Commuting to work by bike

How do you all handle the clothing situation?

The necessity of changing clothes for work is undeniable.

One could simply leave work attire on-site, which means lugging it back and forth every few days just to run it through the laundry. It’s a constant cycle.

Is there ever an option to actually wash things on the premises? Perhaps hang something up somewhere to dry completely before the shift ends?

And then there is the matter of undergarments. I assume one shouldn't show up to change in just their underwear—say, just boxers or something similar?

In my case, starting in six months, I'll be reading The Sunday Times... so what would be the most logical strategy here?

Edward Turner27 said:How are you guys handling the whole clothing situation?

You have to change clothes at work if you get dirty,

Now, the stuff you wear for the job can just stay there, so I end up hauling it back home every second or third day just to run a load of laundry.

Is there really no way to just hang the dirty gear somewhere to dry out by the end of the shift?

And I assume I should be wearing underwear too, like if I show up in just boxers or something?

In my case, this is going to be a six-month stretch with The Sunday Times... so what would be the most logical way to handle this?

I actually do exactly what you just described—I keep a backup set of clothes at the office, and I show up wearing a winter underlayer and some sweats just in case I get trashed on the commute.
I get to the job site before everyone else, freshen up a bit, and then change.
Then I just toss the sweats and the underlayer on the radiator to dry, or stick them out on the balcony if it's summer, and that's that.

Ugh, that route above looks awesome. I was actually thinking about ditching the local farmland path and heading under the overpass near the suburbs, cutting through the creek toward Antunović, then maybe hitting the highway outskirts or heading toward the park area via the pedestrian bridge and the residential district. Or, I guess, I could go all the way out to the American Brotherhood Community and cross the bridge from there. I’m basically trying to switch up my route every chance I get because honestly, I'm bored to death.
Haven't been out in a bit, but once it warms up just a tiny bit, I'll be back.
I usually pack a spare outfit, but I can't exactly walk through the front desk at a Hilton wearing just a bikini 😢 But hey, I found a total hack for us girls—you can get skirts with built-in undies, and if not, you can always just wear a bikini under a skirt 😁 (or even under pants, I guess). You just change somewhere and you're good to go 😁
Of course, I always have an emergency hygiene kit on me 😁 Can't be spreading radiation at work, right? 😁

Edward Turner27 said:In my case, it’s gonna be The Sunday Times in about 6 months... so what would be the most optimal route..?

Personally, I'd try this route..
heading out through the rural areas up to I-75 and then just floor it toward the shopping mall, take the lower road down to the interstate and then gaaaaas all the way to the suburbs... definitely the fastest way... true, and maybe the most dangerous too...

The only thing is you'll have a "little" more traffic 🙂, but since you'll probably be heading out pretty early, I don't think you'll hit the same mess I did when I was driving from downtown toward the mall several times (via I-75, obviously), so I didn't roll into the mall area until just before 7:30.

Or, if you're coming off the highway near the industrial district or wherever, head toward the outskirts and then cut right onto the coastal road toward the suburbs.

Anyway, let me log my own little trip... I biked to work that day it started snowing... just got back home today... it was a quick 5-minute ride 😢

He’s better off taking the Slavonian/Ljubljana route over Škorpikov... It's faster and way less of a headache 👍

Edward Turner27 said:In six months, my situation will be The New York Times - Sunday edition. Given that, what would be the most optimal route?

What’s your take on this:

Take New Road to Magazine Street/Zagorski, then head through the side streets of Oranica once you cross Chicago Street to reach Medar and Lidlo. After that, just hammer it straight down the Vrapčanak path on Samobor Road.

If you actually want to minimize car dependency, follow the lead of the experts. Nathan Castillo8 He claims he rides on bike lanes along Chicago's main thoroughfares like Magazine Street or even down toward the suburbs.😵Take Bologna Avenue and turn onto Coastal.

Jeffrey Garcia11 said:Of course it is, maybe around8.7 miles. Great for exercise. If I were choosing a route, I'd take this one:

The Horvath route is solid because it’s just a two-lane road where you can actually ride comfortably; it beats the Chicago streets and those nightmare traffic lights a hundred times over.
...

