Commuting Advice Please

Ride to work slow enough not to get stinky, ride home fast.

Technical clothing to wick away sweat. Regular bathing, washing kit every day in anti Bac detergent. Cleaning 'saddle area' with anti bac skin wipes or aloe vera wipes seems to help keep sores at bay

Its not just a question of not smelling, its also avoiding skin infections from not washing sweaty parts of the body.

Maybe I'm taking the OP too literally but if the journey is only a couple of miles and you are arriving with 30 minutes to spare the simplest option would be to leave the bike at home and walk.

That said, there might be more time pressure on the return journey, making the bike a better option. If this is the case just walk with the bike or pootle extra slow on the way in and then blast on the way home.

go to security - get them to activate your swipe for the theatre changing rooms. there should be showers in there. no lockers as they are usually for theatre staff only but there is always a ready supply of ohs sandpaper towels in recovery.

doi - nhs anaesthetist

go to security - get them to activate your swipe for the theatre changing rooms. there should be showers in there. no lockers as they are usually for theatre staff only but there is always a ready supply of nhs sandpaper towels in recovery.

doi - nhs anaesthetist

I work in an NHS org, and also don't have access to a shower.

My commute is 16 & a bit miles. I keep trousers and shoes at work along with spare socks & carry a shirt & keks in a bag.
I wear loose shorts and loose fit jerseys. I try to go for "active" type material as I found cotton just got way too wet. I also tend to dress so I start off a bit cold,especially now and warm up into the ride.
If possible I allow a 10-15 minutes to "cool down" and acclimatise to the building climate.
I then wipe down with unscented baby wipes (Aldi or Lidl) and then use deodorant.

For a couple of miles, just a change of clothing material type and slowing down should do, unless the ride to work is up a categorised climb

Here's the tricks that work for me for commuting with no shower:

* Have a shower before you leave
* Apply deodorant
* Dress in technical cycling clothes (top half at least), err on the cold side
* Try to avoid wearing a bag
* Cycle as fast or slow as you like
* Get to work and wait 10 - 30 minutes for the body to cool-down
* Change into work top/clothes

If you wash yourself and your clothes frequently, you won't smell, any sweat will wick away and you will cool-down within not too long of arriving at work.

No showers at my work, so I ride really slowly into work, and cycle faster back. Using panniers or a rack bag is a must, as a rucksack gets your back and oxters all sweaty. When it's colder stopping when you've warmed up to take a layer or two off also helps. I also make sure I've got good gloves, hat and neck gaiter so that I can have less on my torso and not have cold bits. Using these tactics I don't need to have a wash, but I guess everyone's different.

I cycle a couple of miles to our local convenience store. I can cycle it gently without having raised breathing and don't break sweat. Then I gun it back, puffing and blowing and arrive beading in sweat. Reduce your effort. I prefer to do the latter, no benefit unless you sweat

As most posters say, wear the least possible amount of technical (i.e. cycling) clothing, and try not to go like a bat out of hell.

My commute is also very short (3.2 miles) and I am prone to excessive sweating. Since being at my current workplace for a few years I've learnt some good practices to stay cool:

Cycle at a steady pace; wear few clothes; arm warmers are good as they can be rolled down while cycling; have some paper towelling to wipe your face upon stopping; disrobe as soon as possible upon dismounting; try and get clean and changed next to an open window or a fan; ensure you wash and dry your face, and maybe your armpits; and Radio 3 or 4 helps first thing

p.s. your journey's only half an hour's brisk walk, or a quicker run; then save your rubber for the weekend

After many years of commuting I recommend the Rapha Pro Team Base layer - it wicks away sweat and doesn't get wet. When it gets to about 5 degrees I swear by the Helly Hanson Lifa Dry long sleeve Base Layers. I also don't have showers at work but I find washing your base layers and proper cycling gear in Halo washing liquid stops you honking - its antibacterial.

I sweat a bit when I've finished my commute.
It's 2 miles to the train station and my record is 7:02.

That's probably why I sweat.

When I get to work I use Muc-Off Dry Shower and then my regular roll-on deo.
I'd love to have a shower at work but my boss is anti-cycling so I don't think it'll happen soon.

Start cold, also add a pannier or large saddle bag to the bike. That way you can remove layers every time your starting to warm up. If you stay cold all the way there at least you can reduce the amount of sweat.

Failing that, is there a gym you can join just for the showers? or a municipal sports centre. Surely a hospital has showers for patients, is there one you can 'borrow'.

Start cold, also add a pannier or large saddle bag to the bike. That way you can remove layers every time your starting to warm up. If you stay cold all the way there at least you can reduce the amount of sweat.

Failing that, is there a gym you can join just for the showers? or a municipal sports centre. Surely a hospital has showers for patients, is there one you can 'borrow'.

Start cold, also add a pannier or large saddle bag to the bike. That way you can remove layers every time your starting to warm up. If you stay cold all the way there at least you can reduce the amount of sweat.

Failing that, is there a gym you can join just for the showers? or a municipal sports centre. Surely a hospital has showers for patients, is there one you can 'borrow'.

You need a wick layer on the skin and breathable fabrics on top. Obviously a change of clothes everyday.

Extra deodorant and some kind of light aftershave are always requisite for french (water-less or nearly water-less) shower.

I'm another member of the "if it's over 80 degrees I'll start sweating like a stuck pig even before I get on the bike" club. So I don't even consider a second layer for cycling unless it's under 50.

I used cheapo baby wipes before we got the showers put in at work, that and trying not to break a sweat!

I sweat like a monster if I'm doing anything more than 10mph. I can get a sweat on just walking briskly. It sucks.

The amount people sweat varies - if you're unlucky like me then you will sweat almost immediately once you start putting in any serious effort (I've got a resting heart rate of 50bpm so I think I'm fit enough).

Definitely agree with the recommendations for technical clothing - ensure that your winter gear is breathable otherwise you'll probably end up wetter on the inside than out. Also agree with the baby wipes but as you arrive early give yourself fifteen minutes to cool down and stop sweating before you clean up.

If you can work up a proper sweat in 6-7 minutes of riding I'd probably suggest a little more practice/training.

When I commuted into work on the bike I made a point of joining a gym near work. I tended to get up early, jump straight on the bike and ride to work and have a shower at the gym.

I use a gym every day anyway, so having one near work and going at lunchtime was an additional convenience for me.

Muc-off sell "dry shower" it's a foam you rub on and then dry off, it smells nice (if you like coconuts) and does a good job of keeping pongs at bay. There's also the old faithful baby wipes to have a once over with.

I find technical clothing does a better job at minimising sweat as it is designed to wick moisture away and keep you dry/cool. If you don't fancy wearing cycling gear a technical sports tee shirt (like a dry fit running top or even a football/rugby shirt) might help as they are also designed to wick away moisture.

Of course the alternative is to just go a little slower and not work up such a sweat (easier said than done).

Slow down a bit and perhaps wear some lighter 'tech' clothing (e.g. lightweight merino). Winter's coming so the one advantage when cycling in normal clothes is that keeping warm is more of a problem than sweating. Start the ride with just enough clothes that you feel a bit chilly; you'll soon warm up and keep below the sweat threshold.