and... I would/do agree with you , most cyclists do think that way... Thing is, that I know, there actually IS a difference whether one must pedal to get anywhere, or one can just push a throttle and get there without pedaling, or putting in any effort at all.. JMO... Just like there IS a difference when riding a single speed, that most, if not all average bicycle riders today, could NOT ride, because they just do not have it in them to make it up that hill, so, they use the assistance of a 3 speed, a 10 speed, a 27 speed and now there are 33 speeds … and, without the assistance (mechanical advantage) of said gearing, I would wager bicycle ridership today would plummet to practically ZERO...

and... Thus there is also a difference in degrees of said "assistance/mechanical advantage" being used by the average bicyclist too... So, a bicyclist "purist" may think that anyone using any type of gearing is a cheat too...