Cardio

Cycling Power & FTP Zone Calculator

Calculate your 7 Coggan power training zones from FTP or a 20-minute test result. Get watt ranges, W/kg ratio, and zone descriptions.

Power Zones

FTP

250W

W/kg · Trained

3.33

Coggan Power Zones

Each bar shows the watt range width for that zone relative to others.

Active Recovery

0–138W

Endurance

140–188W

Tempo

190–225W

Lactate Threshold

228–263W

VO2 Max

265–300W

Anaerobic Capacity

303–375W

Neuromuscular

>378W

Zone	Name	Watts
Z1	Active Recovery	0–138
Z2	Endurance	140–188
Z3	Tempo	190–225
Z4	Lactate Threshold	228–263
Z5	VO2 Max	265–300
Z6	Anaerobic Capacity	303–375
Z7	Neuromuscular	>378

Zone descriptions

Z1 — Active Recovery: Very easy, recovery rides. <55% FTP.
Z2 — Endurance: All-day aerobic base. 56–75% FTP.
Z3 — Tempo: Sustained effort, comfortably hard. 76–90% FTP.
Z4 — Lactate Threshold: Race pace, 1-hour max effort. 91–105% FTP.
Z5 — VO2 Max: Hard interval work, 3–8 min. 106–120% FTP.
Z6 — Anaerobic Capacity: Short maximal efforts, 30s–2 min. 121–150% FTP.
Z7 — Neuromuscular: Sprint power, <30 sec. >150% FTP.

Model: Coggan power zones. Source: Hunter Allen & Andrew Coggan, Training and Racing with a Power Meter.

How to use it

If you don't know your FTP, do a 20-minute all-out effort on a steady climb or trainer and use that power. FTP = 20-min power × 0.95. Do the test fresh, not after a hard week.
Read your W/kg ratio — this is the primary cross-rider comparison metric. Under 2.5 W/kg: recreational. 3.0–3.5: trained club rider. 4.0+: competitive amateur. 5.0+: elite/professional range.
Zone 2 (Endurance, 56–75% FTP) is where most training volume should live for aerobic development. Long Z2 rides at 80–90 minutes are the single most effective base-building stimulus for most cyclists.
Zone 4 (Lactate Threshold, 91–105% FTP) is your race pace and the zone where 20-minute interval work builds the most fitness per unit of training stress.
Retest FTP every 6–8 weeks during a structured training block. Fitness changes fast, and training in outdated zones reduces workout specificity.

AI Integrations

Contract, discovery endpoints, and developer notes for agent use.

Always available for agents

Tool contract JSON

https://aifithub.io/contracts/cycling-power-ftp-zone-calculator.json

Stable input and output contract for this exact tool.

Human review

People can use the browser page to sense-check outputs and charts, but agents should still execute against the contract and discovery endpoints.

/agent-tools.json - machine-readable tool index.
/llms.txt - human-readable model discovery guide.
/.well-known/webmcp.json - WebMCP capabilities manifest.
/.well-known/ai-plugin.json - plugin-style discovery manifest.

{
  "tool": "cycling_power_ftp_zone_calculator",
  "ftp": 250,
  "weight_kg": 75
}

Open tool contract JSON Open AI integrations guide

Expand developer notes

Agent playbook

Resolve Cycling Power & FTP Zone Calculator from /agent-tools.json and open its contract before execution.
Validate inputs against the contract schema instead of scraping labels from the page UI.
Open the browser page only when a person wants to review charts, assumptions, or related tools.

Agent FAQ

Should ChatGPT, Claude, or another agent click through the UI?

No. Start with /agent-tools.json, then follow the tool's contract URL. The page UI is for human review, not parameter discovery.

When do tools show Quick and Advanced?

Every tool opens in Quick Start first. Advanced Controls keeps the same scenario, reveals more assumptions or diagnostics, and every tool keeps AI integrations inline below the instructions.

When should an agent still open the browser page?

Open it when a human wants to sense-check the output, review the chart, or keep exploring related tools after the calculation finishes.

Questions people usually ask

What is FTP?

Functional Threshold Power is the highest average wattage you can sustain for approximately 60 minutes. It is the most widely used reference point in cycling training because it scales all 7 zones proportionally.

Why multiply 20-min power by 0.95?

Most cyclists can sustain roughly 95% of their 20-minute best effort for a full hour. This 5% reduction is the standard Coggan correction. Some riders use 90–92% if they tend to go out too hard; experienced pacers can use 96–97%.

What is a good W/kg?

Recreational: 2–3 W/kg. Trained club rider: 3–4 W/kg. Competitive amateur: 4–5 W/kg. Cat 3 racer: ~4.5 W/kg. Elite amateur: 5–6 W/kg. Professional: 6–7 W/kg. These are for sustained efforts, not short sprints.

How often should I retest FTP?

Every 6–8 weeks during a structured training block. If you've been riding consistently for 3+ months, you may see 10–15% FTP gains and your zones will shift significantly enough to warrant an update.

Is this tool free?

Yes. All calculations are client-side. No data leaves your browser.

Related Resources

Learn the decision before you act

Every link here is tied directly to Cycling Power & FTP Zone Calculator. Use the explanation, formula, examples, and benchmarks to pressure-test the calculator output from first principles.

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How To Use · 1

How To Use

5 STEPS

How to Use Cycling Power & FTP Zone Calculator

Optimize your cycling training! Learn to use the AI Fit Hub's Cycling Power & FTP Zone Calculator to set personalized power zones for endurance, tempo, and threshold efforts. Maximize your performance.

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