Help me eliminate excuses!

[Grog]

I also think your co-worker are jealous.

This being said, although their motives are silly (the grease thing), I have to say that lots of buildings don't want bikes in the offices. The main issue I've heard is liability in case of emergency. If you have a safe spot to put it in the garage, then good.

I think it's totally possible to bike to your meetings without sweating. Depending on the bike you ride, though, you might want to be careful about getting grease on your right pant leg. Rolling up said leg is probably the safest way to proceed if you don't have a chain protector (and even if you do...) You might want to do something about the left leg too if you're wearing really nice pants.

On a one-mile ride, you want to go as slow as possible, look at the birds and the flowers (or nice buildings), etc. to make sure you don't go too fast and sweat. Or if you are riding a speedy road bike and really can't help it, then you could consider getting a cheap city bike to keep in that same garage just to go to your meetings. When you switch bike, your body knows you're not in for the speed...

Good luck! I'm sure you can get rid of those excuses.

[uk elephant]

And if they are concerned that you are wasting company time by walking or cycling to your meeting....time yourself once walking, once riding and once driving and make sure you time it from when you leave your desk until you arrive at the meeting (ie including the time it takest to find your car, start it up, get out of the parking lot, drive the mile, find a parking space, lock up your car). I am certain that on a distance of only 1 mile both walking and cycling would be far faster than taking the car, even without sweating as you go! Then next time someone comments on how you are wasting company time by walking, show them the times and tell them you are actually being far more efficient with company time wasting less time in transit!

[spokewench]

I guess I have it pretty great. I live in a smallish rural town and riding my bike to work is very acceptable to all here. I usually don't bring my bike in just lock it outside; except when I ride my road bike or my dual suspension mountain bike (they are too expensive to leave outside). If I bring those bikes, I just carry it upstairs and park it by my desk or must outside my office against the wall. I've had some people comment about my bike being there (not many) but when I explain how much it costs and that i don't want to lose that kind of money, they seem to understand why I won't lock it outside.

I do have a shower here at work also, but rarely use it when I get in since my ride is not too long 5-8 miles or so?

People are pretty understanding about working out here, (it is an outdoorsy, hiking, biking, skiing kind of town) so that is part of it. I don't usually work on Wednesdays, but in the last couple of weeks I've had to come in for meetings with clients on Wednesday, but I worked it around my tennis workouts. Both meetings I came in my sweats from the tennis workout. I figured they needed me at the meeting, but I also needed my workout. Everyone was fine with it.

Oh, if your wondering what I do. I'm a paralegal

I'm lucky

[Geonz]

Ten years from now they'll be the fools and you'll have been the trendsetter. Be the brave, courageous trailblazer doin' the Right Thing. People are threatened when they see other people doing what, in the back of their minds, htey *know* they should be doing and don't want to admit it. Be militantly healthy!

[missymaya]

If people are bothered b/c you ride to work, ask them why. Really, what is the trouble with something as simple and harmless as riding a bike to work. You dont take up a parking spot, there's a good chance you'll be on time or early, you'll probably be feelin' good from the ride and all those endorphins so that would help with your work ethic, etc. So, why would they be bothered? Easy, its something they know they should do too, but just dont for whatever reason.
I work in a similar office, where they all act as if riding a bike to work is just crazy and "dont live", but I dont care, cause I love to do it. The only issue I have: cold showers ! They haven't fixed the cold/hot water showers in the womens bathroom since the hurricaines.

[carpaltunnel]

Gee you got a lot of great advice here, and I'm going to take it too!
What better time to start this than Lent? And as for taking responsibility for your health: are you on the company's health insurance policy? If so, you're taking steps to lower their costs, leaving more money in the budget (we hope!!!) for salaries. The company I work for is suddenly very focused on this after the costs to insure the health of the employees DOUBLED in one year.

Someone will soon appreciate your contribution, but maybe not that "office wife" type who gave you static. I can just picture her - does she still have big hair that's mostly spray like I had in the 80's, and you just know she wraps it all up in toilet paper at night, and doesn't engage in anything vigorous because it might mess up her hair? Poor thing She needs a bike.