I sympathize regarding the new work location. When my job moved a couple of years ago it was a big upset to my routine, and it took a while for me to settle into a new one.

I've never commuted by bike, even when my office was 4 miles away in a bikeable area. But after my office moved to a building that is 25 miles away, I looked into the possibility of a mixed mass transit/bike commute. I quickly realized that would not be feasible because there is no mass transit serving the new office building and also there are no safe bike routes in the area. The roads are not safe for cycling due to too much traffic and lack of shoulders. There is a rail-trail that I could use but it that has its own safety (crime) issues after dark and it's not the most direct route, so it would add too many miles.

So I agree that terrain plans a role, but there are other factors to consider too. I was able to assess the bike-friendliness (or lack thereof) of the roads using a bike map that is published by the county where my office is located. Hopefully you have access to similar resources. Local bike advocacy groups can also be helpful in identifying good routes for bike commuting.

Good luck!