Stopping too early
The whole result hangs on your last minute. Bailing out a step early knocks a full step off your best minute, and your FTP comes down with it. Keep going until you genuinely can't hold the power.
CyclingFTP and power testsBeginner 34 min
Ramp test: find your FTP one step at a time
The ramp test estimates your FTP with nothing to pace: power rises by 6% of FTP every minute until you crack. Your FTP is 75% of your best minute. About half an hour, and a good choice for a first test.
Session profile21 blocks
At a glance
- Duration
- 34 min
- Main target
- 80–158%FTP7 Z7 · Neuromusc.
- Time at target
- 14 min
- Estimated load
- 44
- Structure
- 19 steps of 1′, 50 → 158% FTP
- Level
- Beginner
- Equipment
- Smart trainer · Power meter
The session in detail
FTP
Time in zone
- Z116 min
- Z24 min
- Z32 min
- Z43 min
- Z52 min
- Z65 min
- Z72 min
What the targets mean
| Target | Zone | Time | FTP 200 W | FTP 250 W | FTP 300 W |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 158% | 7Neuromusc. | 1 min | 316 W | 395 W | 474 W |
| 152% | 7Neuromusc. | 1 min | 304 W | 380 W | 456 W |
| 146% | 6Anaerobic | 1 min | 292 W | 365 W | 438 W |
| 140% | 6Anaerobic | 1 min | 280 W | 350 W | 420 W |
| 134% | 6Anaerobic | 1 min | 268 W | 335 W | 402 W |
| 128% | 6Anaerobic | 1 min | 256 W | 320 W | 384 W |
| 122% | 6Anaerobic | 1 min | 244 W | 305 W | 366 W |
| 116% | 5VO2 Max | 1 min | 232 W | 290 W | 348 W |
| 110% | 5VO2 Max | 1 min | 220 W | 275 W | 330 W |
| 104% | 4Threshold | 1 min | 208 W | 260 W | 312 W |
| 98% | 4Threshold | 1 min | 196 W | 245 W | 294 W |
| 92% | 4Threshold | 1 min | 184 W | 230 W | 276 W |
| 86% | 3Tempo | 1 min | 172 W | 215 W | 258 W |
| 80% | 3Tempo | 1 min | 160 W | 200 W | 240 W |
| 74% | 2Endurance | 1 min | 148 W | 185 W | 222 W |
| 68% | 2Endurance | 1 min | 136 W | 170 W | 204 W |
| 62% | 2Endurance | 1 min | 124 W | 155 W | 186 W |
| 56% | 2Endurance | 1 min | 112 W | 140 W | 168 W |
| 50% | 1Recovery | 1 min | 100 W | 125 W | 150 W |
Put this session on your bike computer or watch
Do the test from your bike computer, guided block by block. Then enter your new FTP and every session follows.
What this session is for
This test doesn't make you fitter: it measures. It takes you up to your maximal aerobic power, the highest power you can hold for a minute at the end of the ramp, then works out your FTP from it with an average factor of 75%. Because the ramp mostly taxes the top end of your aerobic engine, maximal aerobic power is what it measures best; FTP is an estimate drawn from it, not a direct measurement. The ratio between the two varies from rider to rider, which is why two different tests can hand you two different FTPs.
Who it's for
Any rider with a smart trainer, including for a first test. It is the easiest test to get right: the power is set for you, so there is nothing to pace, you just hang on. Don't know your FTP yet? Enter an estimate: the steps are based on it, and the ramp climbs high enough to cover a guess that's too low. If you are very punchy, or more of a diesel, the 20-minute FTP test will suit your profile better.
When to do it
At the start of a training block, or every 4 to 6 weeks: a common guideline. It is short enough for a weeknight, but still do it fresh, after one or two easy days. Stick with the same turbo and the same test each time: a ramp result and a 20-minute result don't compare directly. Once your FTP is updated, every watt target moves with it.
How to do it
Warm-up
5 min5′ at 45–55% FTP
5 easy minutes at 45–55% of FTP. Short on purpose: the first steps of the ramp are easy enough to finish the job. Use the time to check that ERG mode is on and your trainer is reporting power.
