As I mentioned in part 1, I live in Arizona and commute by bike year round. Unlike some parts of the country world*, it is very easy to ride here in the winter and very difficult in the summer. OK it is not difficult and I am spoiled with sunshine and a flat, hill-less ride. But let’s ignore that and continue the sweaty summer saga.
Before we begin let me share that this post should be called “containing the stink.” If that does not repel or offend, read on.
Part 2: the Transition
So you made it to work, you are panting and sweating from racing the car commuters from stoplight to stoplight. (OK maybe just me — I’ll beat you one of these days, Pearl White Escalade Lady!) I know each case will be unique, but the following is my post-ride routine. A lot of these tips are obvious (deodorant) so I will try not to bore you.
Cool down period: I do not do anything until I cool off. Cleaning up before cooling off only leads to an “I’m clean/I’m sweaty again/now I am clean again” cycle. I have a decent sized fan in my office, and I just sit in front 
of it for a good ten minutes while I peruse the morning’s email. Now is a good time to enjoy some ice water. Stay away from the hot coffee until you are cooled and recovered. There are two things to watch out for at this point: One, your chair could get soaked and stinky while you sit there and transition from a liquid to a solid again; and two, you are now circulating a locker-room odor around your office. (and maybe out the door and down the hall) For the former you can just sit on a towel. For the latter you will need some odor control. I use febreze now and then (not every day) but any commercial or home made air freshener will do. The cool down period takes about 5 to 10 minutes, so adjust your arrival time to include this period.
The switch from cyclist to employee: My next step is a quick wash up in the bathroom. Hardly anyone is in the office yet so I always have some privacy. Then I change into my work clothes, put on some deodorant, and I am ready for the work day.
More stink: We are not done yet! The clothes you rode in on are now a steaming pile of damp, what to do with those? If you stuff them in your bag, they will still be damp and even more malodorous at the end of the day. Plus you will ruin your bag pretty quick. You could put them in a plastic garbage bag to seal them off from the rest of the world, but again they will not be fun to wear at quitting time. Here are some options:
- Put it outside — maybe your office has bike lockers (like mine), a fenced-in bike parking area, or some other secure area you could hang or simply lay out your kit. Note: your leopard pattern thong is not to be displayed outdoors.
- In an empty file cabinet — you can pile them in a large empty drawer or file cabinet with one of these tree-type air fresheners inside. (or a similar product) Just be sure it is a drawer that a co-worker will never open. If discovered, they will not talk to you again and you will be “that guy.”
- A second set of riding clothes — I know it is more to haul and wash, but you will be more comfortable for the ride home. (at least initially)
Transitioning for home is much easier. Just gear up. There is the added bonus of stopping work early — “Sorry I can’t help you with those TPS reports, I gotta gear up for my ride home.”
So a little common sense and attention to your co-workers noses is all that you need. A fan, towel, deodorant, and air freshener will always come in handy. There are many other products out there I have not tried, such as Athletic Body Cleaning Wipes or even just baby wipes. If you wear a suit to work there are nice garment panniers to consider. And of course a newer, more efficient bike will make you sweat less, so go buy something cool!
Commuting in the summer takes a little more effort for me. But I still would rather bike commute and sweat a little than sit in a car, get no exercise and pay for parking. Why not combine your workout and your commute? Think of the time and money saved.
Final note: Someone with hair will have to chime in on what to do about hairstyle issues. I shave my head to keep cool so I have no input on that.
*just read posts from part 1, hello international readers!
on Jul 2nd, 2009 at 2:08 am
A fascinating insight into cycling in Arizona.
My hair is pretty short but I have the advantage of having a shower et al in my office not 30 seconds walk away so I am always nice and clean.
Here are a few tips I have picked up along the way.
Shirts. I must wear a shirt at work and I choose white shirts daily, all my shirts are white (I don’t have to choose a colour then to match the tie……).
Iron them the night before as the fibres will be nice and cool when you come to fold it into your bag.
Only fold it just before you leave.
When you have a shower, hang your shirt up, the heat will then drop the creases that may have appeared.
You can buy a product called dry shampoo for use at festivals etc and it is really good. You put it in our hair and your hair really does look and feel like it has just been washed.
I try to take all my boxers and socks and ties to work on the Monday, don’t have to worry about them for the rest of the week.
Its going to be 32 celcius today………our ‘heatwave’ warning has gone up 1 stage, which is quite funny. The underground train network was 39 celcius yesterday on the deepest lines…unbearable…..still, they could all have got on a bike.
on Jul 2nd, 2009 at 6:41 am
Another option is to work from home two days a week. BOOM!
on Jul 8th, 2009 at 6:35 am
My ride to work is mostly downhill, so I get in fairly stink-free and so far have even been wearing my business casual work clothes on my bike. The ride back is a bitch, but hey, I can just shower when I get there.
People with long hair who blow dry are pretty much screwed, I think. I let my medium length hair air dry. I shower before I leave home, put my helmet on while my hair is still damp, and just fluff it and let it finish drying when I get in. You could keep a little spray bottle of water at work to re-wet your hair if it dries funny under the helmet.
on Jul 31st, 2009 at 7:47 pm
I have been riding for years. I had an office, now a cube. I keep slacks, ties, and belts at the office on hangers. Shoes under desktop. I bring in a dress shirt, t-shirt (helps hide odor), underwear, and socks every ride. Most importantly the clothes are for the NEXT day. I hang the shirts for 24 hours so they have a chance to recover. I also have a clothes line that I string under my cube (and formerly under my desk) completely out of sight. I use an old telephone line, the cube clips at the ends and paper clips work great. I hang my bike shorts, wick away under wear, and wick away socks all day long. In the winter I would put my gloves on my monitor to dry them out– flat screens don’t work for this, so they hang on clothes line too. Helmet above cube shelf for all too see.