Workplace facilities

[gambatte]

2 years of being asked whats required to encourage cycling. I printed out all the info, from various sites. Highlighted the bits that said “Make storage prominent, near the entrance”, “don’t put it out of the way, in the back corner of a car park” etc. etc.
Guess where the new cycle shelters gone?
Back corner of the new car parking compound. They couldn’t have got it more out of the way... and it just happens to be a CCTV blindspot.
I’ve also got the choice of getting off and walking or riding my road bike over 100yds of hardcore to get to it.
Told ‘em... “***k it”. I’m back in the car.
Car 20-25 mins, bike 1hr + 20 mins to get changed. ...
I’ll get in early, take up a full car space, next to the door, with my single occupancy vehicle. Bosses get in later. More chance of them having to park on the hardcore.
I’ll get my training in by occasionally having a gym session before work.

 

[GrumpyGregry]

interesting. Our BUG specifically asked for a spot at the back of the car park for the lockers.

 

[gaz]

We are really well looked after, after recently having a full enclosure installed. Swipe card access, padded hoops to lock to, CCTV coverage and nice hot showers awaiting in the changing rooms. Still, we have to take our own towels in though, can you believe it ! !

I have the same at work, except we get fresh towels every day :P

 

[akb]

When I used to commute to work we had zero facilities. Bike was stored in the factory and I kept a change of clothes and a towel to wipe rain / sweat off. I think any cycling facilities are a bit of a luxury. Before I left, I did make a request for secure lockups and a shower. As far as I was aware, this was being actioned but I didnt stay around long enough to use it. We had approx 4 staff who cycled in at the time.

 

[joggingbob]

I and my cycling colleagues are very fortunate. Use of a secure cycle park underground within the estate, (swipe card access), small lockers available in the cycle park. Sports lockers for the regulars in the office, (now full), shower room and towels. The company is keen to promote sustainability to its clients and I see this as a by-product of that approach. Admittedly this is probably the best office within my company's group in the UK for such facilities, the other offices do not fare as well but they are trying to address when refits and budgets are available. Good luck in trying to reach a good compromise with your boss.

 

[MikeW-71]

I have a locker at work where I store uniform and food, so I don't need to carry anything with me. There is no bike parking, only 2 of us cycle in, mine lives in the canteen and the other in the corridor outside. We do have a disabled toilet we can change in, and that's about it.

 

[HLaB]

We have covered sheffield stands at the two sites I'm at most often, fortunately the site I'm at most has a perpex door to the stands. It just means at his time of year I can leave the bike lights/ saddlebag on/

 

[Mike!]

Last year we had a Shower installed with funding from the local council (some grant system for people being "active" to work or something), without that grant I'd still be washing in an unheated part of a 110 year old building...bbbrrrhhh

We have a wheel bender bike shed but my steed gets locked up inside in a secret location (as I'm not meant to!)

 

[Beebo]

I'm worried about security and someone scratching my precious bike

I find that the bike lockers are so full at work that scratches are part of the deal. All the bikes bash around together, it is almost impossible to stop someone scratching your bike in a shared bike shed.

 

[Kookas]

I'm worried about security and someone scratching my precious bike

I park my bike as far away from the MTBs and BMXs as possible. A bit discriminatory, but I can't see them having much respect for other people's bikes, given that theirs is a cheap piece of crap. Probably think they all cost as little as theirs did.

 

[Sharky]

My firm has been good for bike commuters. We are in the West Malling business park and car parking is oversubscribed, so it's in the interests of employers and employees to support other means of transport.

When I first started cycling to work, they gave a few people a key to the generator building. As the numbers grew and I put a bit of pressure on the Office Services, they eventually got a proper bike shelter built, very similar to http://www.cycle-shelters-direct2u.co.uk/cycle-compounds/wardale-cycle-compound-11.html not this model, but it does take about 20 bikes and the doors are locked.

And they have showers inside the building. One for men and one for ladies. Sometimes we grumble that we have to wait for 30 mins, but after reading some of the other relies, I guess we are lucky.

But that's not all. They run the C2W scheme with Evans and annually we have a "Bike Day". They give us an extra day's holiday for volunteering or for activities that encourage team building and for the last 8 years, I have led a 35 mile bike ride in June, through the lanes of north Kent, taking in a pub for lunch. We get about 15 taking part each year and it really does encourage working relationships with other departments and this helps when you have to deal with people about business issues.

Keith

 

[hennbell]

We have a locker room but we have to provide our own towels. There is an outdoor un-sheltered bikes stand but I don't like using that, too far way. I keep my bicycle in the utility room of our grain elevator. The setup works quite well but every once and a while someone moves my bicycle. I hate it when anyone puts a finger on my bicycle in the same way that no motorist wants us to touch their vehicle.

Our new facility on the other end of town has a gym and some bike boxes, so I am a little jealous.

 

[screenman]

Henbell, you can touch our cars any time you want, they are just lumps of metal, much like bikes.

I know of only one company that has a shower, it is filthy and full of junk, I doubt it has ever been used buy the fitters who work there.

 

[Hip Priest]

Secure underground parking and a single shower which I never use. I keep a pack of baby wipes and a can of deodorant in my locker. Does the trick.

 

[Maylian]

My place has two secure covered bike sheds (CCTV constantly covering the area), a separate work station / repair stand outside, then 2 sets of shower facilities per floor with clothing rails to hang work clothes(3 floors) and the ability to get secure lockers to store your equipment. Work also provide towels for the showers and as mentioned before they also pay us £1 for travelling into work using green methods of transport.

I think my work place is a bit unique as B&Q (Kingfisher) are one of the greenest employers in the UK and very keen on being carbon neutral etc.