Getting an electric assisted bike, especially a mountain bike can be one of the best thing you can do to your mind. Mental burn out, boredom and the feeling of needing a break from cycling can come from too much intensity or too much training. However cycling on a way is as simple as running ! The more you do it the better you become ! Runners use actually under water and anti-gravity treadmills to keep up with the movement, decrease stress, develop great habits, lower impact and so. Why cyclist don’t ? Alberto Salazar, one of the greatest running coaches of all time states, that in certain periods they do up to 25 to 30% of their training on these devices ! Yes we talk about Olympic level athletes !
Handling a 23kg E-Bike is strengthening for the whole body. Handling speeds on certain type of terrains what were not possible before, is reflex and reaction time enhancing. I find that my cadence really gets going way more on the E-Bike, often holding 100+ cadence for prolonged periods.
Already, mountain biking is a great addition for the road cyclist fitness routine, but EMTB training would be even more effective. For the mind, for the fun part, for the overall development. If I was a TDF rider, I would definitely have a an E-assisted full suspension MTB for those days. You don’t need to jump, do tricks and wheelies or descend like a madman to risk injury. However, you can improve cornering, you can develop new skills of handling, picking up some functional mass and pedalling most importantly. It is for sure way more effective than an indoor trainer.
You have your single speed bike, your road and TT bike, maybe even a gravel bike or a 29er. Get an E-Bike, you will never regret it !
For the professionals
Messengers working in a hilly area or carrying heavy weights will also benefit greatly, in case of managing fatigue, knee issues and pain in the ass suffering. Have you ever tried cranking up on a D+300m 5km long hill, wearing back pack filled with 8bottles of wine, a lot of sushi and some more bottles water ? Last time I carried like 18kg worth of bananas and apples. You’ll say thank you to your E-Bike! I don’t talk about one time solutions in certain situations, but in general. You might say, I am strong to ride uphill with heavy loads. Are you ? Will you be strong after 3-4-5 deliveries and keep on working at the afternoon ? The next day ? The next year ? It is about longevity, health and efficacy !
Who wouldn’t need ?
If you rode 90% flat, flying through traffic with a letter, a simple bottle of wine and a box of dark chocolate covered edibles, well, depends on the distance, a single speed or a geared fitness bike is way better for sure.
E-Bikes, legally are limited to 25km/h max assisted speed. Want to go faster ? Pedalling can be tricky with a 23kg bike ! I ride home often with 30 to 35km/h, what is a flat 8km distance, after work. Epic leg-workout ! You could get a 45km/h speed bike, but battery life would be great issue. I can hold up my Performance CX Bosch motor with the 500W/H up to 140km with 1000 to 1500m of elevation gain. Yes, on the flats I pedal with no assistance and I use 100% only in ECO mode otherwise. In addition for more efficacy I am using SPD pedals, that decrease energy consumption too ! I start slowly, I don’t pedal out hard. After 500km I clean and relube my chain every second day.
What I am saying, that for flat riding, an 8kg to 9kg fitness bike is way better, with a short handle bar and if can, disk brakes. It is just faster to jump on and off, lock it anywhere, keep it safe and maintained, change inner tubes or find bike parts.
Boundless Runner 
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