Removing Excuses
I grew up in Savannah without air-conditioning. When we moved into our current house, we didn't have air-conditioning. My sweat glands have had lots of training.
When I ride my bike to the office, it doesn't matter how slow I go, or how cool it is, I sweat. There's less sweat during the winter, but even on the day it was 11 degrees, I still managed to break a sweat. Sweat is what my sweat glands have been trained to do and they do it very well.
Many people won't ride a bike to work for this reason. (Well, because of their own sweat, not mine.) Not having a shower at the office is the reason I frequently hear for not commuting by bike. Since AT&T doesn't have showers, I've had a hard time convincing co-workers they should ride a bike to the office.
I haven't had a good answer for sweat control until the Shower Pass became available.
For $15/month, the Plaza Executive Health Club (PEHC) offers a showers-only membership. This is a good price and I plan to try it out starting next month. I'll be posting my experience -- complete with photos <wink> -- after I give it a try.
The folks over at Midtown Transportation Solutions were kind enough to make arrangements with the PEHC. These are the same guys who put together the Commuter Rewards program that has put a bunch of cash in my pocket.
There's one personal excuse that may go away. By way of introduction, I have a confession to make: I don't ride my bike to the office every day of the week.
I've got the option to work at home, and on mornings I miss my time slot to get in the shower, I often stay at home and shower later in the day. If at all. This was good during Atlanta's water restriction period, but it's been bad for my commuting miles. Why miss out on a commute to the office just because I couldn't get into the shower on time?
The Shower Pass has removed that excuse.
Labels: bike-commuting, fun advocacy, showers
posted by Jett @ 5:23 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
That's a great idea. I sweat, a lot. My old office had a shower but the new one doesn't, so I take it easy the last mile or two, then when I get into the office I pretty much bathe in purell. I always carry a little lotion too, so my skin doesn't get dried out.
Jett - this is my sole reason for not commuting on my bike. It's a perfect 5 mile ride through neighborhoods all the way, but I have no where to shower. Any creative ideas near Cheshire Bridge and Piedmont?
Evan, your approach is about like mine until I start taking advantage of the shower.
Jeannie, the following procedure has worked for me:
1) shower before getting on the bike.
2) take it easy on the way in and wear less than I normally would. (In winter, I usually freeze my butt off on the first downhill.)
3) wear dry-fit or at least non-cotton clothing. (I find lycra gets less respect from motorists, but the baggy cycling shorts take care of this.)
4) Bring a change of clothes (all clothes, including underwear, socks, & shoes)
5) Find a bathroom where you can change all those clothes, wiping down and mopping up, and stuffing the wet clothes in a plastic bag for transport to the "drying location".
6) Sometimes I need to sit for 5-10 minutes to cool down and stop sweating.
7) I wash my face and comb my hair (often damp still). Some use wet-wipes or something similar, but with the bathroom soap, I haven't found these necessary.
8) Find a place for the cycling clothes to dry out. If it isn't cotton, it is unlikely to get sour and smell like a locker room. The recycling bin under my desk is my typical spot to drape my jersey and shorts.
On the way home, I ride regular speed because I don't care at that point.
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