Test
19 min19 steps of 1′, 50 → 158% FTP
One-minute steps, starting at 50% of FTP and rising by 6% of FTP every minute: with an FTP of 250 W, each step is 15 W. The first ten minutes or so are easy; don't use them to push on, let ERG mode set the power. As it gets hard, keep your cadence up: in ERG, a cadence that collapses makes the resistance crushing. Keep going until you can no longer hold the target. If your current FTP is right, that happens around 133% (100 ÷ 75); the ramp goes up to 158% to leave headroom. Note your best minute, usually your last full one.
Cool-down
10 min10′ at 40–55% FTP
10 very easy minutes at 40–55% of FTP, as soon as you crack: no bonus step for pride. Then the maths: your FTP is 75% of your best minute. 340 W over your last full minute gives an FTP of 255 W.
How it should feel
The first ten minutes feel like a warm-up that won't end, then each step bites a little more than the last. The final two or three minutes are maximal: breathing ragged, legs burning, and a strong urge to stop a minute early. Guide: 10 out of 10 at the end. If you stop with something left, your result underestimates your FTP.
Common mistakes
Letting your cadence drop
In ERG mode the trainer holds the power whatever happens: slow down and the resistance rises to make up for it, and you grind to a halt within seconds. When it hurts, spin faster, not slower. The turbo, for its part, never gets tired.
Turning ERG mode off
Unlike the 20-minute test, ERG mode is on your side here: it sets every step. Without it you have to chase each target by hand, and the test loses what makes it simple.
Comparing it with another test
A ramp FTP and a 20-minute FTP don't come from the same calculation. If your FTP 'drops' when you switch tests, you haven't necessarily lost fitness. Stick with one test to track your progress.
When to skip it
Before you start
- A smart trainer in ERG mode, or a power meter and a head unit that shows each step.
- Being comfortable with a few minutes of maximal effort: the end of the ramp is not up for negotiation.
Skip it if
- You did a hard session yesterday.
- You are ill, coming back from a break, or unsure about your health: get medical advice before a maximal effort.
Origin and evidence
Level of evidence
Established practice, no dedicated studyLevel 1 of 5
A format popularised by online training platforms, TrainerRoad in particular, which describes a 5-minute warm-up followed by one-minute steps that get harder and harder, with the rule FTP = 75% of your best minute. The step size isn't published: the 50% start, the 6% FTP steps and the cool-down are Wattson choices. No independent study validating the 75% factor was found, and the ratio between maximal aerobic power and FTP varies from rider to rider. Other tests use other factors: 95% of the 20-minute average for Allen and Coggan, 90% over 8 minutes for Carmichael. Bottom line: very widely used, easy to repeat, moderate confidence in the FTP estimate.
Sources
- TrainerRoad, Ramp Test: protocol and FTP calculation (TrainerRoad support documentation)
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate FTP from a ramp test?
Take your best one-minute power, usually your last full minute, and multiply it by 0.75. 340 W gives an FTP of 255 W. You don't need to finish a step: what counts is your best minute, whether or not it lines up with a full step. The 75% factor is an average, not a constant.
Why does the ramp test give a different FTP from the 20-minute test?
Because it mostly measures your maximal aerobic power, then estimates FTP from it with an average factor. A punchy rider, who can hold a very high minute, often gets an FTP that's too high; a diesel, one that's too low. The 20-minute test, closer to riding at threshold, suits those profiles better.
Should ERG mode be on during a ramp test?
Yes. It sets the power of every step, so there is nothing to pace, only to hold. The catch: if your cadence collapses, the resistance shoots up. Keep spinning briskly to the end, and stop when you can no longer hold the target power.
How long does a ramp test take?
About half an hour: a 5-minute warm-up, the ramp, then a 10-minute cool-down. The ramp lasts as long as you do. If your current FTP is right, you crack at around 133% of it, after roughly 15 minutes of steps; the full session, up to 158%, runs to 34 minutes.
How often should you redo a ramp test?
Every 4 to 6 weeks, or at the start of a block: a common guideline, not a rule drawn from studies. Because it's short, it's tempting to do it more often; better to repeat it in the same conditions (time of day, trainer, level of fatigue) so your results compare.
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