I finally jumped on the bike and left the 15 mpg GG at home. It is something I have wanted to do for a while, but just had a hard time taking the risk (the roads for my commute are not very bike friendly). I reason I actually followed though this time was actually because of a coworker that I have been trying to help lose some weight. She bought a bike about a month ago and had yet to ride it. Yesterday I got her to agree to ride to work if I did.

The wet roads and light rain this morning made me skeptical that the agreement would be upheld, but I was pleasantly surprised when she showed up in her riding gear. The ride was only 5.5 miles for me and 2 for her.

The real test to see if the commuting continues will be the ride home this afternoon when I am forced to claim my portion of the road among those with cell phones stuck in their heads in their 4500lb unguided missiles. Enough rant, sorry.

Anyway, I will end with a question. Do any of you have to keep an impeccable appearance at work? I am in the USAF and have to wear a uniform. The only way I can think of to accomplish this is drive one day and leave a uniform at work. Folding it up in a backpack just isn't an option. Any ideas?

I usually commute 2 or 3 days per week. My maximum is 4 days (I never ride to work on Thursdays because I do a group ride on Thursday nights during the warmer months and ride trainers indoors with the same group on Thursday nights in winter). So, I bring clean clothes to work on the days that I don't ride (and take the dirty ones home). My office is "business casual" most of the time, but I also have a few suits here at the office (and about five different pairs of shoes, belts, ties, etc.). The important thing is that I use a spare file cabinet as a chest of drawers and I can hang things in the underused firm coat closet.

When I was stationed at RAF Bentwaters during my stint with the USAF, I commuted 8 miles on my Bianchi. I just wore my fatigues, rode slow down the country roads, and had my combat boots in my backpack. No sweat!

I keep all my shirts and some ties at work, along with my shoes and just bring clean underwear, sooks and undershirt to work. I don't have a shower, I just take a "sink" I also use some of the moist toweletts to "wash" what I can't fit into the sink.

I had planned on leaving a few minutes early to beat some of the traffic since the roads I ride home on have no bike lane, no shoulders and several bottle necks that people try to cram themselves into. However, Murphy took over and I did not get to leave until the rush hour was in full swing. The motorist seemed to be so shocked by seeing a cyclist they steered clear.

I was running a few minutes late this morning then on the way out the door I realized I had a flat. That put me another 5 min. behind. Oh well, I rode anyway.

As far as the clothes thing goes, I have to drive on MW anyway because I have night classes. I will just start bringing in uniforms on those days.

I had planned on leaving a few minutes early to beat some of the traffic since the roads I ride home on have no bike lane, no shoulders and several bottle necks that people try to cram themselves into. However, Murphy took over and I did not get to leave until the rush hour was in full swing. The motorist seemed to be so shocked by seeing a cyclist they steered clear.

I was running a few minutes late this morning then on the way out the door I realized I had a flat. That put me another 5 min. behind. Oh well, I rode anyway.

As far as the clothes thing goes, I have to drive on MW anyway because I have night classes. I will just start bringing in uniforms on those days.

When I commute, I leave at the very end of rush hour and leave long after the evening rush hour has ended. If I get caught in the morning rush hour, I don't mind it too much. But, the evening rush hour is something else. People are so hell bent on getting home: almost all of my unpleasant encounters with drivers on my commute (not too many actually) have occurred when I have been caught in the evening rush hour.

Anyway, I will end with a question. Do any of you have to keep an impeccable appearance at work? I am in the USAF and have to wear a uniform. The only way I can think of to accomplish this is drive one day and leave a uniform at work. Folding it up in a backpack just isn't an option. Any ideas?[/QUOTE]


I commute almost every workday. I have my entire work wardrobe at the office, so I just bike in underwear, soap and towel on a daily basis. I rotate them thru the dry cleaner in the building as needed. The question is can you keep a couple of uniforms at work and dry clean them there as needed? If so, you can eliminate the weekly car ferry.

so I just bike in underwear


How do you get away with that??? :eek: just kidding.

Unfortunately, I don't work on a real base and we don't have dry cleaners on the installation. Otherwise, that would probably work.

Anyway, I will end with a question. Do any of you have to keep an impeccable appearance at work? I am in the USAF and have to wear a uniform. The only way I can think of to accomplish this is drive one day and leave a uniform at work. Folding it up in a backpack just isn't an option. Any ideas?

Congratulations on the commute!

Check out www.bikejournal.com and you can keep track of the miles you log.

I can suggest two things:

See if any dry cleaners will pick up and deliver from your location.

Or drive by while out on errands on a weekend and drop off the uniform then.

Either way - keep on riding!

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