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Comment by burgerbrain | Hacker News Reader

If more work places had showers, that might be a workable solution.

Also: "I drive 40 minutes each way" 1hr20min of driving is not going to translate into 1hr30min of biking, with the only possible exception being if you spent the entire car ride in gridlock or parking lots.

And: "I couldn't find a job here, but I could find a job there". That you can find a job within 20 miles does not help him.

"You are supposed to spend that 40 minutes of driving concentrating on driving. Not talking on cell phones, not texting, not talking, not even listening to music but DRIVING."

Yeah, and I'm not supposed to eat pizza or drink so much...

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There actually are showers at work, and a little gym, and an outdoor exercise station park. There's nothing stopping me from using all that except my interlocking schedule and my current physical issues. But mostly time.

My commute is in the "good" direction. My average speed is probably 40 or 45 mph, mostly freeway, and the opposite direction is often at a standstill. So it's a fair distance.

I'm all for finding jobs near home, and I moved where I am because there are a lot of jobs in the area. But circumstances put me there for now, not here. When I used to work here I would walk 40 minutes to work, and I liked that a lot.

"You are supposed to spend that 40 minutes ... driving." I used to bike to work when I lived in Seattle, and Port Orchard before that, and I can definitely understand the wish of any biker that drivers would hang up the cheeseburger and just DRIVE. :)

People who don't cycle much often think showers are necessary.

In reality once you get fit you don't sweat much (I get far sweatier on the tube than cycling), and if you're overheating you can always slow down slightly.

* Shower before leaving then you get rid of the dirt + bacteria that makes the sweat smell.

* Wear clean lycra - this wicks sweat away before it has a chance to start smelling.

In London my cycling commute of 1hr would take over 2hrs by car, and 1hr15min by train. Cycling is often the quickest way. You also combine exercise and commuting time which leads to a significant overall time saving. I don't feel the need to do a lot of other exercise after cycling 200 miles a week.

I bike regularly and trust me, these sorts of things vary a good deal between people. In my overly warm 70F office I feel like I need a shower halfway through the day anyway. There is no way in hell I'd bike for an hour or more before that. 45 minutes is my cutoff.

And major cities are major outliers in cycle commuting.

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