Using your Gravel Bike to commute?

The great thing about gravel bikes is their versatility. Over the last six or seven years I’ve been using mine to commute to work - approximately 4 miles to work and 4 miles back. Here’s a few things I learnt from that those commutes:

1. Prepare for the worst weather. You can cycle to work in the morning in bright sunshine and cycle back in pouring rain. Make sure you have appropriate clothing! I prefer to take my work clothes in a bag rather than wear them. I find it much more comfortable cycling in shorts and t-shirt even in the rain.
2. Rain going to work is much worse than rain coming back. Coming back you can jump straight into the shower - arriving at work wet and cold is not ideal!
3. Keep a full set of spare clothes at work with towel. And I mean a full set, including underwear. Arriving with a wet strip up your bum from spray doesn’t look good when you’ve changed into your work clothes and still have a wet strip up your bum!
4. Mudguards are a real winner if you’re riding regularly in the rain. See point 3 above!
5. Plan your route carefully. If you’re going to be slogging up steep hills every day you're going to sweat. Along with your spare set of clothing make sure you have a spare set of toiletries a work.
6. Make sure you plan your day. I’ve been caught out a few times when I’ve had a few off-site meetings that I hadn’t realised or planned for. You need significantly more time to get to your meetings (and I feel guilty cycling there - an activity that I enjoy - when I should be working!). Whereas I could leave with 10minutes spare to get to a meeting in a car it could take me half-an-hour on my bike.
7. A lock is essential. If you have insurance make sure your lock is suitable. My bike insurance company states it must be a Gold Secure or higher lock. Work out where you can lock your bike up. How safe will it be outside of work during the day? What if you need to go to a meeting offsite?
8. Make sure you have a suitable bag / pannier to hold your laptop and work gear. It needs to be waterproof and comfy. I use a rucksack (Ortleib) but panniers are probably better if you can fit and remove them.
9. Have lights. The meeting runs late and it’s dark. In England the clocks have recently gone back - most of my commutes from now to March will be in the dark or around dusk. Make sure you have bright front and tail lights and they are visible from a distance. I have a set of front and rear on bike and on my helmet. This coupled with my Proviz reflective jacket and my wife said I looked like a tractor coming down the road!
10. Enjoy the ride in the morning. It’s fresh, bright and if your choose the right route extremely peaceful. You’ll also have a real sense of achievement (and smugness!) when you arrive at work, avoiding the traffic queues that your work colleagues have been stuck in. Enjoy the ride back. Why head straight home? Take a diversion, find a route you’ve not been down before. That 4 mile ride can quickly become an enjoyable 10miles straight after work before it gets too dark.

What other advice do you have for commuting to work on your bike?