I ride in wearing lycra and take a full change of clothes in my bag. I keep wipes in my office but I rarely need to use them - depends on what your body is used to I would say. I’ve been cycling years and a 5 mile flat ride at a moderate pace is just not going to do much to me, esp in the UK climate where it’s never hot. If I ran to work, though, it would be inconceivable that I wouldn’t shower as I’d be a mess.
A merino wool base layer makes a big difference if you are finding you sweating up a lot, although that is again in the UK climate, I don’t know if people use them in hotter places.
The above easy-going commute may not hold true if strava is involved.
There is such a thing as rain and dirt as well. Not to mention dress clothes can be warmer than what you might wear riding, ie the reason for the sweat is the clothes being worn.
I used to bike about 15 minutes to work in Dallas, Texas. I got there soaked in sweat from the 100F heat, but I also didn’t have an AC in my car, so I looked just the same either way.
I have some non iron business shirts and they work pretty well. They are a high quality item, beware of cheap ones. Also try rolling your shirts rather than folding them, I do this on interstate business trips and it does stop 90% of wrinkles, works on pants as well as shirts.
I bike 5 miles in to work daily. I’m so sweaty and easily overheated, I can’t imagine biking in work clothes! I bike in a tank top and shorts most of the year and come in early enough that I can stop dripping, mop my brow, put on appropriate clothing, and not walk into my department bright red…
Figure out a way to pack your office wear in a way that won’t wrinkle it, definitely possible as most bike commuters I know do so and don’t look wrinkly.
I am rather heat intolerant, and super-active; there isn’t enough time in the day to shower every time I work up a good sweat in the summer. Haha. Luckily I’m not a stinky person.
I am very grateful that I have a locker room and shower at work. My ride is only five miles, but I have a big honkin’ hill at the end, and I’m plenty sweaty when I get to my destination.
I bike once or twice a week, about 7.5 miles each way, pretty much year round. I do try to use it as exercise so I am pushing it. Shoes are left in the office. Other clean clothes in the backpack. Bike in bike clothes and sponge bathe at the office when the weather is hot enough that I worked up enough of a sweat. Given the breeze I can bike pretty hard and really only build up a sweat at where the backpack hits. At least Winter Spring and Fall. The hot mid Summer ones are another story.
This is a load of horse shit. I have almost 13 miles with some significant climbs. I show up anywhere between really goddamn sweaty and looking like I just got out of a shower. I towel dry and chill out in front of a fan at my desk for 15 minutes or so before I change into my work clothes. Because I shower and use deodorant every morning before I leave, I do not smell. Sweat has no odor and deodorant is quite effective at preventing the bacteria that cause odor.
To answer the OP, I pack daily a pair of khakis, casual button down shirt, socks and underwear into a 20L Dry Bag that I carry in my pannier. It’s the perfect size so things don’t have a chance to wrinkle much, and they stay dry if I get caught in the rain. I would recommend packing one of these in your backpack if you don’t want to buy panniers. I leave my shoes at work. If you have to wear a pressed dress shirt at work, things may be a bit more difficult for you. I can’t remember the last time I plugged in my iron.
Note that each person sweats differently, with different levels of stink.
I imagine you won’t believe me, but according to a trusted source (my wife), my exercise sweat just doesn’t stink. I can go for a twelve mile run, get home, change out of the drenched running clothes, cool down, and then go to a social event without showering.
She finds it amazing (and annoying) that I can skip showering for several days with no noticeable stink.
Maybe one day I’ll find out she lost her sense of smell at a young age, but until then, I trust her judgment. (to be honest, she has no qualms about telling me when my breath stinks)
I went to Minneapolis on a business trip one January. At the first meeting of the morning, I was commenting on how I almost froze on my walk across the street from the hotel. One of the guys in the meeting piped up about how he’d ridden his bike 8 miles to work that morning. I still don’t quite know how that’s possible, but apparently people do bike in all sorts of weather.
I bike commuted for a few winters back when I lived only 5 miles from the office. But we had showers at the office, and I drew the line at biking into the office when the temps went below 15.
I just bike to work in my work clothes. I only bike two miles and I shower beforehand and wear deodorant. No complaints so far. I tend to take more of a “transportation” pace than a hard exercise pace. It’s like biking to school as a kid.
Sometimes I bring bike shorts to change into on the ride home if it’s going to be hot and humid in the afternoon. In Minnesota, the mornings tend to be cooler. If it’s extremely muggy (or raining) in the morning, I would probably drive. I’m just not that badass. (And, yes, there are people who bike-commute in Mpls in the winter. Still pretty rare in the suburbs, though.)
I bike about 4.5 miles - I bike in bike clothes and change. It is usually cool enough in the morning that I’m not too sweaty - I wipe down and reapply deodorant.
(I carry my change of clothes in panniers)
I like to bike in bike clothes because in the afternoon it is often too hot.
I have biked at least once every month this year. I bike on teh shoulder a fairly busy highway and don’t bike if the sholder isn’t clear of snow (or much in the winter at all)
People with shorter commutes don’t change, and I don’t find them stinky.