https://www.cyclinganalytics.com/blog/2018/06/how-does-your-cycling-power-output-compare


LOuis :-)

That looks skewed to high-end cyclists!

 Coggan's colored chart at the bottom of the page represents roughly all the cyclist types IMO, and is fairly accurate.

LOuis :-)

The ramp is .75 of your highest 1 min power. It’s usually pretty close to a 20 min test or 2x8 min. The nice thing is you can retest in a couple weeks or days if you are disappointed with your initial results. The 20 min test is mentally taxing and it’s a challenge to try and repeat if your disappointed in the results.

There is tons of information about your exact questions on the TrainerRoad forums. I would take peek there.

https://intervals.icu/ has exactly what you want. You link it to your Strava account.

I found the ramp test gave a masively optimistic result for me when compared to 20min FTP test, and that too gave a high value compared to what I can do for an hour. FTP tests, especially shorter/easier ones are not, IMO, very comparable between athletes of with very different training backgrounds and different strengths/weaknesses.
I've done 20min efforts around 310-315W (so FTP calculated as 95% would have been about 295-300W), I did a couple of ramp tests and got a calculated FTP of 315W (by Zwift but I think it's the same protocol?). I haven't often tried to ride flat out for an hour, but when I have I've never exceeded 274W.
These tests weren't all done within a few weeks, but my ability was pretty similar across all of them and there's no way my FTP varied by 40W, I'd say 10W maximum and probably no more than 5W. During that period I trained based on guesstimated FTP figures of 280-285W.

Also, bear in mind that you can get better at executing FTP tests and achieve higher values, even without being fitter. Having a realistic idea what you're aiming for and being accustomed to subjecting yourself to really hard efforts on the trainer can allow you produce much higher numbers.

Looking at my ramp test values, it estimates my FTP at 4 W/Kg which is very close to my 20 min power.

93% of my 20 min test is 3.6 which I can hold for about an hour.

My hour power which should be the best representation of FTP, has always been at or below 89% of my 20min power.
And, as per my previous post, my couple of tries of ramp tests produced crazy high FTP estimates.

Either I'm horribly under-trained or I'm just much better suited to ramp tests and 20min efforts than longer time trials. I suspect it's a bit of both.
So, naturally I've focused my athletic goals around spending long days in the saddle! ;)

They use 75% of peak 1 min power which for many is a few % too high if you dig deep into some research, I had found it but too lazy to refind when I was looking to use a ramp myself.

I think what often gets lost in this is that a test is just that, a test. It is not an absolute value, there is no cross reference to other methods that is realistic they may provide similar numbers but that does not mean that they mean or measure the same thing. Remember this number is used to help set the difficulty of the workouts. Also there is test retest bias, the more you test the more you get good at taking tests regardless of what that test is. Your first time through will be a learning experience, you may change your strategy or pacing, does that mean the first test was more or less valid? So do the test and see what happens then stick to a strict protocol, same part of day, same lead up, same nutrition, same warm up etc. The more you control the better your test will be from a comparative point of view. What you are looking for is a change in the test score and hope that the change is related to the work you have done and not some other outside influence. People get far too hung up in the size of the FTP instead of seeing it as nothing more than a number that is only theirs and only for their use to help them to hopefully improve. that is my 2 cent opinion take it for what it is worth.

Agree with above. Also consider that the Ramp test is a sitting only test so a good approximation of your best power up Alp d'Huez, but not in the TT position. Definitely different power values with different muscle recruitment and respiratory limiting issues. Either way, use it as a reference point for yourself and focus on a training block to improve FTP. See what happens and move forward from there.

If the OP wants to know how great or bad the FTP is that he got, well the reference graph is there for that info. Good news is there is much room for improvement.

Brian

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"We don't inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children." --Chief Seattle