Technically speaking, the Horvath route has a bike lane for almost its entire length.
But, let's be real: riding in the street is technically an infraction.
And obviously, that's what we're doing—but just a heads-up so you aren't blindsided if someone decides to hand you a legitimate fine.☕

Nathan Castillo8 said:I’d probably attempt this route myself...
head out through the rural outskirts toward Bologna Avenue and then just floor it straight to Škorpikov, down Samobor Road, and full throttle until you hit Svet Nedjelja... definitely the fastest way... true, and perhaps the most lethal...

The only downside is you face "slightly" more traffic 🙂, but since you'll likely be leaving much earlier, I doubt you'll run into the gridlock I dealt with—I've made that trek from downtown to Škorpikov via Bologna Avenue multiple times, and even arriving just before 7:30 AM was a mess.

Or take the path along the highway—whether it's the Slavonian or the Ljubljana stretch—heading toward Jankomir, then swing right onto the Coastal road toward Svet Nedjelja.

As for my own ride... I biked to work that day the snow started falling... today I rode home... a mere five-minute commute.😢

Are you still commuting to IBC, or did you move your workspace to West Virginia where you live now?

What "Slavonian" are you talking about, quietskipper17?

I have a bad feeling about that Bologna Avenue and Bilonja option... it doesn't sit right with me.

Ljubljana... I need to stick to the bike path... the constant barrage of traffic lights is the problem.

Robert Ruiz14... the route looks interesting, BUT:

Isn't there Magazine Street right after the New Road? That's a one-way street. And is taking Krapina actually a better alternative?

Magazine Street runs two-way until you hit the intersection with New Road (if you're coming from the west), but after that, heading toward Božidar Adžija, it becomes a one-way street flowing east to west.
I’ve never ridden down Krapina Road or the south end of New Road, but they seem identical to me, so just pick whichever one you prefer. You could probably even put a bike lane on Krapina Road 🤷

To me, this route is the perfect middle ground between two extremes: the slow, choppy, miserable ride along the Chicago/Ljubljana corridor, or the fast but high-stress trek through Ilica/Bologna Avenue. Personally, I have zero interest in weaving through traffic right before Škorpikov with cars swerving all around me 50 miles/h 🙂

It took me forever to finally work up the nerve to actually hop on a bike in Chicago—this massive, intimidating, totally unknown beast of a city 🤣 that I’ve already called home for a few years now. But once I did? Well, I haven't touched a car in about two years. I ride through absolutely everything, rain or shine, everywhere I need to go.

My commute is roughly 3.7 miles one way, and I take it pretty easy—no sweating required. It takes me maybe 20 to 30 minutes to get there, and about 15 on the way back, which is perfect since I can basically jump straight into the shower when I walk through the door.

The only catch is that I really want to wear a skirt for work, but I just don't have the confidence to bike like that yet. Heels are fine, but a skirt? Honestly, it feels a bit risky 🤷

Has anyone here actually tried riding in a skirt? Is it even doable, or am I dreaming? I don't have a place to change at the office (and even if I did, I wouldn't want to).

Edward Turner27... I'm debating whether to just hoof it on foot for maybe 20 minutes or just hop on my bike and be there in like 5.

How many 1.2 miles are there
?
Are you planning to wear cycling gear, or just stick with whatever work clothes you have on since the commute is so short?

Whatever, it’s all just layers, man... I’ve got an undershirt, a tee, then a jacket, you know... like a heavy winter coat... should be just warm enough to get me to work... assuming I don't go absolutely ham on the pedals or anything...
1.6 milesYeah, it works.

Karen Thomas25 said:Has anyone actually tried riding a bike in a skirt before? Is it even doable? I don't have a place to change at work, and honestly, even if I did, I'd rather not mess around with changing clothes mid-day.

