Threshold for being a legal electric bicycle?

[Jim Baross]

I have the loan of a Super 73 Class 2, apparently a legal electric bicycle. It is scary powerful. 

It seems to me that it is unconscionable that we in California are allowing, even encouraging, people of ANY AGE to use these devices on public roads and bikeways without any requirement for rider/driver certification, knowledge of traffic laws, or bicycling skills and best practices. None.

As replacements for motor vehicle travel, the use of similar devices should definitely be encouraged, but only as electric-powered motorcycles, Mopeds, or scooters, not as bicycles. Equipment, registration, and rider/driver competency and knowledge certification should be required, as is the case for motorcycle, scooter, and MoPed use. Yes, this would pose a hurdle to their adoption as alternatives to car use. It would also save lives.

Presently, we have a 750-watt power limit that separates bicycles with electric or other motor power from non-augmented, muscle-powered bicycles. The 750 watts is chosen as equivalent to 1 horsepower; why was this chosen? 

I asked Gemini about equivalent human power. Here is the response.

In California, e-bike laws indeed cap motor power at 750 watts, which is a direct nod to the definition of one mechanical horsepower ($1\text{ hp} \approx 746\text{ W}$).

When comparing this to a human, the numbers show just how much "superpower" an e-bike motor provides. For an average human, the power potential varies wildly depending on duration.

Human Power Equivalents (in Watts)

Category	Sustained Power (1+ Hours)	Short Burst (1–5 Minutes)	Peak Sprint (5–10 Seconds)
Average Person	50 – 100 W	150 – 250 W	400 – 600 W
Fit Amateur	150 – 200 W	300 – 400 W	800 – 1,000 W
Pro Athlete	350 – 415 W	500 – 700 W	1,200 – 1,500+ W

---

Key Comparisons for Your Advocacy

• The "7-Person" Rule: A legal 750W e-bike motor provides the same continuous power as 7 to 10 average adults pedaling together. This is why e-bikes make hills "disappear"—the rider is suddenly backed by the strength of a small rowing team.

• The "Pro" Multiplier: Even a world-class Tour de France rider like Tadej Pogačar can only sustain about 415W for an hour. A 750W motor is nearly double the sustained output of the best cyclists in the world.

• The "Horse" Reality: While 750W equals 1 horsepower, a real horse can actually peak at over 15 horsepower in a short burst. Similarly, while a human "averages" 100W, we can peak at 1,000W+ for a split second to avoid a collision.

Why this matters for "Smart Cycling."

In your advocacy, you can use these numbers to explain why handling skills are so vital. When someone jumps on a 750W e-bike, they are effectively controlling the power of an elite athlete (or several) without necessarily having the "bike brain" or reflexes developed over years of training. Education helps the rider's skill catch up to the motor's scale.

Jim Baross

CABO President