Do you ride a bike (not motorcycle) to work?

[AtheneNoctua]

If so, and if you have an office job where you must look professional (suit jacket, nice trousers, sit at a tdesk in an office environment, etc.):

How far is it?
Do you ride in the rain? dark? cold?
Do you have a shower when you get to work?

I'm just wondering where I fall in the spectrum of laziness. I'd love to get more exercise, but I don't think showing up to work all sweaty is going to be a good career move.

There are other other people who ride a bike to work. But, they are men and it takes them all of three seconds to shower and get ready for work. I, on the other hand, and partial to things like make-up.

Anyway, feel free to tell me if you think I'm a lazy sod who should get off my fat arse...

Anchovy - my route is towpath to Putney Bridge, along the Kings Road ALL the way, Sloane Square, Eaton Square, Buckingham Palace, the Mall, Trafalgar Square (yuk), Strand, Bush House (yuk) Fleet Street and there!

The trick, I think, is to choose roads wide enough for a council to consider painting a cycle route on them, but where the traffic goes slowly, so no dual carriageways. There is less traffic in school holidays, and early in the morning - leaving at 7.15 not 7.30 makes quite a difference. Those peculiar Easter holidays were glorious for traffic reduction! The pedestrians dawdle less in the rain too. If you can wait a couple of weeks till the holidays start, that would be worth doing. Bound to be raining by then!

Friday's child - that's helpful/interesting. I would be doing SW15 to EC1, so all v similar. I would have thought of doing more of it along the river, but that, I fear, is a misplaced ideal.

I'm thinking of giving it a go a few times over the summer when it is v quiet. Any routes to definitely avoid?

The river is longer, if you mean the towpath, because of all the twists and turns. It would be much nicer though, if you weren't in a rush. TBH that route is the only one I've tried, and apart from a couple of really big junctions it's fine. I have my precedent, and now I just follow it cheerfully

I have a friend who comes in from TW1 to EC1 on a bike, and he goes south of the river most of the way. His tip is to avoid Blackfriars Bridge. If you cross Southwark Bridge on a bike you can go straight ahead towards Bank, which you can't do in a car, so he uses that instead.

Can you leave your bike somewhere safe at work? You could cycle in one morning, train home that night, and train in, cycle home the next day. Definately easier on the legs!

What is a pannier bag please?

some examples of panniers

Thanks iheart dusty! I love the little suitcase thing on there but don't love the price at £114 ! I was thinking of getting one of those old fashioned wicker shopping basket things for the front but I think I might have to hunt one down!

www.velorution.biz/?page_id=1088

Dont do the basket on the front its not right.

I cycle to work 1 and half miles as it is quicker than the car. It takes twenty mins in the car and 10 mins on a bike.

I work in an office but always wear trousers and dont get sweaty on the ride to work to warrent a shower.

I cycle along the canel tow path for half the journey and along beside the railway for about a quarter so not much on road. In the winter though I ditch the canel on the way home as its spooky.

two problems with a front basket - it makes the front very unwieldy, the front wheel will swing round and topple all the time, and it obscures your front bike light.

having said that I have one (not wicker!) because of fittings for children at the back, and it is very handy to pop things in it.

you can get panniers for the front wheel I believe.

I cycle 3.1 miles to work, in all weathers, all round the year. The only exceptions are snow (narrows the roads) and ice.

I change at work but don't both showering (I jsut do about 15 minutes work or so - ususally more "or so" before getting round to it) as I have barely started to sweat. There are showeres if I could be bothered.

My dad says that in Holland, they will cycle in "work" clothes for up to 2 miles but any further, they will change. I would say at ties in with my own experience - I can feel myslef just starting to sweat just after 2 miles.

I keep an extra make-up kit in the office. One of the reasons I delay a few minutes beofre getting changed is so that my face has had a chance to recvoer and will then do my make-up.

I use two paniers: one takes my "work clothes" (although I do also keep some in work and I iwll also now wear the same thing two days in a row - only less thing to think about!) and the other takes my laptop and any work papers. Whichever one is empiter gets my handbag! I keep a spare brief case in the office in case I need to go an see someone from the office, although my "main" brief case is at home (I ma more likely to go stragiht from home to see customers - who are mstly down south and a plane trip away).

I work in a professional environmnet - and I only get admiring comments for being "committed" - and for how quickly I can transform from "cyclist" to "business woman".