i kind of want to do this next year to and from school. drop cloths off on monday (generally monday is my day off), then ride 16 (during winter when im riding cx w/ knobbies) to 20 miles (very start of the school year when im riding road bike). then ride home 25-36 miles once again depending on the year. this way i can get in about 3 hours a day, make one day a short trip there and back (i only live 9 miles from my school). then have two long over the weekend where i get 3-4 straight hours on the bike.
Showers at work are a luxury. I bet if you polled the group over at the Commuting forum, the majority don't have them.
Lunch? Even on the road bike with no bags, I can fit a sandwich in my jersey pocket if I ride a Fred jersey. The team kit is too tight. I hate smashed sammiches. That's like punishment for good hard work. I have a whole collection of Fred jerseys, because, you know, that's what I really want to be when I grow up.
shovel: how the hell did you steal my Redline?!
Also in my experience of commuting: A small backpack can really be loaded up quite well. 2 pairs of clothes, food, an extra kit, and you are pretty good to go. Trick is really just stocking up stuff at work.
If you shower before you leave to ride to work, that is all you need to stay clean. If you have a clean base, you don't really get that smelly or dirty even in an hour commute during the summer. Get to work, rinse off the face, hair, arms in the sink with some water, and some deodorant and boom clean and ready to go for work. Obviously a shower would be a nice, but not everyone has that luxury.
My Strava Profile | | Beck Cycling | | Category 2 | | Next Race: Dingo Days of Summer (July 13-14th, 2013)
"Seize the time - live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."
Velogames BikeForums Leagues: 1st - 2012 Veulta, 1st - 2011 Vuelta, 3rd - 2012 Giro, 4th - 2012 TdF, 10th - 2011 TdF
Another tip: CVS unscented baby wipes last longer than Huggies.
I'm lucky, my office has a bike room inside the building and a shower. My backpack is big enough to carry my laptop, lunch, and a pile of clothes. I keep pants, belts, and shoes at the office so I only need to bring shirts and the other stuff.
My commute is 50 miles round trip and I average ~3x/week when in town. As for lunch, I usually eat mine around 9:30 am, stew until noon that I still haven't learned to bring two, then break down and buy a second one.