>The best feeling on a bike is cruising down a hill, barely pedaling, and taking in the surroundings. E-bikes are like that all the time.
It only feels better because of the contrast to the upward side of the hill. Bicycles are primarily about reducing friction to basically nothing so that the rider can go ridiculously fast for little effort. The downside is that the rider really notices hills and wind.
If you take away the agony you don't get to experience the ecstasy.
I love climbing bikes but if my ride starts with a fun descent it's still enjoyable even though I haven't paid for it yet :)
But I appreciate your point about the high efficiency of bikes. On flats or downhill even a casual peddler hardly needs an e-bike to cruise around at a 'much faster than walking' speed (say, 12-15 mph). It's the uphills (or, as you say, headwinds) where most people feel like they are going too slowly ('I could be walking!') and really appreciate the boost of an e-bike.
I would agree with this personally, and probably most fans of traditional bikes feel the same, but I don't think it's true for the other 95% that agony is a prerequisite for enjoyment.
It only feels better because of the contrast to the upward side of the hill. Bicycles are primarily about reducing friction to basically nothing so that the rider can go ridiculously fast for little effort. The downside is that the rider really notices hills and wind.
If you take away the agony you don't get to experience the ecstasy.