I think it is what you get use to. In Perth I was doing a 45km return trip each day on the SSCX and in the afternoons it was into a headwind the whole way (Western Australians will attest to the demoralising WA headwinds) but if you set yourself up with a good saddle, clothing, hydration etc you’ll be fine. Occasionally I would say “fuck this” and drive in, only to feel guilty for not having ridden.
Having racks and not carrying anything on your back would certainly be a bonus.
Seconded. Light yourself up like a Xmas tree. In all weather and for early mornings and late evenings dusk (half light) you;d be surprised how many drivers there are that switch off or aren’t paying attention. In addition to lights flouro tape your helmet and bike and splash out for a reflective vest or sash. It’s a bit of drag but goes a long way to avoiding the close shaves … they will happen.
Work out early what the best bang for buck lights are, how reliable they are and what it will cost if you choose battery power options. Sometimes the initial outlay of a generator hub pays for itself over time when compared to batteries or recharging.
Wide tyres, fenders because weather is one thing you can’t predict, overbuilt wheels and sensible longlasting components are things to think about. Fit, geometry, comfort must be dialed in otherwise you busted when you get to work and the ride home is quite a chore.
Racing and riding for fun is often a whole different world to commuting. A good commuter bike can be quite a different animal to what you would normally ride … Whilst you can do it on any bike it soon becomes obvious if there are shortcomings.
That’s how I started commuting, you don’t have to worry about turning up to work smelly, mechanicals, getting wet, being late etc. and your car doesn’t end up left at work half the time. If your catching an early train getting the bike on the train shouldn’t be an issue either.
I second taking in some nicks though for a 40k trip, crotchal chafeage isn’t fun
What others are saying…
-good, reliable lights (that dont rhyme with ‘dog’)
-32+ commuter tyres (as if you spend any time on the freeway, you will see a lot of debris)
oh and you can avoid the princes hwy for a quite a lot of the way… you just need to do a bit of research 
there is a lot of on-road bike lanes that you dont know about until you do some research… it took me a bit of digging to find out about some of the improvements i made to my route (coburg->burwood east, ~29km each way). why somebody cant collate all the bike maps/bike lanes/bike paths onto one site is beyond me.
i highly suggest starting small and building up to it. at least try for one day/week. you wont regret it… especially in summer!
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There’s always the ‘follow the train line’ route, through springvale and such.
I might start on 1 day a week riding home, train in the morning, y’know? It’s just after work commitments that are fucking with me at the moment. No time to do anything, then I’m out too late and sleep in.
[QUOTE=Keir;362482](Western Australians will attest to the demoralising WA headwinds)QUOTE]
The headwinds on my commute can be real nasty, especially on the way home. Heading home I go from the east CBD down the freeway cycle path heading south and its not unusal to have a 20 or 25 km/h headwind with strong gusts. If I actually get a tail wind I feel I must immediately do a bike burning ritual to appease the wind gods.
But, it’s great training and is making me noticably stronger every week.
Komfort really is King and I will shortly be sorting out my tourer and commuting my 48km return on that (Currently doing it fixed with messenger bag)I did 2500km in a month in Europe last year on it and it’s so nice to ride. Runs 28c Schwalbe marathon plus tyres - they are grippy, fairly puncture proof and very fast rolling - great touring tyre.
Something no-one has mentioned is that you will find there is no possible way you can get 2 hours + exercise per day and not commute to work by bike. It actually saves you time because you don’t need to do so many out and back type rides to keep your fitness level. Time spent commuting is literally a waste of your life unless you cycle to work - FACT.