Look, I haven't personally traveled more than a block in a skirt, so I can't give you a firsthand report, but I’ve got a suggestion for you. If you've got an hour to kill, just dive into the summer archives of the Cycle Chic blog (it's by Mikael Colville-Andersen, who once visited Chicago) and you'll get a massive sense of all the different ways women actually mount their bikes. You'll find links on the right side to about fifty other killer international blogs just like it (like Cycle Chic Republic) if you're looking to switch up your vibe. 🙂

Bottom line: it’s totally doable. As long as you have fenders paired with some side guards and a chain guard, you're set—even if you're rocking a fancy evening dress. 😉

Karen Thomas25 said:So, does anyone actually have experience riding a bike in a skirt? Like, is that even doable or am I just asking for trouble? I don't exactly have a changing room at my office, and honestly, even if I did, I really wouldn't feel like swapping out into something else anyway.

Jeffrey Sullivan4 said:I mean, honestly, it’s totally doable. If you just throw on some fenders with side guards and a chain guard, you're pretty much set—even if you're rocking a formal evening dress or something. It really is that simple. 😉

I mean, my mind went straight to a skirt, so I honestly have no clue what you're even talking about. Like, what kind of chain guards? What mesh mudguards???
I mean, honestly... just pull over under a Jeep or something, strip off, and then you can just change once you actually get to the office. 🙂
And then again... maybe they actually mean dresses... like full-on floor-length skirts and stuff like that...

Nathan Castillo8 said:And what if... maybe they actually mean things like dresses... or floor-length skirts and stuff like that...

Honestly, even I'm starting to lose my grip on this one, but hey, we'll probably figure out the truth pretty soon enough... 🙂

Karen Thomas25 said:My commute is about 3.7 miles one way. It's an easy ride, no sweating involved—takes maybe 20-30 minutes there and 15 back. Plus, I can go straight from the bike to the shower at my office.

The only issue is that I want to wear a skirt to work, but I don't really have the nerve to bike like that. Heels are fine, but a skirt just isn't 🤷

Anyone here actually ride in skirts? Or is it a lost cause? There’s nowhere to change at the office (and honestly, I wouldn't want to anyway).

Not really. Can't recall ever wearing a skirt on a bike.🙂 🤔

That said, it’s always nice to see a woman cycling in a skirt.😍

🤣🤣🤣

Mike, even though I'm a woman, I don't really wear skirts or dresses much, and since I always cycle in pants, I can't say for sure what it feels like to ride in a skirt. To be honest, I've never actually tried it myself. 😬
But, from what I can gather, I suppose there shouldn't be any real issues with pedaling in a skirt. I have a few friends who ride in them quite often, and if you're using a women's frame, it seems like there wouldn't be any problems at all.

Jeffrey Sullivan4 said:I haven't even managed to pedal a single mile in a skirt myself, so I lack the field experience, but I have a suggestion. If you're willing, set aside at least an hour to flip through the summer archives of the Cycle Chic blog (Mikael Colville-Andersen once visited Washington, D.C.) and you'll get a real sense of how women actually pull off riding in skirts. On the right side, there are links to about fifty other proven international blogs of the same kind (Cycle Chic Republic) if you're looking for a change in style. 🙂

In short, it's perfectly doable. A setup featuring fenders with side guards and a chain guard is enough to handle even an evening gown. 😉

90% of girls just wear pants anyway, so what's the big deal about wearing pants to work?😁

Patrick King7 said:Basically, not really—I can't remember ever actually wearing a skirt while riding my bike.🙂 🤔

What I mean is, it’s just nice seeing a woman out cycling in a skirt. 😍

rustyhawk said:🤣 🤣 🤣

Look, even though I'm a girl, I don't really do skirts or dresses much—it's always pants for me when I'm riding, so I honestly have no clue what it feels like to ride in a skirt. Never tried it. 😬
But from what I can tell, there shouldn't be any issues pedaling in one. I've got a few girlfriends who ride in skirts all the time. If you're on a women's frame, it's totally fine.

Yeah, it's a bummer that girls don't really cycle in dresses more often. 😍

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