I love it that a 60 year old was your motivation for riding to work! I was driving my route home last week and passed one of the professors on his bike presumably on his way home too. He's got to be at least 60--full white beard and everything.

I hate riding with a backpack, no matter how small and ergonomically designed, so I'm a fan of my rack and panniers. I'm the same way with being sluggish in the mornings and really shaky after a workout in the morning that wouldn't bother me any other time of the day. Eating a mix of protein and carbs and washing it down with a lot of water in advance helps a bit, as does stopping and stretching really well after about five minutes. But mostly I think it's just the way my body works so I don't worry about it too much. You could ask the 60 y.o. how she does it!

Sarah