Off road I'm happy with lower power, and rarely, if ever have PAS at greater than setting "3" (of nine) since I enjoy the exercise part (three times a week my wife and I ride MTB). However, it's nice to have more power on an errand bike in order to keep up with local traffic, make lights and get through short stretches of congestion rapidly. Surprisingly, even though the bike weighs 50 or so pounds, it'a a joy to ride and pedals efficiently without the motor.