I am a newbie to commuting on a bike and as of yet, love it

Hoping to get some recommendations on where to buy (online or in Seattle) the following

Light (headlight and for visibility to others)
Womens reflective vest
Commuter bag -i have a laptop

Also curious what is in your bag that is specific to commuting-towel/wipes?, etc. wondering what are the requisites in order to commute to work

Thank you

You've got a REI in your neck of the woods?

REI is probably easiest. I have 2 lights I picked up from Academy Sporting goods for helmet/head that I use for climbing/running/riding usually.

You can probably check with a few places like universal bicycles online for the vest, etc.

As far as a bag, I personally recommend the Timbuk 2 grubsack (M). It's freaking' huge, has a spot for a lappy and seems pretty waterproof unless you're flatout in a downpour and the flap isn't secured. I'm moving up to the Mission workshop vandal now - but we're talking substantially more money too. I picked my grubsack up for like $60.

lol, I've used baby wipes, all the way up to Clorox disinfecting wipes. Its just a matter of what I'm cleaning. Baby wipes are great for the skin. Keeping the Clorox wipes around is great for getting grim off shoes, etc. in rainy conditions.

What kind of bike are you riding? That would be helpful to know as some may have something similar and can help you with specifics to commuting. I am not familiar with Seattle but you can buy a lot of bike stuff online, especially Amazon.

As far as lights, you're best off having a front and rear. I use Planet Bike lights similar to these: Planet Bike Lights

I don't use a vest, but I am sure you could find one on Amazon as well

Do you have a rack? If not, I really like the Topeak Explorer: Topeak Explorer Rack

Topeak makes an assortment of bags for their racks that attach securely.

I don't think there's anything commuter specific that I carry that would be different from any other kind of cycling. You should have a pump, patch kit and basic tools in case you need to repair something of patch a flat tire. My commuter bike has panniers and I just kind of end up throwing all kinds of junk in them and clean it out over time.

You'll probably get a ton of responses that vary a lot. The cool thing about commuting is that you can pretty much use what works for you. Something that works great for one person may not be of any interest to somebody else.

The key is to just have fun.

Having only vacationed in Seattle, I can't speak to where to buy stuff locally. But I second megalowmatt on the Topeak Explorer Rack. The MTX bags and baskets are great. I've got the basket, into which I toss my backpack most days and use for stops at the grocery store on the way home, and I love it. The handle could use a little reinforcement, but it's my only minor complaint. Gotten a number of compliments on it, too.

As I said, I use a backpack for my commuting basics, including my laptop, a change of clothes and shoes, and a towel. I leave baby wipes in my desk at work and grab them before I head to the restroom to change. I have the usual patch kit and tools in an under saddle bag.

One of your several Bike shops in the Metro Seattle area.

This.

I think REI is great if they are having a sale but most of their stuff you can find online for less. I know the dividend is nice if you do a lot of shopping there but I really don't. They have a great return policy but then if I charged what they do I'd better have a good return policy too. Unless you need stuff in a hurry get it online.