I don't think it says much about the person saying it ("wow, that's impressive") or about the person doing the 12 miles each way, but it does say a lot about our population. I do 13 or 14 miles each way. As such, it does mean I'm a heck of a lot fitter than most people, but most people are woefully unfit. Look at pictures of people in rural African villages. They do a lot of manual labor, and they are brimming with muscles. Now, I don't crave a rural village lifestyle, but something is really out of balance when a 12 mile bike ride is seen as ambitious or difficult.

But I don't mind these comments. I'm fine with others seeing me as amazingly fit. Let them. Most of it is idle chatter anyway.