Happy Feet

So I imagine on a cycle touring forum the adults could be trusted to know the difference between the two and participate in threads accordingly.

I could enjoy a discourse related to someone touring via the aid of an E bike and could ignore or report one that solely revolved around talking about motors. Easy.

I personally don't feel the desire (other than curiosity) to ride an E bike but they do help some people engage in the activity that might not otherwise do so. Some people are making a big deal out of how much they need to pedal as a defining factor (and I enjoy that part myself) but there are many other aspects to cycle touring.

If one gets past the % effort pedaling it is pretty easy to see that all other aspects of touring are the same. People come here to talk and/or ask questions about cycle touring. Where would those people go to have those discussions. Saying the E forum is like saying someone with a loaded LHT could just get all their answers from the general or commuting sub forum. But no, the questions may be touring related and, even though there are a number of cycling sub forums, they come here for specific discussions.

Banning E related touring discussions would be like saying they can lurk here but never really belong, listen but don't talk, even though they may do more cycle touring than some who buy a bike and never take it out. Would it hurt us so much seeing as we seem to accept unicycles, recumbents, fixies, Penny Farthings and even upright tricycles? They are all just discussions among adults who have the mental capacity to understand what is being discussed after all.

E bike touring just brings more inclusion for some and another dimension to a great activity which is a positive.

I'll also say. The more people on bicycles, E or otherwise, means more cycle lanes, more cycle awareness programs and more cycling advocacy which is also a positive.