WHO THIS IS FOR
IS THIS YOU?
The rider who just tested for the first time
You have a number and no frame of reference for whether it's good, average, or something to act on.
The club racer benchmarking themselves
You want to know where you sit versus your category peers and what a realistic target looks like.
THE ROADMAN VIEW
The Roadman view
The question Anthony gets more than almost any other is some version of: 'Is my FTP good?' And the honest answer is that the raw watt number, on its own, tells you almost nothing. A 300 W FTP on a 90 kg rider is 3.3 W/kg — solid recreational. The same 300 W on a 65 kg rider is 4.6 W/kg and they're racing at the sharp end. The number without the weight is like knowing your speed without knowing the gradient.
The W/kg benchmarks are a useful reality check. Recreational riders who train inconsistently tend to land at 2.0–2.5 W/kg. Club racers who train 8–12 hours a week sit 3.0–4.0 W/kg. Beyond 4.5 W/kg for an amateur you're genuinely strong — the kind of rider who's competitive at Cat 2–1 level. The pros the podcast features are testing at 5.5–6.5 W/kg and higher.
But what actually matters is trajectory, not the number. Anthony has interviewed Stephen Barrett, World Tour coach at AG2R, and the point he keeps coming back to is that the riders who get faster are the ones tracking their own progress honestly — not the ones chasing someone else's ceiling. If your FTP is rising 5–10 W per training block, you're doing something right. That's the benchmark worth chasing.
EXPERT EVIDENCE
WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
- Stephen BarrettHead coach, Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale (UCI WorldTour)
Elite amateurs overestimate what they need to hit. The riders who improve most are not those with the highest FTP — they're the ones who train honestly, test accurately, and build the aerobic base before chasing the ceiling.
Hear it: World Tour Cycling Coach on What FTP Misses | Roadman Cycling - Joe FrielAuthor of The Cyclist's Training Bible; co-founder of TrainingPeaks
W/kg is the only meaningful performance benchmark for cyclists. Raw watts without weight context tells you about your bike, not your fitness. Friel's training system uses W/kg categories from recreational through professional as the structuring principle.
Hear it: Joe Friel's Cycling Training Plan Structure | Roadman Cycling
PRACTICAL APPLICATION
DO THIS WEEK
Calculate your W/kg now
Divide your FTP in watts by your body weight in kilograms. A 240 W FTP at 80 kg is 3.0 W/kg — a baseline recreational-to-club-racer number. This single figure is your honest benchmark.
Find the right category for your level
Use this scale: under 2.5 W/kg — building phase; 2.5–3.5 W/kg — recreational to sportive; 3.5–4.5 W/kg — club racer; 4.5–5.0 W/kg — strong amateur. Set a target one category above where you are now.
Track W/kg over 12-week blocks, not weeks
Retest every 6–8 weeks at the end of a block, rested. Record the date, your weight, your FTP, and your W/kg. Progress over four blocks is a more meaningful signal than any single number.
COMMON MISTAKES
WHAT CYCLISTS GET WRONG
MISTAKEComparing your raw FTP in watts to other riders without accounting for weight.
FIXAlways convert to W/kg before any comparison. The watt number alone is almost always misleading.
MISTAKESetting an arbitrary target FTP ('I want 300 watts') with no basis in W/kg.
FIXTarget a W/kg number that moves you up a meaningful level. Then let weight and training determine what raw watts that needs.
MISTAKETreating a single FTP test as a fixed truth.
FIXFTP fluctuates with fatigue, heat, hydration and test conditions. The trend over multiple tests is your real fitness signal.
FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is a good FTP for a beginner cyclist?
What is a good FTP for a 40-year-old male?
Is 250 watts a good FTP?
What FTP do I need for a gran fondo or sportive?
Is a 4 W/kg FTP achievable for an amateur?
How do FTP benchmarks differ between men and women?
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