1703.18 BALLS OUT

I'm my opinion one of the most integral parts of a successful cycle commute is the availability of a shower at the other end. I've been on both sides of the spectrum with a previous employer which didn't provide a shower (baby wipes in the gents had to do) and my current one who does.

Now I'm not what you'd call a 'gym person' and I have little experience of the whole locker room thing. At the previous sites I've worked at I've pretty much been the sole user of the showers but my current site is busier and the showers are in high demand.

Now you're probably imagining a spacious room full of lockers with benches down the middle and showers down the end somewhere. Wrong. The shower room provided is small. Very small. Too small.

The shower room is separate from the locker room(s) and as such you have to bring in any change of clothes, toiletries etc, there's a small bench along the wall with 3 shower cubicles along the other. The room is as narrow as a corridor so there's not much space to move around when there are a few in there.

In a morning is worse. You'll have the obligatory cycle commuters (of which I am one), the runners, the gym users and of course those that just couldn't be arsed to shower at home. When it's full it's a challenge to move around the room trying to keep eye to eye with your colleagues whilst trying to avoid touching flesh.

Then there's the awkward times when a boss comes in to use the room and he wants to have a conversation with you. How do you maintain that level of professionalism whilst your boss is stood in front if you 'balls out'?

I wish it was a bigger room. That would minimise the risk of accidentally brushing past someone and lessen the opportunity for uncomfortable encounters with your bosses.

Still, I shouldn't complain. It beats the baby wipes option.