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FTP TEST CALCULATOR

Your test result in. Estimated FTP, W/kg, and power zones out.

TEST PROTOCOL

The industry standard. Ride as hard as you can sustain for 20 minutes. FTP = 95 % of your average power.

Conversion factor: FTP = 95 % of your 20 min power

METHODOLOGY

What is FTP? Functional Threshold Power is the highest power you can sustain for approximately one hour. In practice, it represents the boundary between steady-state and accumulating fatigue — the point where lactate production starts outrunning clearance. The concept was formalised by Dr. Andrew Coggan and Hunter Allen in Training and Racing with a Power Meter.

20-minute test (× 0.95):The most widely used field test. The 5 % discount accounts for the anaerobic contribution during a 20-minute effort that wouldn't be sustainable for a full hour. First popularised by Allen and Coggan, adopted by TrainingPeaks, Strava, and most coaching platforms.

Ramp test (× 0.75):You start at a low wattage and increase by a fixed increment (typically 20W) every minute until failure. FTP is estimated at 75 % of the last completed step — your Maximum Aerobic Power (MAP). The ramp test is popular because it's short (~15-20 minutes of actual effort) and doesn't require pacing skill. The trade-off: it can overestimate FTP for riders with strong anaerobic systems and underestimate for pure endurance types.

8-minute test (× 0.90): Two maximal 8-minute efforts with 10 minutes recovery. FTP = 90 % of the better effort. Originally developed by CTS (Carmichael Training Systems). Useful for riders who struggle to pace a 20-minute effort.

Which protocol is most accurate?No short test perfectly predicts hour power. The 20-minute test is the most validated, but all protocols have individual error of ±3-5 %. Consistency matters more than protocol choice — pick one, use the same protocol every time, and track the trend.

Limitations:FTP is a useful training anchor but not a complete picture of fitness. Two riders with identical FTP can have very different VO2max, anaerobic capacity, fatigue resistance, and repeatability profiles. Power duration modelling (e.g., WKO's mFTP) attempts a more nuanced estimate by looking at the full power-duration curve rather than a single test.

Last updated: July 2026 · Tool version 1.0

FROM HERE

ARTICLEEvery FTP Test Protocol Compared — Which One Should You Use?Four protocols, four conversion factors, and one question every cyclist with a power meter eventually asks: which FTP test should I actually use?PODCASTTestosterone Truth: 99% Don't Know This Energy Secret | Dr Gordanwith Dr GordanARTICLEWhen to Test FTP — And When Testing Does More Harm Than GoodEvery six to eight weeks is the standard advice, but context changes everything. A badly timed FTP test can wreck the training stimulus you have been building for weeks. This is when testing actually helps, when it does more harm than good, and how to know your FTP has moved without pinning a number on it.ARTICLECycling Power-to-Weight Ratio: The Complete W/kg GuidePower-to-weight is the number that determines how fast you go uphill. Here's what yours means, how to improve it, and whether to focus on the power side or the weight side.

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