All above is sound feedback - not all of it is of same weight so factor in what matters to you the most. The verdict is do not hesitate to buy...you will not regret it. The ebike takes the agony aspect (due to fitness, injury, time constraint, nearby trails, mood, etc) out of regular riding without robbing you from the exercise element. Rent or borrow a couple of different ones for a full 2-3 rides so you can get a sense of what all this feedback means. Here are some realizations of owning a lightweight mid power trail (130/150mm) for 3 years and about 1500mi of adventures. I've also demoed/borrowed so many others ebikes. Most of my regular riding is on 165/170 enduro.
Weight: No fun maneuvering above 44ish lb. Lifting and wrestling a pig does take its toll on you. Not an issue if you ride counting sheep, for recon cruise and control, or have a moto background. The weight also affects your breaking distance so consider more powerful break setups as some manufacturers skim on this. At battery 15% motor power output can vary and the range can drop without warning. Do not count on pedaling these bikes.
Noise: While some degree of humming is expected and tolerated, some motors rattle or clunk which takes away from the serenity of nature.
Service/reliability: I'd avoid DTC and buy from LBC that is willing to service it and has support from the manufacturer. Troubleshooting an ebike can be complicated and frustrating (the consumer is the beta tester for these things to some degree) and you can find yourself in long out-of-service stretches for repairs that are labor intensive and/or costly if out of warranty. Even under warranty, 2 to 3 weeks turn arounds are considered great!
Power/range: So many options affected by so many factors, make it fit your riding needs so that you don't wish for more power or experience range anxiety on a regular basis. Range extenders are there to help if you don't mind the extra 3.5lb of dead weight. They also change the handling of the bike...for the worst.
Maintenance: Forget washing the ebike to dodge corrosive damage. Dry wipe goes a long way. Double the check-ups vs what you do on a regular bike. The drivetrain will wear faster. Creaks come on more often.
Longevity/investment: Stick with a motor that is at most 1 years out of its release date...otherwise you risk to buy outdated tech. ebike models are on a 2-3 years cycles at most. Value drops tremendously. Store the battery while 20-80% to preserve longevity.
Travel: The longer the better. If a motor is taking care of the uphill, you want sufficient cush for the downhill.
Build specs: Carbon rims liven up these bikes from a farm pig to an agile boar. Opt for powerfull break setups. Enduro or DH casing or deal with flats. Drivetrain doesn't matter although I think Transmission might be better suited because it wants load in order to shift. Comfy saddle is a must.
Any time it's downhill I still prefer a normal bike. For any other adventure that requires pedaling...ebike it is. Zero regrets.
I'll probably also get a really good workout which will confuse so many people. On the bright side this thread as taught me that I can ignore any lack of skill I have without worry as I'll be on a 170/170 bike so I just need to point it downhill and hold on. Should be an interesting day now that I've learned all of these new things.
