I just purchased a Specialized Creo SL Expert and yes it was EXTREMELY expensive. I never thought I would think that spending $9,000 on an ebike was worth the money....I am a bit embarrassed to say (given how expensive it is) that after riding it several times, it is definitely worth the money. It is very light weight, extremely responsive, and still enables the rider to get an incredible amount of exercise. The Creo SL also allows you to switch to wider tires and use it on gravel roads. (they make an Evo version which is exactly that).