Hey is there anyway you could shoot me a text and just break the basic stuff down or any tips I need to know or just any info that you have learned that you could give me . I’m Jesse and my number is 470 276 0653. If not then no worries thanks agian for the comment

Your FTP is estimated at 95% of your 20 min max power output test. That’s a pretty standard accepted number (Joe Friel and the like use this as the test number).

FTP is an estimate of the power in W(atts) that you could maintain over the course of about an hour. It's a threshold, figuratively and literally- how hard can you sustain without going so hard you have to stop- i.e. it's not a sprint, but it's a harder effort than a tempo pace (moderate to harder aerobic pace, you could "easily" hold 90 minutes plus, up to 3-4 hours), and well past aerobic base, which would be an "all day" kind of pace. It's the TOP end of a lactate threshold pace, the idea being that above LT, your body cannot clear lactate as fast as it is producing it, and you have headed in to VO2 max efforts- maybe tenable 5-20 minutes. I really don't think there is a great number you can call "average". But you can look up charts of accomplished cyclists from Category 5 on up to elite cyclists. Those numbers are high. I wouldn't use them as your benchmark. Also, the first time you attempt to obtain what your FTP might be? Take it with a grain of salt. Warm up thoroughly (there are a lot of guidelines to proper warmups, easily google-able). Test again when you have a better idea of how hard you can push. Don't go out at a pace where you can't say two words. Just like you wouldn't go out too fast in a race. Someone much more well-acquainted with this forum will probably post some useful links about improving FTP. Search the topic, for sure. I'm a total amateur brand-new triathlete with two races under my belt, only about 5 months on a road bike, 42, female, 162lbs, 20% body fat, and my FTP is about 200. It's middling, I guess, but the first time out of the gate I tried an "FTP test" it was only 160. So, there is a ton to be gained simply by riding consistently and wrapping your head around what you have to do.

Yea I’m a 31 male 5’4.5 weight 140. My ftp first time was 130 lol .

I would test it again, anew, on a well-rested, well-hydrated day, with a thorough warm up (not less than 15 min, maybe longer of higher cadence small chainring moderate gearing pedaling and a few short bursts with recoveries, again, totally google that). You could probably maintain 130W for several hours without thinking. Do the test again with a really good warmup and an idea of what to expect. Expect it to be very unpleasant, but also, you can do it. Expect it to SUCK but also, you can do it. You should feel like you worked your a__ off. But also, you survived.

Also, a 20 minute test is even more of an estimate than a 1 hour time trial effort- an hour is a beastly thing. So you take your 20 min best at 95% and it might be a little overstated.

Actually, the people that wrote the book on FTP would disagree with you and Friel.

This applies to less than 50% of the general population.

Edit: dinosaur thread, lol.

Louis :)

Based on a n=1 data point (very statistically significant, I know), I think 4 w/kg.

I achieved that in one season with a consistent and lots of training (I don't have an Olympian parents nor did college level sports). Since then (7 years ago) I have remained broadly flat... I did gain watts with a position change in late 2017 and I am now at 4.2. I don't think I will improve from here... 44yr old guy.

Definitely interested in hearing more

What W/kg did you start at the year before hitting 4w/kg



And what did you do in that year to get to 4 watts/kg

How much do you weigh?

Please be as detailed as possible.

Thank you

This was a long time ago and around that time I switched from Polar to Garmin, so I don't have my old training records.

I re-started training in the summer of 2010 after a 2 year hiatus. Did a couple of long distance duathlons in the fall of 2010 and spring 2011; ended up in the bottom decile and quartile respectively. Summer of 2011 trained for my first (and only) ultra marathon. Completed it, again bottom decile in the results. Continued the run focused training for the rest of the year, then in Jan 2012 switched to triathlon training for the goal of completing my second Ironman. Knee inflammation 4 weeks before the race, so stopped all running.

So for 8 months, my training consisted of 1.15 to 1.30 every morning at 180 watts. I also did some sessions on a 12 min (180) / 3 min (220w) ratio. For the summer vacation, took my bike and ended up doing some harder unstructured rides in the mountains.

In late October, joined a local cycle club for a 120km ride, of which 7km /4 miles is an uphill time trial. I came in second in that informal race with 313 NP for 28 minutes.

Bottom line (or the way I package my recollection): I fell in love with cycling, cycled tons, didn't get injured or burned out, didn't test my fitness in training, and then realized that I became quite good at it (for a triathlete, not cyclist).

Hope this helps. Recognize that this might not be great, but it was nearly a decade ago...

Thank you

Helps a lot

Much appreciated

maybe this attached screenshot can help