Facilities for commuters

skidpatches

I changed job recently. The old place had a dry, secure place to lock the bike and showers.
The new place barely has a pole to lock the bike to, and no showers.

What kind of companies have decent facilities? Government? Big companies? And how have people found out? Do you ever ask in the interview or at offer stage?

I'm thinking of moving again as driving really p1sses me off...

rp

skidpatches wrote:

What kind of companies have decent facilities? Government? Big companies? And how have people found out? Do you ever ask in the interview or at offer stage?

The big ones seem to be pretty good, I've worked for IBM & AOL in the past, who've had good shower facilities & bike parking.
I've thought of turning jobs down at that stage, just to make a point, but I don't think it'd make any difference...

I'm thinking of moving again as driving really p1sses me off...

Or, like me, get used to changing & sponge-bathing in the jacks. Shower before you leave home and it's not hard to get clean - you'll smell better than someone who'd just sat in a car for an hour or more.

tampopo

A friend who lives along the southside Dart line told me that for €7 p/a you get a key to a bicycle lock up in Connolly Station.

Mucco

It's very hit and miss. I worked for a large American multinational that had:

Secure storage (inside security fence)
Excellent showers and lockers
Drying room
€3/day for not using a car
Token bike to work day once a year

Ghost Rider

Is there a lock-up on Connolly? I thought it was just the bike rack inside the main part of the station (where the Belfast train comes in). There used to be a lock-up shed outside Pearse Station which cost a tenner (deposit) but I've a feeling it's gone now.

tampopo wrote:

A friend who lives along the southside Dart line told me that for €7 p/a you get a key to a bicycle lock up in Connolly Station.

rp

Ghost Rider wrote:

Is there a lock-up on Connolly? I thought it was just the bike rack inside the main part of the station (where the Belfast train comes in).

They have got a row of those bin-like bike lockers there against the wall behind the Belfast platform. Can't imagine when I'd want to use them, though. They'd be handier at an out-of-town station so you could ride to the station and take the train in. Perhaps it's funded by the govt for devolution, so you could cycle up from Dunne Towers and commute to your office in Sligo...?

daymobrew

rp wrote:

They have got a row of those bin-like bike lockers there against the wall behind the Belfast platform.

I wonder did Michael Power of Irish Rail listen to my suggestion - I mentioned the bike lockers that Caltrain has in San Francisco area. He was familiar with them from visits.

Bluefoam

in San Diego they have racks on the front of buses to carry bikes. When the bus stops you just lob your bike onto the rack...

RainyDay

Mucco wrote:

Secure storage (inside security fence)
Excellent showers and lockers
Drying room
€3/day for not using a car

Excellent - A drying room is a great idea, but I've never seen this in a business (apart from an outdoor pursuits centre). Just curious, was the €3 per day paid in salary, or through some bonus scheme or what?

We have a single shower (small office - 60 people approx) and lockers. However, I need to wear a suit 2-3 days per week, but I can't fit a suit or even a shirt on a hanger in my locker, so I basically have a wardrobe of stuff hanging on the back of my office door. It ain't pretty, but it works.

I have asked about facilities for cycling before joining a company, but not usually at interview. It's really one of the many questions I need to ask outside of formal interview setting.

I know of one public body that provides a towel service for their staff showers - now there's luxury!

The_B_Man

My place is grand. Xilinx in CityWest. Has about 5 showers in the mens shower room, includin a cold shower cube, free lockers in the locker room, and a free gym with yoga classes and all that jazz. does the job!

daymobrew

Bluefoam wrote:

in San Diego they have racks on the front of buses to carry bikes. When the bus stops you just lob your bike onto the rack...

They do this in the Bay Area too.

I'm at Sun Microsystems in East Point Business Park. We have 2 electric showers (male/female) in the building which houses around 120 people. Partially covered bike rack out back. Works well for me.

Hungrycol

RainyDay wrote:

a wardrobe of stuff hanging on the back of my office door.

...why don't you use a suit bag for all your hanging stuff on the back of the door, might look neater....

I cycle 15kms into work each morning and we have showers off the First-Aid room. Nice and clean and quite swanky! Bikes are constantly getting nicked from the bike rack so it helps to have a beat up looking bike.

skidpatches

thanks for the info guys. think I'll have to start chaining my bike to sales boy's range rover

Do any of the city centre / ifsc banks have decent bike facilities?

RainyDay

Hungrycol wrote:

...why don't you use a suit bag for all your hanging stuff on the back of the door, might look neater....

Been there....

I had one of the suit carriers, but the yoke inside the carrier which holds the hangers broke with the weight of a suit and a few shirts, so I didn't fancy splashing out on another one which would break.

kenmc

My place has 5 showers, lockers and a drying room. Also a secure lockup with swipe card access.
Moving to a new building, and they're rebuilding one of the tea-stations into a shower room, again with lockers and a wall-wall radiator for towels etc.
We don't get E3 a day though That'd cover lunch nicely!

Hungrycol

skidpatches wrote:

Do any of the city centre / ifsc banks have decent bike facilities?

IFSC! Don't even go there if your bike is in any way swish unless you've got a full time security guard to look over it very second of the day. Spitting distance between the IFSC and Sherrif St. Not that Sherrif St. isn't a lovely place, I think it is very lovely (ahem), sure what other place has it's very own dedicated Garda presence 24/7!

