During my past experiences with commuting to work on two wheels, I was fortunate to have shower facilities either in the building I worked, or in one immediately adjacent. It was great. When I first started riding in to my current job, I was forced to go with the alternatives to a real shower, i.e., sponge baths in the restroom. I just wasn't happy with that solution, especially on one of our typically hot/humid days. So I made arrangements so that I could take a REAL shower before getting into my work clothes. The following list describes what's needed. If you can get past #1, the rest is a snap.

You'll need an unused, secluded bit of floor space. I work in an office that has an area walled off for stocking parts. I put up an old curtain at the end of one row and installed the rest. Maybe you have a utility closet or something similar. A lot of space really isn't required.

The following items actually make up the shower:

1. A camp shower--I bought mine at WalMart for $7.99
   
2. A length of PVC and four elbows to make a curtian rod (2.00-3.00)
   
3. Two cheap shower curtain (1.99x2)
   
4. Something to serve as a shower base. I used a plastic tub from Home Depot sold for mixing cement or plaster. I think it was $12.99. You might be able to come up with a cheaper solution, but this works great.

Depending on where you are set up, you may want to add to the above to make it easier to dispose of the used water. I built up a small platform for mine and made a drain in the plastic tub with a small piece of PVC. I drain the water after showering into an old five gallon plastic jug I don't use anymore, and then carry that to a sink to drain it. It's a lot easier than carrying the tub.

Now when I arrive in the morning, I head to the rest room to fill my camp shower with hot water and proceed to take a real shower. Works great for me and makes the commuting experience much more enjoyable.

By Dave Clary, .