Need to look professional? No sweat

The real trick for many commuter cyclists is looking - and smelling - professional after a long ride. If your office building has a shower, consider yourself lucky. If not, check with gyms near work. Some might be willing to partner with your employer to offer reduced shower-only memberships.

If showering isn't an option for you but you're still determined to get to work on two wheels, fret not. First, pitch the sweat-retaining cotton garb and spring for a moisture-wicking cycling jersey ($20 to $60) and shorts ($30 to $60). On sweltering days, hit the road early enough to avoid the worst of the heat, and give yourself time to pedal slowly and cool off during the last portion of your ride. Still feeling unkempt? Many cyclists keep a box of baby wipes handy so they can freshen up in the bathroom before changing into work attire.

Wendell Mangibin, 38, uses unscented baby wipes to clean himself after chugging through eight miles each way to his job at a credit union in Westbury, N.Y.

By biking, he's able to take shortcuts and shave two miles off what turns out to be a 10-mile trip in his Subaru Impreza. He makes the commute three days per week and, with gas prices at $2.70 per gallon, slashes fuel expenses by about $32 per month.

His main impetus for riding, though, is the exercise regimen that's otherwise tough to schedule between working and spending time with his two young children.

"When I used to go running, I'd get an adrenaline rush," he says. "It's the same way with cycling. I come into work and everyone's bleary-eyed, but I'm full of energy and ready for the day to start."