I have been on this forum now nearly 9 years....as people are aware on here i have bought many bikes and spent more money on all types of components. up until last year i was regularly riding a pedaller and even undertook as a big guy a trip to the alpine region of France and enjoyed ( if you can say enjoyed) the climbing of such enormous alpine climbs. but since that trip in 2017 my knee and hamstring injuries started to get worse. the pain i was suffering when riding my bike was taking longer and longer to rescind. it was then after a conversation with my fiance of 14yr's, that we decided the best course of action was to purchase the said EMTB, which has helped me keep riding, helped me relieve stress, helps me keep commuting, keeps some of the lard off and i can now enjoy the riding of said bike totally pain free........if that's what people want to call cheating, then crack on, i really do not care what others think. the only thing i care about is staying as healthy as i can and to look after my ill and disabled partner to the best of my ability.
E bikes are only going to get better, lighter and more mainstream...you can either go with the flow or fight it in all directions and call it whatever you want. but what you won't do is stop people riding what they want and enjoying the freedom of the bicycle, whether it be by the Power of E or by the power of one's legs...
we live once on this planet, enjoy it whatever way you can and don't let anyone judge you for the decisions that best suit you and not their own rhetoric.