Cycling Power-to-Weight Ratio
Calculate your cycling power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) from FTP and body weight, and see where you rank among rider categories.
Results
What is it?
Power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) is the single most important performance metric in road cycling, particularly for climbing. It divides your Functional Threshold Power (FTP) by body weight, allowing fair comparison between riders of different sizes. FTP is the highest average power you can sustain for one hour.
How to use
Enter your FTP in watts and body weight in kilograms. If you haven't completed a formal 60-minute FTP test, use the common field test: ride all-out for 20 minutes and multiply your average power by 0.95 to estimate FTP.
Example scenario
A 70 kg rider with an FTP of 280 W has a power-to-weight ratio of 4.0 W/kg — Category 1–2 amateur range. To reach 4.5 W/kg, they could raise FTP to 315 W, reduce weight to 62 kg, or ideally pursue both through structured training and nutrition.
Pro tip
W/kg benchmarks (approximate): <2.0 Untrained, 2.0–3.2 Cat 5, 3.2–4.0 Cat 3–4, 4.0–5.0 Cat 1–2, 5.0–5.5 Domestic Pro, 5.5–6.0 Pro Tour, 6.0+ WorldTour/Elite. On flat terrain, absolute watts matter more than W/kg (aerodynamic drag dominates). On climbs, gravity dominates and W/kg is everything.