Originally Posted by linberl

If you're 25 and in perfect health, there's no reason for you to ride a e-bike, unless you just want to do so. If you're aging or have health issues and an e-bike is the only way you are able to ride, then no one should discourage you. I ride my bike without a motor 90% of the time but there are some trails I want to ride (and used to be able to ride) but I can no longer ride them without causing further damage to my knee, so I pop a motor on my bike when I want to ride those trails. Taking 25 degree hills with a motor on a low level of pedal assist IS a damn good workout for me, I sweat just as much as when I ride my normal rides without a motor. I'm not tempted to use the motor when I don't need it - I'm riding for my health and that means putting in the effort as much as I can. But it doesn't make sense to ruin my knee further (and end up having a replacement) to "further my health". I also use a motor when I haul 40 pounds of dog food back from Costco, because I sold my car and use my bike(s) exclusively. The assumption that people use motors because they are lazy or whatever is just b.s., maybe some people do, but there are plenty of folks I see out on them who are actually getting exercise. Is it as much as if they were pedaling manually all the time - probably not (although longer distances at easier levels eventually produce the same results as shorter distances which are harder) but they might not be riding at all if it weren't for the motor. Why be critical of other people's choices? ALL bike riding is good, period.