[steve19]

Do you have a powermeter on your CF bike? If not get one. Apart from being the ultimate training aid, you might find your gf is putting out more watts than bike's manual claims it is. Clipless pedals may help as well allowing faster acceleration by putting more power into the initial pedal stroke.

I would say the average commuter can put out 300w for 10 seconds. They would hate it but everytime you see a commuter straining up a hill, they are putting that kind of wattage. In practice they probably don't because they don't like the strain.

[mft_]

I have a power-meter on one of my road bikes, but not on the one I keep at her place and have ridden against the e-MTB. I know my legs well enough to know I'm putting out well over 250w (probably closer to 400 for a few seconds) if I want to keep up with her initial acceleration.

I've been a clipless pedal user for about 25 years now :)

[tonyedgecombe]

Then the average e-bike rider could put out 300w + 250w for 10 seconds.

In reality the wattage is nominal, I'm pretty sure the Bosch motor on my bike is peaking at closer to 500w. The manufacturers don't seem to take these figures that seriously unlike the maximum speed cutoff.

[steve19]

Very good point about peak wattage.