It is unfortunate that this thread was successfully hijacked. It seemed to be a good topic of conversation. The best way to handle hostile and abusive behavior would probably be to simply ignore it because without a response, the hostile person has no power.
No throttle and no way home. An interesting topic. Can we please continue? I’ll begin by restating my comment:
“I think that it really comes down to preference, need and the type of riding that a person wants to do. Any argument regarding failure to downshift or getting you home when your bike’s manual drivetrain has failed is a bit foreign to me having ridden road and mountain bikes for many years and having never worried about either issue, (I always carry a multi tool, spare tube, replaceable link, patch kit and pump or CO2). Despite having broken two chains and having many flats over many years, I have never been stranded or failed to get home under my own power.
My feeling, for whatever that is worth, is that if you want to have or need to have a throttle, then you should have a throttle. For me, the mid drive assist Class 1 is a lot of fun and I am glad that I don’t have the temptation to throttle up, but as I get older, there may come a time when I can no longer ride, or don’t want to ride without the benefit of a throttle. Class 1, 2 or 3, it’s up to you which one fits your needs or desire.”