Want a few examples? The e-MTB called Spitzing is reminiscent of a pot-bellied pig because the battery hangs clumsily from the down tube. The drive on the Haibike looks like a construction kit. The derailleur pulley, which decouples the drive and suspension, looks like it's been tinkered with. On the Turbo Levo from Specialized, the top tube is far too delicate - and the massive down tube with battery and bottom bracket with motor looks incredibly disproportionate. The Flyer Uproc takes me back decades: it reminds me so much of long-gone elevated chainstay concepts that even back in 1991 I couldn't figure out exactly what it was supposed to do. You could continue this list with bulky e-mountainbikes à discretion.

But why do I ride such a motorized, rather chubby off-road bike - and love doing so? Because it's simply a hell of a lot of fun. And the fun of riding is much more important than the look of the bike. When I'm on the bike, I don't care how fancy the battery integration is. I'm only interested in how full the battery is.

And I'm sure the days will come when you can let your eyes wander over the elegant lines of the e-mountainbike for hours on end. At some point, the battery will shrink and fit into the saddlebag. At some point, the competition for the longest range will be over - making way for smaller and more elegant drives. As with conventional mountain bikes, the E-MTB market will become saturated. And manufacturers will be challenged to offer not only technically, but also visually appealing bikes.