FTP calculator
Enter your average power from a test and pick the test type. The calculator gives your estimated functional threshold power and the upper limit of each Coggan training zone in watts.
Runs in your browser: nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
How to use it
- Choose the test you did.
- Enter the average power for the test effort in watts (best 1-minute power for a ramp test).
- Read the estimated FTP and the upper watts of each zone. Zone 7, neuromuscular power, starts above the top of zone 6.
How it works
FTP is the test power times a fixed share: 95 percent for a 20-minute test, 90 percent for 8 minutes, 75 percent for a ramp test and 100 percent for a 60-minute test. Each zone limit is FTP times 55, 75, 90, 105, 120 and 150 percent.
Worked example
A 20-minute average of 250 W gives FTP = 250 × 0.95 = 237.5 W. Zone limits: 55 percent is 130.6 W, 75 percent is 178.1 W, 90 percent is 213.8 W, 105 percent is 249.4 W, 120 percent is 285 W and 150 percent is 356.3 W.
Tips
- Test when rested, with a warm-up, and use the same method each time so results can be compared.
- Retest every few weeks of training; FTP changes.
- For W/kg, use the watts per kilogram calculator with your FTP.
Frequently asked questions
What is FTP?
Functional threshold power is the highest average power you can hold for about an hour, in watts. It is used to set training zones. Few people ride a full-hour test, so FTP is usually estimated from a shorter effort.
Why 95 percent of a 20-minute power?
The common convention is to take 95 percent of your best 20-minute average, on the idea that a 20-minute effort is a little harder than what you could keep up for an hour. It is an estimate, and individual riders can sit a bit higher or lower.
How do the zones work?
Each zone is a share of your FTP. The seven Coggan zones are: 1 below 55 percent, 2 from 56 to 75, 3 from 76 to 90, 4 from 91 to 105, 5 from 106 to 120, 6 from 121 to 150, and 7 above 150. The tool lists the top of zones 1 to 6 and zone 2 starts just above the top of zone 1, and so on.
What about the ramp and 8-minute tests?
These are common shortcuts. A ramp test takes 75 percent of the best one-minute power at the end of the ramp, and an 8-minute test takes 90 percent of the average. The percentages are conventions used by training programs and apps, so results can differ between methods.