[analog31]

I'm sure it depends on geography. In my area, the e-bikes are pretty much confined to the rail-trails, which are flat. When I get out into the hills, the bikes buzzing by me at twice my speed are all conventional. I've seen no e-bikes out there.

Also, making educated guesses, it may be a non-issue. Most of the e-cyclists in my area seem to be divided into two categories: 1) What I would call adult beginners, who had bikes but didn't ride them much before they got e-bikes. 2) Practical uses such as commuting, transporting kids, etc. And recreational use of e-bikes seems to have peaked while basic transportation use continues to grow.

The commuters pass me at a high speed, but they're also in good control, and polite. The beginners tend to ride at the same speed as conventional bikes, or even slower.

The real problem that e-bikes solve is not faster horses, but whether someone wants to get around on a bike at all.