Originally posted by greywolf
i hope you know the more you bike commute the further left your outlook becomes,
The opposite is true for me, especially with all the extra time I have to think, but that's a different thread.
Anyways, MikeOK, welcome to the commuting world! I used to commute 5 miles when I was back in school. I never had time for showers or anything (sleep is very important as a college student) so I took my route just to the point of working up a sweat. On the ride home, I would push myself.
To avoid sweat, invest in a pannier rack and some panniers. Keep the luggage off your back. Its easier to ride this way, and what sweat you do produce will evaporate before it accumulates.
As for clothing, its very easy to pack (with a bit of practice) everything so that you don't have wrinkles in your clothing. My method is to fold the shirt almost all the way. (so its about the width of your pants when folded in half width-wise (one pant leg)). Lay the shirt on the bed. Lay the pants on top of the shirt with the waistband in line with the top of the shirt. Bundle the socks and underwear into a cylinder, and place them at the cuff of the pants. Then start rolling up the pants, grabbing the shirt on the way (smoothing out wrinkles along the way) until you have a nice cylinder of clothing. Put it in a ziploc bag (2 gallon) and remove the air. You're set. No wrinkes when you get to work. The underwear/socks will keep the clothes from pinching on itself, which is what causes wrinkles.
Shoes can either be left at work, or packed in one of the pannier bags. It will be hard to wrinkle the clothes even with pressure when 'folded' this way.
Nowadays I have been doing a 30-mile round-trip commute. Showers are a necessity, and fortunately, I do have to worry about helmet hair.
Just remember to hang you bike clothes so they dry out during the day. The couple times I have forgotten, and left them in my pannier bags after a shower make for a miserable ride home.
Pack everything in ziploc bags. (or at least keep them handy) Weather can sneak up on you, and panniers leak.
As you enjoy it more, you will probably start adding additional miles to the ride just to have more fun. I just added some good hills on my ride home.
I just wish I had a way to get to work by water. Lord knows I'd sail it.
Enjoy the commute!!