I would say this:

I see at least 4-5 ebikers on my commute every day. They are as numerous as bicyclers. They are all significantly younger than I, and none of them look to need any assist. And I have never heard anyone anywhere make the claim that someone who needs the assist should not have it. Never.

Rather than vilify people who wear kits and go faster, why not ask WHY the wear kits and go faster than everyone else? Maybe it is because what cycling means to them is pushing their body hard to go as fast as they can and working hard to see improvements in their speed. For someone like that, an ebike makes no sense.

It's back to my point. Their view depends about what cycling means to them. And what cycling means to them is as legitimate as anyone else's view.

I certainly belong to the cycling-makes-me-fit club. I'll wait a while before I purchase an e-bike. However, once I have an e-bike, it will be used to supplement my existing bikes, it won't replace them.

Currently, I ride 3 days a week. Most of my rides are 15 to 40 miles with 1500 to 4000 ft of climbing. However, I really need to include longer rides with zone 2 effort. That's really not possible where I now live, It's just too hilly. If I had an e-bike now, I'd use it twice a week for recovery rides and building base miles. That's added exercise time that I'm not getting now.

You're just saying that because that means you are the smartest among us.

BTW, my cycling buds have come to refer to rides like yours X miles and 100X feet of climb as "square" rides.

Passing along my wife's comment to the notion that with e-assist you aren't working as hard - she claims to still work hard in achieving a level of fitness, however in doing so she is now able to ride with me where without e-assist it would not be possible.

There are those e-bikes I've seen where the cyclists feet aren't moving and yet the bikes are still being propelled at 20 mph (or more). IMO these bikes don't belong on the road unless they have a licence plate.

Back to the post quote above, a couple of years ago on one of my rides I caught up to and chatted with a cyclist on an e-assist bike - he bought it from Staples (the office supply store) of all places. Anyways, while riding he told me his story - he was nearly 300 lbs when his doctor told him he had to start exercising. He said without the e-assist he never would have been able to cycle at all. At the time I met him he had lost considerable weight and was commuting to work on his bike - and hoped to some day ride a bike without e-assist. I thought that was pretty cool. So there's another reason to ride an e-assist.

I like Biker395's post above where he points out that we each have our own reasons to ride, whether it be a conventional or e-assist bike. For me the joy in riding is climbing, not fast, but getting there.

Ding, ding, ding,... on the other hand, there are E-assist bikes where you have to pedal, and are thus a different breed. IMO and no, they are NOT bicycles per say, but they are E-Assist bicycles... get the difference you non E-Assist, and even E- bike people (who use the throttle)...???

$3599 and you don't have to pretend to be pedaling/exercising. This will be my choice when I become unable to ride where I want.

And I did not fight it.
A friend bought one, he let me try it on some trails and I was hooked. Purchased an E MTB the following week.
Yesterday, I took it on a trail that I would have not even considered on a normal MTB. Even with the assist, it was still tough going, many times I turned it off to save battery life.
In the end, I rode a route, that I would have only tried in my 20s, maybe 30s, but now, I feel I can do them all... again
And believe me; you pedal. I was constantly pushed to my limit.

However, I would not purchase an E bike for the road, the 25 KPH is just too slow (at least, not yet)

There are all kinds of valid reasons for people to own e-bikes. an older gentleman at our LBS that closed had one and used it to commute to the shop every day. He wasn't very fit and it helped him.

For myself, the day will never come where I own an e-bike. But that's just my nature.

I was passed by one yesterday on my commute on the bike path-no call out that he was coming, and it was a bit surprising seeing as how I was going 23 mph at the time. The gentleman was in bike clothes and looked pretty fit. He was turning his highest gear and going close to 28. I had to work pretty hard to get up in his draft, which I felt I deserved seeing as how he scared me. Not social at all over the course of the next mile when we both turned off.

I'm a big fan of e-bikes for their ability to bridge speed gaps between social riders and extend riding careers. Not so much so for hitting the commuting routes at close to 30 mph. That seems more like an ego thing, or more graciously, an important job you just can't wait to get to.

Edit: Never mind the above. This morning I got dusted by a kid on a single speed. I guess it's just me.

I decided to build a gas bike, and then subsequently, in my 50's, become a full time grad student at Virginia Tech. The gas bike sure came in handy after falling off my regular bike in the middle of the road climbing a hill.
No judgement here.

We got e-bikes last year. My wife wanted to take longer rides, but wasn't comfortable for the longer saddle time on her road bike. They haven't replaced the road bikes, but supplemented them.

WTF does this have to do with riding an E-assist bike that you must pedal and the assist cuts out at 32KMs/Hr...???

