How To Find, Use, and Not Go Too Crazy Over Your FTP
If you’ve read anything about cycling training in the past 20 years, you’ve probably come across the term Functional Threshold Power (FTP). The internet is full of advice on how to test it, set it, and obsess over it. But is FTP the ultimate measure of cycling performance—or just one piece of the puzzle? Let’s dig into what it is, how to use it, and where not to get disheartened in the numbers.
What is FTP?
Without a doubt, FTP is the center of the universe when it comes to training with a power meter. Get it right, and your workouts make sense and can progress. Get it wrong, and you are in for a continued disappointment. Most workouts and most metrics are scaled in relation to FTP. It is a key metric for training and does have some weight for your overall performance, it isn’t the only thing.
How to Estimate FTP
Here are the most common approaches:
1. The Classic 20-Minute Test
Formula: Take 95% of your 20-minute power.
Pros: Usually within ~5% accuracy, provided you pace it well.
Cons: Pacing is tricky. Riders with strong anaerobic engines may need to scale closer to 88–90% instead of 95%.
2. Ramp Test
Format: Power increases every minute until failure. Platforms then apply a formula to estimate FTP.
Pros: Short, repeatable, and motivating.
Cons: Tends to overestimate FTP for many riders.
3. Step Test
Format: 5–10 minute blocks at increasing intensity, sometimes paired with lactate, HR, or RPE data.
Pros: Provides a holistic view—not just FTP, but how long you can hold efforts above threshold.
Cons: No universal formula.
4. Other Indicators
VO₂max tests and racing files can be helpful, but watch out for “Normalized Power Busters”. In this case, a rider with top end power can create enormous NP values for 30-60 minutes that are likely over FTP. (Remember, NP is a theoretical number generated by math)
However you get there, don’t treat it like an objective truth if it doesn’t seem to be the right input for your training. If a workout is easier or harder (or impossible) than it is supposed to be, it is likely your FTP is set wrong or there is a calibration error. Productive workouts should be a little bit challenging, require some focus and mental strength, but not impossible or requiring a Personal Best performance. A correctly set FTP helps you get there!
How to Use FTP
FTP is the foundation for your training zones (zones 1–5 or more, depending on the system). A training plan mixes efforts across these zones—the “special sauce” comes from how a coach balances them. A workout could look like: X minutes at 90% FTP OR Endurance ride with a target NP of X watts.
FTP Isn’t the Only Thing
A rider with a modest FTP and a well timed explosive move can be devastating at the clutch moment in a race, while someone with a high FTP may barely factor on certain courses. Bike racing isn’t just about holding steady power—it’s about handling the unpredictable mix of endurance, surges, and explosive efforts that the race demands.
Other key metrics include:
Power Profile: Your capabilities at 10 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes
Time to Exhaustion (TTE): How much accumulated time you can spend ~90–100% of FTP, and how efficient you are there.
Anaerobic Repeatability (“The Matchbook”): How many attacks, climbs, or surges you can absorb before your legs say “enough.”
At the end of the day, a rider with a high FTP and the tools of repeatability, stamina, and race craft is the one that’s hardest to beat.
Continued Progression Without FTP
FTP is valuable—especially in your first 5 years of structured training, when gains are frequent. But later on, increases flatten out. That doesn’t mean you’ve maxed out your potential. Instead, progress shifts to other areas: anaerobic depth, repeatability, durability, and race craft.
You can become a more capable racer without moving your FTP number. Don’t mistake a plateau in one metric for the end of your growth. There are always gaps to fill in your profile as a rider, and things to learn.
The rider that has a balanced toolkit and smart race senses will be tough to beat when it matters.
