Biking in to work

Today I caved to peer pressure and biked into work.  All of the bosses here do it, and you're not considered cool until you do.  But, unlike most of them, I don't live on "the mountain" and had to bike UP it.  So I'm pretty proud of myself.

Does anyone else bike into work?  If you don't, why not?  I don't like getting in all sweaty and having to carry a second set of clothes.

On a side note, Sept. 22nd is International Car-Free Day.  Is anyone doing anything special?

Yea!  I cycle to work and I love it!!  Well done on getting up that mountain.  Cycling to work shaves a full 25 minutes off my journey as opposed to taking the bus (I work in central London so a car isn't an option!).

I leave a set of shoes in work, and I have a light back pack where I fold my work clothes and change when I get in.  There are no showers where I work, so I make do (pretty effectively!) with wet wipes and deodourant which I also keep a stash of in my office drawer.

Happy cycling

Ax

I bike work. My company has a small gym and showers at work. It's a nice way to get light exercise on my rest days. I commute on a fixie, to add to the fun. As for the hill, just remember on the way back it's all down hill.

UD

I don't bike to work.  It's 11 miles, so I could, but we have no showers and there are HUGE hills so I would def. need one!

Great ideas, Ax!  I have wet naps at home that I don't use for anything, they'd be perfect!

umneydurak: You're crazy.  My direct supervisor used to ride a fixed gear . . . until he ran into (and over) a car door someone opened in front of him and he broke both his tibia and fibula.  Now he's on a variable speed bike like the rest of us!

I average biking to work about 3x per week (11 miles each way).  There are no showers, so I try to come in early while it's cool, and just take it easy.

I solve the clothes problem by bringing in a week's worth of clothes at a time, and take home each day's laundry in a small plastic bag in my tail trunk.

Original Post by nanuq905:

Great ideas, Ax!  I have wet naps at home that I don't use for anything, they'd be perfect!

umneydurak: You're crazy.  My direct supervisor used to ride a fixed gear . . . until he ran into (and over) a car door someone opened in front of him and he broke both his tibia and fibula.  Now he's on a variable speed bike like the rest of us!

Well the problem with your supervisor wasn't that he was riding a fixie, but that he was riding in a car door zone. Also depending on how bright his light bulb was his fixie might not have had front brakes. Although the primarily reason for his crash was still him riding too close to parked cars.

UD

The driver was completely at fault.  Street parking is fine but you do need to look over your shoulder before opening the door.  Yay lawsuit!

I am not saying that driver wasn't at fault. I am just pointing out that this insident had nothing/little to do with your boss riding a fixie, and could have been avoided in the first place if he didn't ride in the door zone.

UD

I never said that the two were related, only that he USED to ride a fixed-gear before the accident.  And you can't avoid riding on a two lane street with side parking when that street is the street the building is on.

Miss understood I guess. Sorry. You original reply seemed to imply that the accident was because of the fixie. Anyway I ride on streets like that all the time, and I usually keep to the left leaving a buffer zone between me and parked cars. I figured cars behind me can see me, most people open doors without looking.

Check out this link, a bit cheesy but educational: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7M-_ueoU2E

UD

If my job was further away I might bike, but for now I walk. Take's every bit of 3 minutes.

Original Post by nanuq905:

I never said that the two were related, only that he USED to ride a fixed-gear before the accident. And you can't avoid riding on a two lane street with side parking when that street is the street the building is on.

In that situation, you take the lane.  You do NOT ride next to parked cars, EVER.

People have been killed that way (and no, I'm not exaggerating--you cruise along at 20+mph and someone opens a door in front of you and you take a header over the door ... helmet or no, you're going to get hurt, and yes, riders have been killed in exactly this situation).