Free FTP calculator
What is your FTP?
Your FTP is roughly the most power you can hold for an hour. Never tested? Answer five questions for an estimate. Done a test? Enter the result. Either way you see your watts per kilo, where you stand and your training zones.
What FTP means
FTP stands for functional threshold power: about the highest power you can hold for an hour. Above it you tire quickly; below it you can keep going for a long time.
It matters because every structured workout is set as a share of it. A threshold interval at 95% of your FTP is hard but holdable for you, whatever your number is. With the right FTP each session lands where it should. With one that is too high, every interval turns into a fight.
How the estimate works
How you ride says most about your FTP, so that question carries the most weight. The hours you ride, your age and your sex adjust it; your weight turns watts per kilo into watts.
Two riders who answer alike can still be a fair way apart, so the estimate is given as a range of about 8% either side of the middle. It is a sound place to start. A test gives you one number of your own.
From a test to your FTP
Each test has its own rule, and both are long established. They are the rules VeloWatt Pro uses too.
- 20-minute test: ride twenty minutes as hard as you can hold, evenly. Your FTP is 95% of your average power.
- Ramp test: the target rises every minute until you cannot hold it. Your FTP is 75% of your best minute.
Where you stand
What sets your speed on a climb is not your watts but your watts per kilo. These are our bands, by FTP in watts per kilo. They describe how riders ride, not what anyone ought to be.
| Band | Men (W/kg) | Women (W/kg) | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starting out | under 2.0 | under 1.7 | Where every rider begins |
| Fit | 2.0–2.8 | 1.7–2.4 | Comfortable on a steady ride of a couple of hours |
| Strong | 2.8–3.6 | 2.4–3.1 | At home on a club ride, climbs included |
| Very strong | 3.6–4.4 | 3.1–3.8 | Trains with purpose, and it shows on the hills |
| Exceptional | 4.4 and up | 3.8 and up | The level of the best amateurs |
Your seven training zones
Each zone is a share of your FTP and trains something different. They are the zones VeloWatt Pro colours your workouts by.
| Zone | Share of FTP | What it trains |
|---|---|---|
| Z1 Recovery | under 55% | Easy spinning that helps you recover |
| Z2 Endurance | 55–75% | The base: long, steady riding |
| Z3 Tempo | 75–90% | Steady pressure you can hold for an hour or more |
| Z4 Threshold | 90–105% | Raising your FTP itself |
| Z5 VO2max | 105–120% | Hard efforts of three to eight minutes |
| Z6 Anaerobic | 120–150% | Short, very hard efforts |
| Z7 Neuromuscular | above 150% | Sprints of a few seconds |
Questions
Is an estimated FTP good enough to train with?
Good enough to start. If you are unsure, take the low end of the range: a workout that feels a little easy teaches you more than one you cannot finish. Then test within your first few weeks.
How often should I test?
Every six to eight weeks while you are training regularly, and whenever your workouts start to feel too easy or too hard.
Why is my FTP lower indoors?
Many riders hold a little less indoors: it is warmer, there is no freewheeling and the bike stays still under you. A strong fan helps. Test where you train, so your zones fit the place you use them.
Do I need a power meter?
Not for the estimate. For a test you need your power measured, by a smart trainer or a power meter.
Try it for two weeks. Then decide.
Everything works during the 14-day trial, and no card is needed. After that it is €5.99 a month including VAT, cancellable at any time.
Needs macOS 11 or Windows 10 or newer, 8 GB of memory and graphics from about 2018 on. Will my computer run it?
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