Some of the mindsets here are really, scary... completely closed and ignorant. The guy saying he took a $250 bike 12k miles over 15 years, he probably thinks that’s a lot and extreme. I bike commute a little under 50 miles a day and have 20k miles in the last 2 years in total. It’s over average, but by no means extreme, for people who use bikes as transportation
I do it because it makes sense. I’m a former Marine and it keeps me sane. I get fitness, mind clearing, and I’m not stuck in crappy traffic. I don’t own the road or get in the way of cars, I respect others and do my thing. I hate being stuck in a metal box in stop and go traffic. Yeah I think $7k is hard to justify for this bike, but if it replaces a $60k car while getting you exercise, easy to find parking for, using bike lanes, sidewalks, and paths to beat rush hour, who is the one really wasting money? Don’t even have to consider all the energy consumption arguments.
Now combine the fact that I have to carry a laptop and work stuff, I’m considering something that will help me go a little faster and take the edge off, and an electric-assist bicycle makes sense. If it costs a few thousand dollars to ensure it doesn’t break down, is safe, and performs well... it is what it is. I personally don’t understand spending more than $7 for a shirt, $20 for pants, and $50 for a set of golf clubs (don’t even understand the point of golf at all). Heck I bought a set of $60 clippers 4 years ago and they’re still going strong, cutting my hair and beard down every ~2 months. The $ and time people spend to get their hair cut, nails done, WTF?! An electric bike allows people to replace their ($20k-$100k+) car with something that is more efficient, gets exercise, and allows them to commute further than they could on a normal bicycle, what does getting your nails done get you?
And the person talking $ per year, it should be $ per mile if you want to compare. Get out of the mindset that bicycles are purely recreational. Studies show a bicycle is the most efficient means of transportation, on average, even better than walking.