I Said I Would Never EVER Buy An E-Bike...but
I am 58 and still a very enthusiastic rider. My wife is a little older, grew up in the city (without a bike), and never really had the passion to build up the muscles needed to bicycle into old age. But I still love to ride with her and she really enjoys easy, short, flat rides in the fresh air. However, her ability to tackle even minor hills has significantly deteriorated in recent years.
When someone suggested we her get her an e-bike, I immediately got up on my high-horse, ripped this person a new butthole, and declared that I would never even CONSIDER such blasphemy. After all, bicycling means applying absolutely nothing but one's personal energy to propel a two-wheeled vehicle forward. Anything else is called MOTORcycling.
Tonight, I broke down and bought her an Aventon Pace 350, one of the most basic e-bikes on the market. I don't want to get into a debate about whether e-bikes have any right to exist, but for the sake of anyone on this group who might be sensing their riding days coming to an end, I want to suggest that, with one of these pedal-assist bicycles, you can count on being able to ride until the day you drop dead.
Until today, I wouldn't even LOOK at anything but a "real" bicycle; but when I hopped on this baby, turned the pedals half-a-revolution, and felt the motor take over, I decided right then and there that I will never again worry about growing too old to enjoy my long day rides and overnight trips. Even the type of hill that would render a route completely off-limits for her feels like nothing at all on this bike - and that's with only the minimal level of pedal-assist. Soon, SHE will be waiting for ME at the top of each climb!
For now, having one e-bike in the family means I can take my wife along to explore the places I used to just come home and talk about. But in the far-off future, having a second one for myself is going to make growing old much more palatable. So have no fear, my old folk comrades! The e-bike is your friend!