When Lauren Greenfield arrived to work in heels, a co-worker figured she didn’t ride her bike to work that day.

Wrong.

“I had to be somewhere later and didn’t have time to change, so I wore them while I was riding,” said Greenfield, who has bike commuted for decades. “I typically keep four pairs of shoes under my desk in case I need to be a little more than casual.”

As more people continue to ditch gas-guzzling cars for bikes and like the exercise, as well, commuters are getting creative about making the transition from the trail to the conference room. It’s also national Bike to Work month (Colorado’s Bike to Work Day is June 22), a good time to test the cycling lifestyle, so we asked some local commuters to share their rules of the road.

Bicycle commuters say the options generally boil down to this:

Wear your work clothes while riding your bike.

Tote your clothes while riding and change at the office.

Stash clothes at the office and change when you get to work.

The ultimate decision is based on work environment dress codes, the length of the trip, weather and how hard a person rides, local commuters say.

Some migrants from more humid states can’t figure out what all the sweaty fuss is about.

Denver bike planner Emily Snyder, who used to live in North Carolina, loves riding to work in a favorite Patagonia skirt with a pair of shorts built into it, or Banana Republic pants.

“A lot of people get concerned about the sweat or helmet hair, but it’s not a deal breaker in Colorado,” says Snyder. “It’s dry and cool in the morning for the most part. And if you are concerned, just build in extra time so you can take it easy and not work yourself up to a place where you will start sweating.”

Riding in Colorado, “is like a treat” compared with her previous commute in New Orleans, says Cole Judge, who doesn’t have a car and relies on her bike and the bus for transportation. A small headband or hat usually keeps perspiration at bay during Judge’s 4-mile ride. She wears basic black biking pants and sneakers and changes out her T-shirt.

Judge wears her work clothes when she bikes to meetings or lunch, but not during the commute.

“I’m not risking getting dirty,” she says.

The secret to her ride: her roomy pannier that latches onto her bike rack and carries her lunch, work clothes and a day planner. Sweat can build up quickly under the weight of a backpack. But a pannier, which attaches to the side of the bike, keeps her cooler and the bike more stable.

Ray Giles, who rides 16 miles from his home in Edgewater to work in Westminster once or twice a week, leaves an overnight bag under a desk in his cubicle. The bag holds a couple of shirts, a few pairs of pants and grooming essentials, such as a towel, soap and shampoo because he always showers at work after a ride.

“I just rotate those clothes out as needed and bring in a new set,” says Giles, who wears his bike shorts and a jersey for the ride.

When showering is not an option, many commuters freshen up with “the baby wash technique.”

“I’m usually a sweaty mess,” says Alicia Guerra, after riding 10 miles uphill from Littleton to Lakewood. But her office at a medical software company doesn’t have a shower, so she uses baby wipes in a public restroom before heading inside.

Guerra lugs a backpack of work clothes, shoes, a laptop and a phone loaded with emergency contacts and iTriage, a health-care application that provides information on symptoms, diseases and medical procedures and shows the nearest hospital’s location.

The most challenging part of her commute is dealing with her long, straight hair and remembering to bring the appropriate undergarments for the right outfit.

“Sometimes I have wardrobe mishaps like having to wear tennis shoes with a dress,” Guerra says.

Co-workers say they would love to bike to work but “can’t because of XYZ,” so Guerra challenges their excuses.

“My biking usually starts quite the discussion about the whole process, the questions about changing in and out of outfits and the time of the commute,” Guerra says. “Many can’t believe it only takes me an additional 15 minutes to get to work versus fighting all the stop-and-go traffic in the morning.”

Sheba R. Wheeler: 303-954-1283 or swheeler@denverpost.com

Get cycling the safe, sure way

Want to take up bike commuting? Keep these tips in mind:

Don’t feel like you have to jump in full bore. Beginners should start out commuting by bike once a week and then build up. Try riding on a weekend when not pressed for time, experimenting with routes and rush hours.

Figure out how to ride anywhere in Denver with the new Denver Bike Map (download at denvergov.org/bikemaps) or the Denver Bicycle Touring Club’s “Bicycling the Greater Denver Area,” map ($6.95 at excelsports.com). Keep an RTD schedule/map handy too.

Slow it down. You’ll sweat less if you go at an easy pace. Enjoy the ride and the surroundings.

Take a test run of your route, says Shawn Hermanson, who recently started making his 90-minute commute from Littleton to his office at Buzz Revolution marketing in downtown Denver.

“There were a couple of places near Mile High Stadium where I took a wrong turn and had to double back,” he said. “You wouldn’t want to make that kind of mistake if you have a meeting you have to go to.”

Find a mentor, and bike with someone else, says Jennifer Hale, the sustainability coordinator at the Denver Zoo, which created a mentor bicycling program to encourage employee commuting by bike and bus.

“We’ve seen a big increase of people getting on their bikes,” says Hale. “A lot of people have an initial fear of getting on the road in traffic. They can follow someone who is experienced to learn the safest routes.”

Take advantage of some employer sponsored transit incentives, such as Eco Pass. “I always have an Eco Pass with me so if something happens, I can always hop on the bus,” says bike commuter Cole Judge.

Cycling events

Bike Prom

Denver’s first Bike Prom will be held at 8 p.m. Friday at Casselman’s, 2525 Walnut St. A short ceremonial ride, musical entertainment, a photo booth and food trucks are part of the event, with proceeds benefiting BikeDenver, a nonprofit bicycle advocacy group. Tickets are $20 at the door, info at bikedenver.org.

Style on two wheels

Denver B-cycle and Fashion Denver are partnering to kick off a photo contest, “Make B-cycle a Local Fashion Statement.” To participate, contestants need to take a photo of themselves in a creative way that includes both a Denver B-cycle and local clothing and accessories. Photos should then be uploaded to the Facebook pages of B-cycle or Fashion Denver (or both), with clothing details included.

Submit entries before midnight June 27, when voting begins. The three images with the most votes by 9 a.m. June 30 win prizes. Details at denver.bcycle.com.

Bike to Work Day

The Denver Regional Council of Governments has set June 22 as the local Bike to Work Day. It’s held a month after national Bike to Work Day because Colorado weather is unpredictable in May. Refreshment stations and prizes are some of the incentives for riding. Register at biketowork2011.org.