BIKEPGH MESSAGE BOARD ARCHIVE

How about a heated parking area with garden hose... come to think of it, I need one of those at home too.

I would say showers. It always good. During cold time of the year I always sweat. This is first. Second -- covered bike parking. Third, some warmed room where you can fix your bike if you need to. It's pretty hard to take tire off and put it on when your fingers are cold and rubber is cold. Having a floor pump there is a big plus. Long shot -- to have a place where you can dry some biking clothes.

warm locker room and showers would be my number 1, covered parking would be number 2. also refer them to this program if you haven't already: http://localhost/campaigns/bike-friendly-employer/

Heated fix-it station... I like. We're doing pretty well on the other (non-longshot) items.

a boot dryer would be awesome. and a glove dryer too

The couple of times I biked 17 miles to FedEx in Moon in the dead of winter, the one thing that mattered most was someplace close to the entrance I used (not the main entrance) that I could change out of my riding gear, and emerge looking like just another office worker. Wearing a blaze orange suit from top to toe and covered in road crap, shivering like hell, does not endear one to one's boss and co-workers. A shower would have been nice, but I was OK with just a quick wipedown with a wet paper towel. A locker would have been helpful, too. But the main thing was (a) close to the door, and (b) able to sit down on something other than a commode.

A changing space that's not a flirtation with getting arrested or embareassed. A ventilated place to dry out wet clothing, a secure place to leave the bike, and a bike work stand. The stand could be just a Park domestic workstand, or one of those higher-end industrial stands like you'll see at WholeFoods, BikePgh, Pitt, etc. A floor pump. As far as changing goes, here's the pitch. We want professional people to be able to ride bikes to work, transition from bike-in-outfit to office attire. Many times that's the same, but sometimes that means getting out of the jeans and into the suit/skirt-etc. They should be able to do this without compromising their professionalism with everybody who walks by them, tucking in their shirt on the loading dock for the world to enjoy and post on Facebook. In a most perfect world, one unisex shower. Wow I would have loved that. People will rarely use it, but they will be so glad to have it when they need it.

If any of your employers are looking for new office space, consider the Cardello Building. Indoor bike storage, showering facilities. I think they'd let me use the hose on the loading dock to wash my bike too. I only see one or two people commuting on a semi-regular basis. We've got two toaster racks full of bikes. They mostly collect dust, even in the summer. So sad.

byogman wrote:Heated fix-it station… I like. We’re doing pretty well on the other (non-longshot) items.

Then add "a wending machine" with some spare tires, patch kits, fast snacks, etc. At my work I have all this stuff that I give to colleagues. And I have floor pump and some tools. I am working with facility people to allocate it at the entrance and make our guards to be people in charge.

I think Vannevar hit all my suggestions. Unobtrusive changing area would be the one that would benefit my employer most. The rest benefit me more than the employer.

Yeah, indoor covered/heated parking is the best. Also having somewhere to hang your stuff to dry out. That is one nice thing about the vertical racks we have, it's easy to hang stuff on the bike (or on all the extra rack spaces vacated by people who don't ride in the winter...) Google provides everything that's been mentioned so far - indoor parking, changing area, lockers, showers with towel service, repair stand, tools, supplies, loaner bikes. I just wish all that was the rule rather than the exception - I'm sure it costs very little, and it makes a huge difference.