to TiHabanero (the OP):

Don't "hate to admit" you'll eventually find yourself needing an ebike to meet your cycling wants and desires. Just be glad the option (and many, many styles of ebike) is open for you.

I took that option about 2 years ago when a knee injury (as a result of cycling) caused me to make a decision - Option 1: stop cycling altogether for the year (or more) it would take for the injury to heal, or Option 2: get a bike that would help you out in a pinch when you needed the help while you still enjoyed your bike.

I chose Option 2.

It took a month or so of research to find if the market had what I wanted - a system that was pretty much invisible at all times, never took away from the enjoyment I had of regular cycling (turning the regular pedals on a regular bike), and components that could be removed within minutes if I desired. What was most important was to find something that both protected my knee on hills by taking up the bulk of that burden ONLY when I wanted it to, while not stressing my knee (having to pedal through a mid-drive motor) while riding on normal (flat) surfaces.

I found what I wanted in a company out on the west coast.

1 20 year old vintage bike, 1 new front wheel with a small electric hub motor , a pair of 20 mile lithium batteries, and 5 minutes to put them together - and I had not only embraced change, but I could continue to enjoy cycling, go on the charity rides, ride with the cycling clubs, and never miss a beat while my knee slowly healed.

I could not have done that without the help of my newly converted ebike. I would have had to sit out an entire year. No cycling, no enjoying the open road. No fun charity rides in new and exciting places. None of that would have been possible without the quiet help of that front wheel motor.

And now that the knee is finally healed and I can charge up a hill without worry (or pain), I am back to riding my sweet road bike (after a thorough cleaning to remove the thick layer of dust from a year+ long hiatus of disuse). I am happy to use the road bike for the short club rides. For the upcoming long rides (30-50 miles) this year, however, I will still take the ebike with the silent little motor that no one ever sees, or hears, or even realizes is there. I like the security of knowing it will help me get out of trouble if I need it to do so. Like having a friend along for the ride to give me a bit of extra strength when mine is flagging. And I can cycle along like everyone else and NO ONE knows the difference (unless we are going up a hill. Then eyes widen and faces show wonder)

So...despite the number of people posting here who despise anything polluting a "pure bike", sometimes embracing a change in the type of bike you use is all you might need to spell the difference between being a participator to a sport you love...or being the spectator standing on the sidelines, wishing you were still a part of the fun.