I commuter biked modest distances for many years - enough to inspire my daughter to become a urban planner for biking, and now head of the department for multi-mode planning and safety in one of the largest cities in the US. But getting old, and a bit larger, had me jump to a Class 3 e-bike.
I go far, far further and more often than I ever have in the past. And despite the assist, that 55 lb "beast" does get me in better shape than I have ever been. So much so, I'm seriously looking at adding to the stable with a really good conventional road bike....