Originally Posted by
shelbyfv
Even a strong cyclist will suffer some on a 15% climb. So while a 250w motor might double your power, you still may not be able to cruise up the hills. Nobody ever has too much power so get the biggest motor you can within your budget. Also, a throttle will make hill starts much easier.
The other parameter that helped drive my decision - WEIGHT. I wanted a somewhat light road bike and that drove my decision. I need to carry it up five steps to my lot and another five steps into the house. I also want to be able to put it on a bike rack. Many e-bikes canNOT be lifted without having hernia surgery in the offing!
So I knew that the Specialized would not provide as much power as I would really want in some situations but it was a definite tradeoff. I do have to exert lots of oomph to top some hills.