Once mysteriously had no shoes for a day

Most cycle commuters have been there at some point – the causes of socks-at-work day are:

1) Just forgot to pack shoes

2) Thought shoes were under desk, forgot took them home on ‘drive day’

3) Couldn’t fit shoes into backpack and decided shoes not actually that important as a component in life

Bleeps, beeps and charging devices

You notice a reoccurring pattern – around five minutes after your potential commuter arrives into the office, there’s a very familiar ‘bleep, bleep’ that reminds you of the sound your cycling computer makes when you stop at the lights.

Has adopted a funny winter walk in the morning

Most roadies will start wearing overshoes or even cycling specific winter boots as the temperatures drop, but a lot of commuters like to avoid the ‘missing shoes’ scenario above by simply wearing their day shoes on the bike.

This works out wonderfully, except that those shoes might not be so insulating. If you’ve noticed your suspect commuter is hobbling a little for the first 30 minutes of the day, they may well be suffering from ‘cold foot’. 

They’re addicted to weather forecasts

You notice that around 4 or 5 pm, they begin to look out the window a little more frequently and that there is a weather forecasting site open in their tabs at all times.

They’re usually smiling and rarely sick

Granted, intense exercise can lower your immune system – but regular gentle exercise generally means fewer sick days which is why encouraging cycling is something that could save employers thousands.

Since those who exercise regularly get to enjoy equally regular rushes of endorphins, your new commuting buddy is probably more cheery than those who spend time queuing in traffic each morning, too. 

Failing all of the above – you could just ask them, then you can have a good natter about all the experiences you had when you first started commuting…