I don't think he took up a biking hobby ... he took a very small part-time job for which he uses his bike. Big whoop indeed, you don't need to bike a marathon or work a double shift to impact your life.

...and if you actually read the article you'd see that the distance involved is completely inessential to his purpose. Also, you don't know him or how many bagels he's hauling around. I can guarantee you that I can find a balance between any given person and some number of bagels such that physical exertion happens in a "measly" 1.6 miles.