Office with Shower: Why End-of-Trip Facilities Matter

An office with shower facilities means you can cycle, run, or exercise without spending the rest of the day apologising for being sweaty. It's the difference between active commuting being realistic or completely off the table.

For cyclists especially, showers aren't a luxury perk—they're the thing that makes bike commuting possible in professional settings.

Why This Matters

You can have the best bike storage in London, but without somewhere to shower and change, you're still arriving at your desk damp and hoping nobody schedules an early meeting.

The maths is simple. A 30-minute cycle in British weather—even on a mild day—means arriving with wet hair, a sweaty back, and clothes unsuitable for the office. Without shower facilities, your options are: don't cycle, or become the colleague everyone avoids until lunchtime.

Showers unlock a different way of commuting. They also open up lunchtime exercise, running clubs, and generally being active without planning your entire day around a single morning shower at home.

Who Needs Shower Facilities

Cyclists

The obvious one. Anyone cycling more than a few miles—or cycling at all in summer—needs to shower before work. Secure bike storage without showers is only half the solution.

Read more about finding an office with bike storage

Runners

Lunchtime runs, morning jogs, running commuters. Without showers, you're limited to a damp wipe-down in the toilet—not ideal.

Gym users

Some people prefer lunchtime or before-work gym sessions. If there's a gym nearby but no shower at the office, you're dependent on the gym's facilities and timing.

Find an office with gym

Anyone dealing with British weather

Even non-cyclists sometimes arrive soaked. Getting caught in rain on the walk from the station doesn't mean you should sit in wet clothes all day.

What "End-of-Trip Facilities" Actually Means

You'll see this term in property listings, especially for newer buildings. End-of-trip (or "end-of-journey") facilities typically include:

• Showers
• Changing rooms
• Lockers for clothes and bags
• Drying rooms or areas for wet gear
• Sometimes hairdryers, ironing boards, towel service

The quality varies enormously. Some buildings have hotel-standard facilities with fresh towels and premium toiletries. Others have a single shower cubicle in the basement that nobody maintains.

Questions to ask:

• How many showers are there relative to building occupancy?
• Are they cleaned daily? Who maintains them?
• Are towels provided or do you bring your own?
• Is there a drying room for wet cycling gear?
• Are there lockers? How do you get one?
• What are peak times? (8:30-9:30am in most buildings)

Where to Find Offices with Showers

Grade A office buildings

Most modern, high-specification buildings in central London include end-of-trip facilities. It's increasingly expected in premium stock. Look for buildings with BREEAM ratings—sustainability certifications often require or encourage active travel infrastructure.

Serviced offices

Larger serviced office providers often include showers in their amenity offering, especially in buildings designed to attract cycling commuters. Availability varies by location and building age.

Learn more about serviced offices

Coworking spaces

Hit or miss. Some coworking spaces market heavily to cyclists and have excellent facilities. Others have nothing. Always ask before signing up.

Learn more about coworking spaces

Buildings with on-site gyms

If the building has a gym, it almost certainly has showers. Even if you don't use the gym, you may have access to the changing facilities.

The Workaround: Nearby Gyms

If your office doesn't have showers, the standard workaround is joining a gym nearby and using their facilities.

This works, but adds friction:

• Extra cost (gym membership you might not otherwise want)
• Extra time (walking to gym, showering, walking back)
• Dependency on gym hours and crowding
• Nowhere to store your bike securely while you shower

Some gyms offer "shower only" memberships at reduced rates—worth asking. But for regular cycle commuters, having facilities in the building is significantly better than relying on external options.

What Good Looks Like

Based on what active commuters actually want:

Enough capacity

One shower per 50 occupants is tight. Two showers for a 200-person building means queues every morning. Check the ratio.

Cleanliness

Cleaned daily as a minimum. Some buildings have attendants who maintain facilities throughout the day.

Privacy

Individual cubicles with proper doors, not gym-style open changing areas. Nobody wants to undress in front of colleagues.

Practical amenities

Hooks for clothes, benches, mirrors, power points for hairdryers. The basics that make the space actually usable.

Secure lockers

Somewhere to store work clothes overnight, or keep a spare set. Day lockers for bags while you're at your desk.

Drying facilities

Wet cycling gear needs somewhere to dry. A drying room or heated area prevents your jacket from still being damp when you leave.

Location

Ideally near the bike storage, in the basement or ground floor. Nobody wants to carry a bike up three flights.

Questions to Ask Before Signing

If showers matter to your team, ask these before committing to a space:

1. Are there shower facilities in the building?
2. How many showers, and how many people use the building?
3. Are they shared with other tenants or exclusive to your floor?
4. Who cleans them and how often?
5. Are there lockers? How many, and how do you get one?
6. Is there a drying room?
7. Are towels provided?
8. Where's the bike storage relative to the showers?
9. What's the access system? (Same key card? Separate code?)
10. Can we visit and see the facilities before signing?

When Showers Aren't Enough

Showers alone don't solve active commuting. You also need:

• Secure bike storage (not just somewhere to lock up outside)
• Lockers for clothes and equipment
• Space to change that isn't a toilet cubicle
• Somewhere to dry wet gear

If a building advertises showers but has nowhere secure to leave your bike, or no lockers for your work clothes, the facilities are incomplete.

Read our full guide to offices with bike storage

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