Raam

my place has a shower and a shared locker for storing your gear/towels.
We would have to queue in the morning for showers on some days in the summer months, but the number of people cycling has dropped (due to some people leaving) so it's rare that I have to wait for anybody.

I reckon my company now has 7 people cycling, 2/3 of which would use the shower facilities. At one point we would have had another 3 or 4, all using the shower.

Glowing

We have 4 ladies' showers with individual changing areas, lockers, full length mirror and hair dryer Only one or two other ladies cycle so I invariably have the place to myself every morning!

The_B_Man

The_B_Man wrote: »

My place is grand. Xilinx in CityWest. Has about 5 showers in the mens shower room, includin a cold shower cube, free lockers in the locker room, and a free gym with yoga classes and all that jazz. does the job!

Hey, do you still work, know anyone who works here or does anyone else work here? Thats an super set up, I am very jealous. If anyone does, can I please get in on that yoga class (long shot I know) as Citywest yoga studio is no more??

Tombo2001

Mucco wrote: »

It's very hit and miss. I worked for a large American multinational that had:

Secure storage (inside security fence)
Excellent showers and lockers
Drying room
€3/day for not using a car
Token bike to work day once a year

What a super initiative.....

kenmc

Wow is this the most deeply zombied resurrection ever?

ted1

Secure bike shed with swipe access and about 30 Sheffield stands. 6 showers in the men’s, drying room and a decent size locker.

Previous place had an underground car park, with designated bike area, showers and drying room in the car park

Raam

We have three showers now, WOOHOO!

Lusk_Doyle

rp wrote: »

you'll smell better than someone who'd just sat in a car for an hour or more.

Cycling must have been wildly different back then for it to be possible to smell better after cycling than someone who didn't!

magicbastarder

ted1 wrote: »

Secure bike shed with swipe access and about 30 Sheffield stands. 6 showers in the men’s, drying room and a decent size locker.

Previous place had an underground car park, with designated bike area, showers and drying room in the car park

very similar where i work, albeit with half the number of showers.

Grassey

We moved buildings and things have regressed. This is the height* of cycling facilities. No showers, no changing rooms and about 35 regular cyclists during the summer, less than 10 now.





Thats right, an unsecured clothes rail in front of the air conditioning extraction fans in an open car park to the public.

* actually after much hullabaloo they removed 1 car space to put in 4 Sheffield stands.

07Lapierre

Where I work I'm the only one that cycles to work. No shower, BUT I do have a store room all to myself! I just have to share it with boxes of cleaning supplies, etc. I have a few hangers on the back of a door and I can dry my clothes on the radiator.

As long as no one else decides to cycle, I'm ok.

mrcheez

I've never worked in a place with showers, bar a 3 month internship at Accenture.

So shower at home before you cycle and your sweat will be "clean" sweat.. not literally but you won't stink!

Rub your self down with a towel and spray deo liberally.

Get a can of dry shampoo and voila, your hair will be grease-free and smell like elderberries.

gmacww

Surely a 10 year resurrection is a new site record?

Lusk_Doyle

07Lapierre wrote: »

Where I work I'm the only one that cycles to work. No shower, BUT I do have a store room all to myself! I just have to share it with boxes of cleaning supplies, etc. I have a few hangers on the back of a door and I can dry my clothes on the radiator.

As long as no one else decides to cycle, I'm ok.

Don't forget the powerhose that you have at your disposal too!

Arcade_Tryer

Secure underground bicycle car park with approx 200 sheffield stands, shower room with wash facilities and approx 10 to 12 showers, additional changing room, drying room with de-humidifier, and approx 100 temporary and permanent lockers.

Bluefoam

My office has a gym and very posh shower facilities form the MD, but nothing for the staff...

Beasty

kenmc wrote: »

Wow is this the most deeply zombied resurrection ever?

gmacww wrote: »

Surely a 10 year resurrection is a new site record?

Not by a long chalk...

Beasty

...maybe a "Commuting Mega-thread" beckons

:pac:

Beasty

Bluefoam wrote: »

My office has a gym and very posh shower facilities form the MD, but nothing for the staff...

Seems fair enough

Carawaystick

Where I'm working now has secure code locked indoor sheds for bikes, but no changing facilities for about half the people working there.
Last place had 5 showers for about 300 people, -- never had to wait for a shower and there was a id-badge locked room woith toaster racks for the bikes, and a drying room, which only worked when the heating was on i.e. not in Summer
my normal office has a domestic shower and large changing space, and 2 locking points immediately outside the door, under roof overhangs. There are also several sheffield stands scattered throughout the business park.

magicbastarder

in our place, someone has chained a track pump in the bike sheds, which is not a bad idea.

Ferris

I feel spoiled, my place has a covered bike area beside a security hut, cubicle showers, assigned lockers, drying room and best of all - a clean towel every day.

The company actually look at facilities like this as a way of attracting and retaining talent. Its certainly a consideration for me.

plodder

Ferris wrote: »

I feel spoiled, my place has a covered bike area beside a security hut, cubicle showers, assigned lockers, drying room and best of all - a clean towel every day.

The company actually look at facilities like this as a way of attracting and retaining talent. Its certainly a consideration for me.

I thought I was doing well, but that takes the biscuit.

We just moved to a newly renovated building with showers, heated drying room and locked bike sheds. Couldn't ask for more really.