E Road Bike vs Road Bike

I think it depends on age to some extent. Below 60 (slightly arbitrary cut off) I reckon you should have no issue rebuilding fitness even with a fairly sparse plan of going out.

Over that age, the battle to gain fitness is harder. So I would say if you see the potential in yourself to be a fit person, spend the £1500 difference between a bike and an e-bike (as last time I looked that seemed to be the going rate for motorising a road bike) I would be more inclined to putting it into bike quality. I know I enjoy the ease of my best bike.

I do know of people who have got an e-bike and outgrown it very quickly having developed their fitness (15 mile each way commute). The example I am thinking of was someone who had heart issues in his 50s due to excess weight, and the simple daily commute on an e-bike made him lose a ton of weight and gain loads of fitness. He ditched the e-bike in about 6 months. However, he might well not have got over the initial hump without an e-bike.

Having said that, I'm now mid-60s and having got a sound level of cycling fitness, I'm currently finding it easy enough to maintain, even with having had a quiet winter, with a month off the bike at one point, I can soon get the legs turning.

It really depends on your local routes. Lotsa hills everywhere you go would favour an ebike, especially if you're getting on or have health issues. If it's flatter I'd go for a conventional bike and see how things go (i.e. if my fitness improved enough that I could maintain 15mph and I was having fun). And if not then fit a kit as Mr Harris sensibly suggests.

I've got three bikes, a road bike, an e-road bike and a gravel bike. I love the ebike for commuting and chores such as taking shopping to the aged parents and in-laws, but I have to say I wouldn't like it to be my only bike simply because (and I've found this with every ebike I've owned) I find it draggy with the motor turned off. I'm constantly surprised by reviews (including of my current ebike, an Orbea Gain D40) that say turn the power off and it's just like riding an ordinary bike, this is not my experience. I believe that mid-motor bikes overcome this problem, I've never actually tried one.

If you only have the space/finances/inclination for one bike, have you considered choosing a bike you like and buying a hub motor kit (about £400) to go with it? That way you can have assistance when you want it (windy days, hilly routes, chores etc) and it's easy to dismount the battery and swap out the wheel for the original and have an unpowered ride when you feel like it. The only sacrifice is that you won't get the full "stealth" effect if looks are important to you, personally I'm past caring what people think so don't feel the need to hide the battery. The only reason I have a "stealth" model at the moment is that it was an absolute bargain sold for spares or repairs on eBay by somebody who didn't know how to fix it, I wouldn't pay the extra premium for it if I was in the market for a new one, I think I'd do what I've suggested above.

As a life long "real" cyclist who has recently had access to an ebike, I'd say...pick whatever you think will get you out there most often.

I ride 5000 miles, a year, a mix of quiet South Downs lanes, and of course off road over the Downs.  I have a nice aero road bike, an old clunker for winter duties, and an old but trusty MTB.

I cycle to work 2-3 times a week, an hour each way, and then a longer ride at the weekend.  I don't ride every day I can; it takes the fun out of it for me, and the more you ride the more tired you get, which just pushes the fun further away. It also means more clothes washing, more tweaking of kit etc etc.

I've been loaned a Haibike, I don't know the details.  It looks like a hard tail mtb with the motor in the bottom bracket.  I find I use it on days when normally I might not ride.  My work commutes are usually split between z2 & 3, on the ebike it's 85% z1.

The assist is really well judged.  Turn it off, and it's a heavy clunky bike and it feels like something is dragging in the transmission.  Turn it on the bottom level and it feels almost effortless, you really do waft along.  The range is 55 miles on a full charge, all manner of things effect it in use though.  If you hit max on the boost, you almost have to back off pedaling up hill as it yo-yos in and out of the assistance, which cuts out at 15 mph.

If I didn't know "proper" cycling and only had an ebike, I don't think I would try a non ebike.

I have the best of both worlds with a Fazua powered Cube C62.   Remove the battery/motor pack and you have a reasonably light bike.

Cube don't use this system now but Boardman do.   I have seen used Cube and Trek  Fazua powered bikes advertised.