is a wondrous thing that I did not know I was missing. For the first few years that I biked to work, I would wash up using whatever sink (and sometimes bidet) was available. Since I began working at places with shower rooms, my bike to work life has greatly improved. Now I am a confident that my colleagues aren’t just being polite – I biked to work, but I don’t smell like it.
The washing up wasn’t so bad, but it was a lot more complicated than being able to take an actual shower. I’ve thought of a few things that make showering a pleasant experience for the biker as well as for whoever else will be using the room after.
- Use body wash instead of soap. It’s faster to use and easier to store.
- Bring slippers. You never know how clean the place is.
- Use a bag with open side pockets. You can hang the bag and this becomes your shower rack.
- If you can, point the shower away from the door so the water doesn’t go everywhere.
- Mop the floor before you leave the room.
- You can hang your wet towel or clothes on your bike. This depends on where you plan to leave your bike, of course.
When I bike to places where I can’t shower, I go back to just washing up. Sometimes I bring an extra bottle of water, so I don’t even need to find a faucet. I just look for some plants or a drain, so I don’t make a huge mess. There are lots of solutions for any biking “problem” – and whatever “problem” is easily outweighed by the happiness of not getting stuck in traffic.
Girl With Many Names 