FTP in cycling stands for Functional Threshold Power and is basically the highest power (in watts) you can sustain on the bike for about an hour without completely blowing up.

What is FTP in cycling?

  • FTP is a measure of how hard you can ride for roughly 60 minutes at a steady, “just about tolerable” effort.
  • It’s expressed in watts, and often also as watts per kilogram (W/kg), which adjusts for your body weight.
  • Physiologically, it approximates your maximal lactate steady state – the point where lactate is produced and cleared at about the same rate, so you’re suffering, but not yet cracking.

A common way to picture it: if you had to ride from a pack of zombies for an hour without getting caught or collapsing, the power you hold is around your FTP.

Why FTP matters

  • It’s a central number for structuring training zones (endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2max, etc.).
  • Training platforms and coaches use FTP to calculate things like Training Stress Score and Intensity Factor, which quantify how hard a ride was.
  • Tracking your FTP over months shows whether your fitness is improving, stagnating, or dropping.

In short, FTP lets you train smarter: pacing climbs, time trials, Zwift/Peloton sessions, or long rides with much better control.

How FTP is tested

There’s no single “official” test, but a few popular methods exist.

  1. 60‑minute maximal effort (true threshold)
    • Ride as hard as you can sustain for a full hour, ideally indoors or on a steady climb/flat route.
 * Your average power for that hour ≈ your FTP.

 * Very accurate, but mentally and physically brutal.
  1. 20‑minute test (most common)
    • Warm up thoroughly (20–30 minutes with a few short hard efforts).
 * Ride 20 minutes all‑out at a steady pace.

 * Take 95% of your 20‑minute average power; that’s your estimated FTP.

 * Example: 250 W average for 20 minutes → FTP ≈ 237 W.
  1. Ramp / step test
    • Power increases every minute or so until you can’t continue.
 * Algorithms then estimate FTP based on your final minute(s).
 * Often used by smart trainers, Zwift, and similar apps.
  1. Automatic / “no-test” FTP detection
    • Some software estimates your FTP from your recent ride data, without a dedicated test.
 * Works well if you ride hard fairly often and upload the data consistently.

How FTP is used: training zones

Once you know FTP, you usually break intensity into zones as percentages of that number.

Typical example:

  • Zone 1 (Recovery): up to about 55% of FTP – very easy spinning, for recovery.
  • Zone 2 (Endurance): 56–75% – long, comfortable rides that build aerobic base.
  • Zone 3 (Tempo): 76–90% – “all‑day hard” pace, sustainable but taxing.
  • Zone 4 (Threshold): 91–105% – around FTP, used in intervals to raise FTP itself.
  • Above that (VO2max / Anaerobic): very hard, short intervals to boost high‑end power.

These zones guide how long and how often you should ride at each intensity in a training plan.

Is there a “good” FTP?

  • There is no universal “good” number; it depends on age, sex, training history, and goals.
  • Cyclists often compare W/kg : higher values usually mean better climbing and performance at a given weight.
  • Tables exist by age and category, but most coaches emphasize using FTP to compare yourself with… yourself over time, not with others.

For example, adding 20–30 W to your FTP over several months can be a huge performance jump, even if your absolute number still looks modest compared to elites.

How to improve your FTP

Common strategies include:

  • Regular Zone 2 endurance rides to deepen your aerobic engine.
  • Structured threshold intervals, like 2×20 minutes at 95–100% FTP or 3×10 minutes a bit above.
  • Occasional high‑intensity VO2max sessions (shorter, harder intervals above FTP).
  • Consistency over weeks and months, with a 3–5% FTP bump every 6–8 weeks being a reasonable target for many riders.
  • Periodization: blocks of harder training followed by easier weeks so you can adapt, not just accumulate fatigue.

Most guides suggest retesting every 2–3 months and adjusting zones as your FTP changes.

Quick HTML table for reference

Below is a simple HTML table summarizing FTP zones by percentage:

html

<table>
  <tr>
    <th>Zone</th>
    <th>Label</th>
    <th>% of FTP</th>
    <th>Typical Use</th>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>1</td>
    <td>Active recovery</td>
    <td>&lt; 56%</td>
    <td>Very easy spinning, post‑hard‑ride recovery.[web:3][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>2</td>
    <td>Endurance</td>
    <td>56–75%</td>
    <td>Long rides to build aerobic base.[web:3][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>3</td>
    <td>Tempo</td>
    <td>76–90%</td>
    <td>Steady hard efforts, improve sustainable speed.[web:3][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
  <tr>
    <td>4</td>
    <td>Threshold</td>
    <td>91–105%</td>
    <td>Intervals to raise FTP and time‑trial performance.[web:3][web:7]</td>
  </tr>
</table>

TL;DR

FTP cycling = the highest power you can hold for about an hour, used to set training zones, measure fitness, and pace efforts on the bike.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.