There are actually a lot of similarities, and I believe that the original intent of the OP was that at some point some sort of mechanical advantage must be needed in order to remain on a bike as we get older.
My sincere apologies that my post offended you so greatly.

I really like this. The people in funny clothing and the e-bikers are doing the same thing -- making choices that make them go faster. It's all about what cycling means to an individual. My experience with e-bikers is good -- like the roadies, they go fast. However, they are well-behaved. Cycling is a big tent with room for all.

Defensive much? Most folks recognize that e bikes have as much in common with gas bikes as with actual bikes. Just because you can turn the pedals doesn't mean there has to be significant effort required. E bikes are fun and allow people who are no longer fit enough to cycle to enjoy being out on the road. Same as gas bikes or the Honda mentioned earlier.

Pedals mean nothing in the eBike world. The only reason pedals are on them, is legal subterfuge.

I have an old friend who I rode many miles with back in the day... anyway we recently started riding together again and this guy was big back then, 20 years later he’s HUGE. The only way he can go any serious distance is on his ebike so I’m all for them. For myself though when that time comes I’m going back to dirt bikes, this time dual-sport.

That is sick. I would totally ride that to work every day. The only thing that prevents me from riding my bike (7 miles) is that there are some seriously dangerous roads that are 45mph. Even my gas bike isn"t fast enough.

I've read many e-bike test reports. They start out by clarifying that these bikes aren't for increased speed, but allowing more distance or load or climbing for the less fit. Five paragraphs later, the reviewer is gushing about how much fun it is to put the controller in maximum boost and fly.

I have cycled for years and still ride my Domane (and Bike Friday while traveling), but at 75 I tired of getting dropped on the hills and having others wait for me. In fact, it was clear my son, who is very competitive in duathlons, no longer enjoyed riding with me. My pedal assist bike has changed all of that, and on it I feel like I’m 45 again.

Specialized says in their ads, “It’s you, only faster.” The motor ain’t helping if I ain’t pedaling. If fact, if starting up a hill I am coasting, I will likely have to pull a 55 pound bike up that hill unassisted. And the pedal assist drops out at 28 mph, which is fast enough (although my son stills goes faster than me DOWN the hills.) I usually ride in ECO mode, instead of SPORT or TURBO, and I do get a workout, but granted not as much as I would if I were on my Trek.

Since I don’t “show off” and ride away from the group, the folks I ride with seem to enjoy my riding with them. Now instead of them waiting for me, they enjoy drafting off me.

The only times I have regretted riding my Turbo (which I have had for almost two years) is the three times I rode longer than my battery charge. But I have done several metric centuries on it and expect to go another one in the morning.

My wife, my son, and I just came back from cycling across Austria to Bratislava, Slovakia. We had miserable weather and strong headwinds almost everyday. Part-way through the trio we called our tour company and made a switch to ebikes. When you are trying to pedal a 40lb cross bike with panniers into a headwind in rain and 50 degree temps, you are not having any fun at all. The ebikes were great. If I ever did a trip like this again where I rented the bikes, I'd go for the ebikes. We still got plenty of exercise while reducing the unpleasantness of the weather. Here in the states I like to ride my road bike, and at 71 I am not yet having trouble getting up hills, but when that time comes, I'd get an ebike in a minute. We salvaged our trip by making the switch.

That is exactly what I have been trying to get across to people here, E-Assist bikes make it fun to ride in difficult situations, and you will still get a lot of exercise, if you don't use the throttle and MUST pedal...

I can sure relate to this line of thinking. Struggles with my health over the past few years seem to have stabilized, but I'm now a good bit weaker with less potential for really hard exertion than I had before. I'm still able to ride most any terrain I want, but I'm slower and I can't go as long. I can only keep up with riders who are purposely holding back so I can keep up. But I still love riding and I'll keep doing it as long as I can and I don't mind riding alone most of time.

The idea of getting an e-bike seems much more of a real possibility than it did just 2 years ago. I've just begun to read up on them a little and review the options. At this point, every time I start looking at e-bikes, what they can do and what they cost, my mind quickly turns toward my long left behind love for motorcycles. Right now I see myself more likely to supplement my bicycle riding with a dual purpose motorcycle like a KLR-650 or when I really start dreaming, a road bike like a Triumph Bonneville. I think an electric motored motorcycle would be fantastic, but I don't see that as an affordable option for several years at least.

So I'm not sure where this line of thinking will lead, but I'm open for whatever. For now, I'll keep riding my unassisted bikes. Next year, who knows?

I am so close to getting a E-Bike. And like you I am not interested in what my old group ride thinks. I just know it feels better on those long climbs.