Showers?

[maximalized]

Hi all –

I’ll be interning near the Farragut North metro this summer and would love to ride my bike to work. The only problem is the building doesn’t have shower facilities…and the commute during the summer will result in a lot of sweat/messed up hair. Basically, I wouldn’t be presentable without a shower.

Does anyone know of a cheap way to gain access to a shower nearby for the summer months? I’m mainly biking to save metro fare money so something like paying for a full gym membership would probably not be an option unless there are some really cheap month to month gyms in the area?

Topic

[hencio]

I know you said you were shying away from gym memberships, but Fitness First at 19th at L is really darn cheap for area gyms. I think the month to month is $25. Good Luck!

[DCLiz]

If you are a student (and not older than 22 years), The Washington Sports Club, which has a location at Connecticut & M (just north of Farragut North), has a month-to-month student membership of $20/month. You can’t use the gym from 4:30 – 7:30 PM, but if you are mainly wanting to join for AM showers, that might be one option.

Otherwise, I think FitnessFirst at 19th & L is your best bet. It’s $29.95 for month to month.

Both options may have an initiation fee, though, unless you can talk them out of it!

[maximalized]

Wow, great suggestions! Thanks so much!

I had called up Results & Gold’s, and both were a bit on the pricey side ($64/month and $44/month respectively)…and I didn’t think I was going to get much cheaper!

Edit: Actually, the initial fees are killer according to the website..both of the suggested gyms have $188 initiation fees for month-to-month That makes both Results and Gold’s cheaper. Maybe they have some deal going on (Results did), but I’ll have to call tomorrow to find out I guess.

[hencio]

Bummer… I think I got in under a special. Worth asking to see if they are running anything currently.

[Brock]

Gyms are always negotiable. If you can, go in person and talk to the manager and explain that you only want their showers, and I’ll bet you can talk them into waiving the setup fee.

[maximalized]

An update just in case this thread might be of use to anyone…

WSC recommended that if I was only looking for showers, to try Bally Total Fitness

Lo and behold Bally is 9.99 every two weeks, or $20 a month. The “card processing fee” is $29, bringing the effective monthly rate for the summer to about $30/month. Not bad .

[creadinger]

Have you tried riding without taking a shower? Sure, I sweat a lot on my 12 mile ride in but I found that the combination of AC, ice water, a little towel, and a little desk fan can cool me down and dry me off in 10-15 minutes. In this area in the summer I start sweating as soon as I step outside anyway. I’ve never a problem with smelly pits or anything but just in case I keep an extra deoderant at work as well. I’m also a guy with short hair so it doesn’t take much work to make me look ‘normal’. I don’t have to wear a suit either fortunately. That might change how I do things.

Otherwise, good luck with the showers and commuting.

[Mark Blacknell]

Pretty sure there’s a YMCA just up the road from Farragut North. I imagine they’d be cheaper than the gyms (tho’ that Bally rate is pretty good – now just watch your card and make sure they don’t charge you more than that).

[hencio]

I looked into the YMCA and was surprised that were not too much cheaper than a Gold or similar gym.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

Like @creadinger I also commute without a shower, year-round. My commute is about 7 miles one way. I take a shower before I leave (or the night before) and just towel off at work before I change. I wear shorts and a T-shirt if the temp is over 60, otherwise I just wear my work pants and change shirts. I should mention I don’t have any hair on my head to mess up, though.

[baiskeli]

@creadinger 3633 wrote:

Have you tried riding without taking a shower? Sure, I sweat a lot on my 12 mile ride in but I found that the combination of AC, ice water, a little towel, and a little desk fan can cool me down and dry me off in 10-15 minutes. In this area in the summer I start sweating as soon as I step outside anyway. I’ve never a problem with smelly pits or anything but just in case I keep an extra deoderant at work as well. I’m also a guy with short hair so it doesn’t take much work to make me look ‘normal’. I don’t have to wear a suit either fortunately. That might change how I do things.

I’ve also found that in the morning I can shower at home and ride in and be presentable, even in summer, with a little touching up and a fan. My commute is 8 miles but its’ mostly downhill in the morning. Short hair is key, but you give long hair a quick rinse in the sink. It’s really a matter of trying not to sweat when you get there because that nice breeze you had is gone but your body is still hot.

[Joe Chapline]

I’ll also chime in on the possibility of not needing a shower — even if it doesn’t apply to maximalized, maybe it will to others. I just wanted to mention that most people go to work early in the morning, and it’s rarely very hot, even in the hottest part of the summer. Going home is a different story, but then you’re at home and you can take a shower. I’ve always done my short commutes in business clothes (washable, business casual), no shower, no change of clothes. Again, I know it won’t work for everyone. Hair has not been an issue for me. If I do have helmet head on occasion, I wear it as a badge of honor.

[cephas]

Speaking of showers, does anybody have an idea if there will be showers at/near the Freedom Plaza pit stop tomorrow for Bike to Work day? I want to do a longer ride in, but know it will be a foul without a shower at the end…

[Author]

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