BostonFixed

Yeah the straps on the pack are key.
Look at outdoor/camping stores for nice hiking daypacks. These packs are usually pretty cool looking, and light, with a lot of features. Some even have a pocket for a camelbak hydration bladder for on the go hydration.

Here is another pic of a pack with good straps. MAKE sure that you get a pack with a nice WIDE,PADDED, well fitting waist strap, it really improves comfort and function. Waist straps should take around 90% of thee loadm and fit snug dirsctly on the hip bones.
This pack does't have a real good waist strap, but it has a good sternum strap and adjustable shoulder straps.

sbhikes

You can save on space for your lunch by keeping your lunch fixings at work. My co-worker keeps sandwich fixings and loaves of bread at the office and makes his sandwiches there. You could keep frozen stuff in the freezer too.

Dchiefransom

https://www.deuterusa.com/Suspension/AdvAircomfort.htm

AndrewP

I sometimes explore different routes on the way home. Dont try and map them out beforehand, but taking random turns, so you will eventually know every possible route and its advantages/disadvantages.

HereNT

I'm going to recommend the fixed gear route too. It's a lot better on your knees. It's also a lot better workout, as you end up using your legs to slow down as well as speed up. My commute is only 3.75 miles each way, but I have found a couple of routes that give me between 10 and 20 for days that I want more miles. Simply exploring your city is a good option, too. Just make sure to have a timepiece of some sort so you're not late. I have a little travel alarm clock that I keep meaning to use for rides, set the alarm halfway between when I'm leaving and when I need to be at work. I have yet to use it though...

77Univega

--OK it's only two miles but KEEP CYCLING anyway. Your (our) presence on the road not only contributes to our fitness but is also the greatest public promotion for bike-commuting.

dougc

I could face a similar problem soon. The company I work for (a lab, coincidentally) will be moving sometime in the next six months. We are looking at several locations, one only about a mile from my house. I currently go out for an early morning ride 2-3 days a week, return home, shower, and head off to work. If we move to the "too close" ' location, I will probably just extend my early ride using the time saved commuting.

The other areas we are looking at present a more challenging problem. They would extend my current 5.5 mile commute to somewhere between 15 and 20 miles. I don't mind this in the morning, except that it will mean a more serious washup when I arrive to work. The commute home is more daunting, especially in the winter. I don't relish the thought of riding in the dark for an hour or more. Bad weather will be harder to work around, too. Lots of times, I can now keep an eye on the weather and scoot home between thunderstorms or play chicken with an impending snowfall. I am much more likely to get caught out in the middle of nowhere with a longer commute.

I'll have to wait and see what happens. With a little creativity, I'm sure something can be worked out. Gee, I might need a new touring bike for the long commute. You know, something that will take knobby or studded tires in the winter? Ooh, and an HID headlight! Hmmm....

KingFoo

Guess I'll chime in...

I feel obliged, since I'm a rinky-dink 'campus commuter' with a two-mile straight-shot round-trip. Living so close to work has many advantages. I ride every day, weather be damned. I live in your basic urban neighborhood with streets in a grid pattern and small city blocks, so I do every ride in and every ride home a different route every day!

My lunch hour consists of 45 minutes of riding, and 15 minutes of eating. I can sprint home and back if I want to save lunch money. Being able to ride during lunch also makes me feel I spend the day cycling, and take two 4 hour breaks to work.

I also support the idea of going fixed... that's going to be my summer project.