Bike commute 2024 edition

[lorenbike]

Looking to the collective for some fresh ideas on transporting gear on the bike commute...I know this topic has been beaten to death over the years but what are you doing in 2024?

For years, I got everything into a small enough bag to fit into a wald basket on a front rack. But my current laptop is too large for this and I'm using a front basket for the U-lock, bike tools and backpack for the laptop.

I absolutely hate a backpack while biking, so looking for some fresh ideas on how to get the laptop off my back and onto the bike. In the past, I also strongly dislike weight hanging off the back of the bike and much prefer the front rack. I do run drop bars, so any larger basket is going to creep up into real estate on the drops.

Is it time to try a rear rack again with panniers? Suck it up and go for the larger wald basket? Switch to flat bars? Panniers on the front rack? Thanks for your suggestions!

My commute isn't particularly far but all downhill in and uphill back makes my back/neck/shoulders just sore enough with the backpack that I'd like to rethink this.