Free cycling tools · your starting point

What does your FTP mean on the bike?

Move the sliders to see what changes. The starting values are examples.
1

Your effort

How do you know your FTP?
Your FTP
200 W

Twenty-minute test: average power × 0.95 (Allen & Coggan). Ramp test: final-minute power × 0.75 (common ramp-test convention). Both are estimates.

2

Your body

Body weight
75 kg
Example estimate · Power per kilogram
2.67W/kg
An estimate at constant power, a fixed position and no wind. Test it on your own route.

Power per kilogram: 2.67 W/kg.

Your FTP on the reference scale

An indication, not a judgement. Both tables are shown; choose your own comparison.

Compare with

Men · Fair

Women · Good

Your FTP on the reference scale (W/kg)
RatingMenWomen
Superior≥ 5.05≥ 4.30
Excellent3.93–5.043.33–4.29
Good2.79–3.922.36–3.32 · Your band
Fair2.23–2.78 · Your band1.90–2.35
Untrained< 2.23< 1.90

Your band uses the unrounded W/kg value; the displayed value is rounded.

Estimated FTP
200W
Flat road at FTP
33.6km/h
Reference climb: 5 km at 7%
26.9min

Reference: road bike with standard weight, tarmac and no wind.

Sources

Does your gearing suit the climb?

Compare your chainrings and cassette before setting off.

Check your gearing

Free account

Make this advice more personal

Save your FTP and weight once; every climbing and gearing calculation uses them.

  • Your details stay saved. No need to enter them again, even in other calculators.
  • A narrower range. Your own weight and FTP make it easier to compare calculations.
  • Your next step is ready. Take your details to the climb planner, gearing calculator or nutrition calculator.

These details go with you to your account

Nothing entered yet. Move a slider or choose an option; only what you enter goes with you.

Save my details · free account

Your entered values go with you; there is no need to enter them again. No account? Your result above stays available.

Your entered details are only remembered for this browser session.

The short answer

W/kg is your FTP divided by your body weight. Enter a known FTP or estimate it from a test. Use the same test method when comparing results.

How we calculate

For a known FTP, the calculator uses that power directly. For a test, it applies the fixed factor for the selected method. It then divides the result by your weight.

What this cannot tell you

A test factor is an estimate and does not fit every rider. W/kg does not describe all of your endurance, technique or speed. Different test methods are not interchangeable measurements.

Worked example

An example with fixed inputs. Use the calculator for your own details.

Input

Test method
20-minute test
Average test power
250 W
Rider weight
75 kg

Calculated result

FTP
237.5 W
Power per kilogram
3.17 W/kg

Common mistakes

  • Adding bike weight to body weight when calculating W/kg.
  • Entering a short power peak instead of average test power.
  • Presenting a test estimate as a measured FTP.

What this tool is for

A practical way to read threshold power

FTP is useful, but only if you understand what it can and cannot tell you. This page turns that number into a safer first-pass context for training and climbing.

Compare power in context

W/kg matters most when gradient and body mass shape the outcome. That makes climbs and event pacing easier to interpret.

Keep the assumptions visible

A threshold number is only as good as the test behind it. This page keeps the limits clear so riders do not overread the result.

Connect training and pacing

The value of FTP is not just a label. It helps you decide how hard to start, hold, and finish a climb or event.

Common problems riders try to solve

Unsure whether a threshold number actually matches the climbing or pacing goal in front of them.

Comparing riders by raw watts without accounting for body mass and terrain.

Starting climbs too hard because pacing was never tied back to a realistic threshold baseline.

What to check first

Check how FTP was tested before you trust the number.

Use body mass and terrain together instead of treating watts as a full answer.

Ask whether the goal is training context, climb pacing, or an event-specific strategy.

What not to change blindly

Do not assume a higher FTP always means better pacing or climbing performance.

Do not treat W/kg as a full story without considering aerodynamics, course profile, and fatigue.

Do not copy a pacing plan from a different rider profile without testing it yourself.

FAQ

FAQ

Is FTP the same as race power?

Not exactly. FTP is a useful threshold reference, but race execution also depends on duration, terrain, and how well you pace fatigue.

Why does W/kg matter more on climbs than on flats?

Because gravity dominates uphill. On flatter roads, aerodynamics and speed management matter more than threshold alone.

Explore more

Related guides

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