Hi Mike, Welcome to the world of commuting, once you get going, keep it up, it's a great home to work transition and you won't believe what you will see out there. Every day and every ride is a new adventure in life. Panniers are the easiest way to carry what you need, I'm always accused of carrying too mach, I live in new england where the weather is always changing, I carry panniers and a trunk bag. I put the bike equipment in the trunk and the clothing and gear in the panniers because they can be folded, lunch goes in the pannier. Here is my gear list, I built up a commuter bike from an old mountain bike, the frame is cromo, the drive train is shimano XT with V-brakes, from march through november I use a smooth tread tire on the front and back, during the winter months I use Nokian mount and ground studded tires. My lighting is taken care of with a nightrider classic front and rear, I also have a cateye blinking light on the back as a back up which I run all the time, I carry a spare, small cateye headlight in the trunk that is battery powered in case the nightrider fails. I carry a mini pump, 5 tubes, spare chain pins, 2 spokes of each size that are used on my front and rear wheels, multi-tool, chain lube, a spare set of brake pads, rubber gloves to keep my hands clean during repairs,, 2 rags, I carry 1 filled water bottle on the frame. For clothing I carry a spare jersey, safety green vest, light wind jacket, 1 pair each half finger, long finger and warm gloves, a skull cap, spare pair of socks, a face cover in the winter and a rain suit and folded work clothes and lunch. My cargo changes with the season, in summer I carry less and sometimes ride my road or touing bike if the weather is nice. My commute is rather long, 18.5 miles each way with some long steep hills in both directions, The thing to keep in mind, is dependability, the bike and youg gear has to be dependable, When you ride a bike to work, you have to get there and get there on time. You will find that bike mainenance is one of the most important factors of your commuting success, If you spend too much time on the side of the road, you could end up jobless. My advice to you is, buy quality gear, take care of your bike, give yourself enough time, ride easy in the morning and harder at night, enjoy the adventure, bike commuting is a very rewarding and fun thing to do. Good luck and don't be afraid to ask us questions, most of us have been at it for a while. Oh and one more thing, wait till you see the shape you'll be in, in about a year.