease and maintain a car park than provide all the cycling facilities some on here demand? Fine if a company owns the land then all they have to do is maintain it. There is still a cost to providing and maintaining showers, drying and sufficient storage facilities. I would like to see all this but realistically it's not a cost many companies are willing to carry. In the mean time I think how can I make the best of what there is. At my work we have nothing, absolutely nothing, not even a secure place to lock my bike. I have a locker, but then so does everyone else including non cycling employees. But I get along fine now I have taken the initiative to sort myself out. Carrying a clean set of kit for the ride home and washing it all when I get back ready for the next day is not a problem. Not having a shower is not a problem as baby wipes are fine. I'm not the only one who rides to work. I would say nearly all of us ride. The few that don't either use public transport or walk. No one drives to work as there is nowhere to park. I try not to inconvenience any one or cause problems. No one at our place is demanding showers, purpose built changing and drying rooms. This is just the way it is with this job.

For those that do have the benefit of showers, driers and washing machines at work then maybe the Revenue will also see these as benefits in kind and tax them accordingly so employers will have to start charging for their use.

 

[screenman]

I wonder what percentage of private companies supply showers, lockers etc. Compared with public. Seems around this way the council's etc. Can afford it where privates cannot.

 

[dodgy]

Errr ……….. no. Comprehension fail on your part. I suggest you read the OP again. I quote it above for your convenience and highlight it in bold blue. Your response does not address it nor suggest a solution but instead gloats how good you've got it which is fine, but of no help to the OP. You also whinge about the amount of space employees who drive are afforded to park their cars as opposed to cyclists who have little space even to hang up their cycling shorts. I suggested an alternative but you seem to be under the impression that a choice of commuting by bicycle is some one else's problem. Rather than blame every one else why not take the initiative and solve it yourself as I suggested, but of course you don't need to as your employer provides excellent facilities. Of course this might change if a lot more of your colleagues decided to cycle to work like you, shower and hang up their wet, damp and dirty cycling gear. Careful what you wish for.

I won't take comprehension advice from someone who starts a sentence with 'err'.

I still standby what I said, people need advice, perhaps creative solutions that might be acceptable with others in the work environment (the drying gadget for instance). You can spin it anyway you want, this is a thread about the logistics of cycling to work and drying kit.

You're angry, again.

 

[Crankarm]

I won't take comprehension advice from someone who starts a sentence with 'err'.

I still standby what I said, people need advice, perhaps creative solutions that might be acceptable with others in the work environment (the drying gadget for instance). You can spin it anyway you want, this is a thread about the logistics of cycling to work and drying kit.

You're angry, again.

I don't think so.

No advice as you put it then …….

 

[fossyant]

They reccon each car park space cost over £10k at our new office. We get about 25 bikes crammed into to two car spaces !! Well, quite happy with the drying cabinet, as it seems me and a couple of others are the only ones who use it every day. The fair weather lot have jacked it in as soon as the weather changed. Got it set at the right temperature now, so stuff dries nicely over the day. Despite what you may think about opening the cabinet, out pops the smell of washing powder - fortunately we all seem to be clean folk so far ! Phew.