I can think of plenty of use situations -

- Older athlete who just doesn't quite have the oomph to make it up the steepest grades of his/her favorite rides anymore, but loves everything else about the ride. The motor lets them keep riding that beloved route, even if they 'cheese' the big climbs.

- Spouse combo, wife can't keep up with husband on climbs but is still an avid mtn biker. Now they can ride together

- Some folks who just love being outdoors, esp with the fun of a mtn bike but don't care to be watt monsters. More like leisure-type mtn bike enthusiasts - now they can enjoy the steep, scenic routes.

- One n doners who can rent these, and experience how steep those offroad grades are,even if they're not climbing them with their own power. Would be a good tourist opportunity.

- Folks who just love the downhill wayyy more than the uphill, but don't want to go all super-risky-bomb-downhill-with armor. Now they can cruise up the mountain, and use their energy where they want to, which is navigating the downhill (which is still a good workout!). As opposed to wearing themselves out on a giant climb that they aren't keen on doing.

How about people who would otherwise shuttle up a fire road and ride down the trails? Seems like a perfect use scenario to zip up on the bike instead.

I don't believe they are intended to be mass produced anymore than a P5X is. But there is a demographic of hardcore mountain bikers with full body armor that go crazy with these things. Not only are they able to get up to the top of the trails easier but they go absolutely ballistic on the downhills and flowing sections because a normal mountain bike doesn't carry enough speed for them to get their thrills.

I watched a ebike MTB race on a very short and flat course...but was very tight and technical. The way these guys were carving through turns was jaw dropping. It wasn't that they were too lazy to pedal (again it was a flat course), but they wanted to get back up to 15-20 mph just so they could slam their brakes and carve the next turn...over and over again.

ETA: It's also why some trails have a "no ebike" sign on them. Not only can it be dangerous if there are hikers around blind corners, but aggressive ebike mtb'ers can tear up some trails.

If you vacation in a mtn resort in Europe, you will see a lot of people on these: rentals.

We sold one to a Vet that was injured in combat and could no longer get up the hills like he used to. But he really missed mountain biking. The Specialized Turbo changed his life for the better.

Last weekend while riding one of my favorite MTB trails I saw a sign that said no electric bikes allowed.

Personally I think electric bikes are going to save cycling by getting more people on the road, with more people comes more awareness.

Those irate drivers that are too lazy to get on a bike and pedal can now get on a bike and go 20mph with minimal pedaling and have fun.

So stoked for my new electric bike to get here

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I was talking to a gun mountain bike guy last weekend and he has one.

He said going to the tracks and having a few runs before work and not being stuff for a day at work is the best.

He said it's like surfers getting towed back out to sea to catch the next wave.

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There were several shops in Sun Valley, ID today that had them for sale and rent.
In Boise we have several MTB trails with signs prohibiting e-bikes.

E-bikes of all types, will outstrip regular bike sales in less than a decade.

It's wired into the DNA of human beings for starters!

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This.

I hiked the Haute Route in the Swiss Alps this summer, every mountain village I stopped at, these were EVERYWHERE

I think you're wrong on both accounts. Every major mtb manufacturer is marketing the shit out of ebikes - Spesh, Cannondale, Trek, BMC, Giant, etc. But hardcore mtb riders generally think they're lame.

When I clicked on the article, I made the wrong assumption they were writing up about the $12,500 S-Works version. I'm not sure why I did. I agree that ebikes in general are taking off for various (and obvious) reasons...but there is a market for the ultra high end ebike mtbs...even though this article really had nothing to do with high end ebikes mtbs.

To the second point...I said there is a demographic (as in not all) of hardcore mountain bikers with full body armor that are into this. Sure there are people who think they are lame...just like there are a bunch of roadies who think triathletes are lame.

Not this particular bike, but I see a ton of motorized fat MTB being used by surfers now. There is a spot here where the only way down was to park a long way aways, and hike in with all your gear. Now there are tons of guys on these bikes with a surf rack for the board, and they are causing 20+mph on the sand to their favorite spots. I was totally freaked out when I saw the first one all loaded up causing faster than I would be on a tri bike, and in the sand!!! But that was before my brain connected it to a motor, and the guy was not actually peddling that fast

And the more I think about it, it makes total sense. You could park your car down at the beach, and then cruise a 15 mile out and back to check out different surf spots. Only thing stopping you is a cliff face and high tide, otherwise you just cruise along while doing surf checks. I would love to have had one of these in the old days, and would love it even more now!! Jalama here I come, no more wasting 50 minutes walking down to the surf spot, only to find out it is crappy or blown out..

Just gonna wait for the price to come down a bit, but I think the market is just beginning on these bikes, not who the hell would buy one...

Confirmed- same tons of eBikes in France too, including up Ventoux

they are for lazy people who want to ride well maintained trails instead of of blown-out, rutted, muddy trails in chairlift bike parks and off-highway vehicle zones.

I'm still a bit torn on it, but am leaning towards "ok".

For commuters, it's a game changer for getting to work quicker with less sweat stinking up your clothes. I also watched some folks in France make it up some mountain passes they'd NEVER have sniffed making it up on a regular bike. But who's to say they don't want to see that beautiful country by bike also?

And fwiw, I was passing them. Not the other way around. The battery may be strong, but it won't last long enough if you weigh over 200 lbs going up a mountain letting the motor work super hard. You'll still drain it. So it's not necessarily always an ego driven BS thing. It can be a legit assistance to touring a country.

My thing about the e-MTB is that you'll always have tools ruining things for people who legit could benefit from it. Hitting hikers or tearing things up. It's just unfortunate that some people will treat it like a motorbike instead of an assisted bicycle.

The thing about going riding with a spouse is that you only really need it on the climbs if you can paceline worth a damn. So, having a limiter hard set to 15mph doesn't hurt anyone from keeping up. If you're climbing over 15mph, you're getting after it one way or another.