I don't know why one has to exclude the other. I prefer to ride without a motor on most of my rides, including my fitness rides. But - there are places I want to go that require more than I or my 8 speed bike can handle (big hills) so a motor is helpful in those cases. I also want to ride with my adult son sometimes and not make him drop his speed so much to ride with me (I am a senior citizen and 15mph is my speed, 20-24 is his). Also, my bike is my car and I pull some heavy Costco loads on a trailer so the motor is really nice when I have 40lbs of dog food plus other stuff. E-bikes are transportation tools, e-bikes are physical assist devices, and e-bikes can be just plain fun. I would never give up my regular bike; it's all about choosing the right bike for the moment.