Seems a bit contradictory

I don’t think it necessarily is. personally I don’t think the barrier to MTB is money I think it’s fitness. Mountain biking is hugely enjoyable to lots of folks, but a hard sport to do well at. It takes a certain level of fitness that many haven’t got the time to keep up with. Once you’ve got it, a 16kg bike isn’t really much of hinderance. Lose it however, and it soon becomes a slog.

The other part of this is the thought that lots have on here and other sites that e-bikes are prohibitively expensive. They’re not. The £10K plus normal bike has been with us for what? A decade, maybe more, and every year there’s more and more of them. Specialized sell every single S-Works bike they make, and the £8-10K market is bigger again. E-Bike have two major advantages…They’re affordable as a MTB in the same way the 5 years ago you couldn’t move for Bronsons and Nomads, and you don’t have to be (as) fit. For the aging demographic in recreational MTB, these bikes are perfect.

That makes no sense.

You’re saying that 16kg bike is fine, and no problem for big days out.
And in the next breath you’re saying that we need motors.

Unless you are differentiating yourself from the masses then it’s a contradiction.

My very first post was saying that there’s another option… lighter neebs.

You say you don’t need a lighter neeb as you’re fine on a heavy neeb, but then you say that motors are the way forward.

Which is it?