Tips for cycling to work?

I managed to commute to work by bicycle with a trunk bag and a handle bar bag.

Leave all toiletries at work and nonperishable food and shoes. I would take the bus about once a month and would replenish my supplies then.

Your pump is on the frame.
Wallet keys phone etc are in the handle bar bag ... maybe your lunch too.

Your jacket is a light weight cycling jacket that folds down to nothing.

Roll your other clothes to make them more compact and less wrinkly.

If you need something like a suit jacket take a couple to keep at work when you take the bus.

Personally I pre-position a couple of suits, shoes, wash bag at work and have two panniers on my bike.

Nearside has two laptops, notebooks, phones and my lunch box, offside has fresh underwear and socks, shirt and tie and towel.

Neither pannier bag is stuffed but I prefer it balanced out that way.

You can also consider pre-position of your lock if it's company provided cycle racking.

We were a one car family for years, so my husband cycled to work nearly every day. This was when we lived in Alaska, and he biked most of the winter, too. (Who knew they make studded snow tires for bikes?!) He had access to his office on weekends. Every Sunday, he'd drive to the office with a couple pairs of pants and some shirts and drop them off. (If you don't have a key, of course you could do this on Monday). He kept two pairs of shoes in his office, a nice pair and some boots for his outdoor work as a geologist. He had a ditty bag he kept there with his toiletries.

I've spent the last few months cycle commuting to and from work, which is a 34 mile round trip. It's so satisfying to arrive at work after doing it, so good on you for persevering!

As for stuff, I usually manage to fit everything I need into a backpack. My top tips:

- Ditch anything you don't need on a daily basis! I don't carry a puncture repair kit, pump or anything like that. I've had two punctures in 25 years of cycling, so I'd rather hedge my bets. So long as you have a lock, I'd say leave the dead weight at home and if you get a puncture, lock up your bike and find an alternative way home.

- Have spare toiletries at your office. I keep a toilet bag with everything I need beside my desk. That way you're not lugging bottles of stuff every single day. It might be a bit of an investment initially (I don't know how much make up you use....!) but you'll not likely notice it after that.

- I like to keep extra socks and underwear in my filing cabinet at work, just in case I need 'em!

- Are your lunch tubs complete full or only partially full? If only partially, then maybe look at getting more appropriately sized boxes. Otherwise, I'd suggest maybe having a Monday be your "I need to lug everything for the week to work" day and just bite the bullet. Take all your lunch stuff for the whole week and store it at work.

On a separate note, don't skimp on protective clothing. Buy a good jacket suitable to the conditions you're riding in (I'm in Scotland, so warm and waterproof is the way to go). Wear as much hi-viz clothing as possible and don't go anywhere without your helmet. I was hit by a car last year while on my bike and my helmet saved my life (no exaggeration!)

Leave as much as you can at work/in a locker - toiletries are the obvious one, shoes maybe. Consider driving to work 1x week and leaving a week's worth of lunches and some clothes in your office/locker/wherever.

Also, can you pack more efficiently? I have a saddle bag with my usual tools, then carry a small messenger style bag with a change of clothes. I can't imagine wanting or needing to carry so much stuff that I need a 20l backpack AND a pannier.