Free cycling tool

Cycling Power Zone Calculator

Calculate your cycling power zones from FTP. Enter your current threshold power to get practical watt ranges for recovery, endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2 max and high-intensity training.

FTP based 7-zone model Whole-watt targets Optional W/kg

Calculator

Calculate your cycling power zones

Enter your current FTP to calculate practical watt ranges for recovery, endurance, tempo, threshold, VO2 max and anaerobic training.

1. Enter your FTP Functional Threshold Power

Use the FTP value you currently use for training. If your FTP has changed meaningfully, update it before relying on the calculated zones.

Optional

Add body weight to calculate FTP in W/kg

Body weight Unit

Your training zones

Cycling power zones

The calculator rounds watt targets to whole watts. Zone boundaries are useful training guides, not exact physiological cut-offs.

Active Recovery

Up to 138 W

≤55% FTP

Very easy riding for recovery, warm-ups, cool-downs and low-stress movement between harder sessions.

Endurance

140–188 W

56–75% FTP

Sustainable aerobic work used for long rides, base training and much of long-course triathlon preparation.

Tempo

190–225 W

76–90% FTP

Moderately hard aerobic work that can build muscular endurance while creating more fatigue than easy endurance riding.

Threshold

228–263 W

91–105% FTP

Hard sustained work around FTP, commonly used for threshold intervals and sessions aimed at improving sustainable power.

VO2 Max

265–300 W

106–120% FTP

High-intensity aerobic work typically used for shorter intervals that place a large demand on maximal aerobic power.

Anaerobic Capacity

303–375 W

121–150% FTP

Very hard short-duration work with a large anaerobic contribution and a high recovery cost.

Neuromuscular Power

Maximal

Not FTP-based

Very short maximal efforts such as sprints. A fixed percentage of FTP is less useful for prescribing this zone.

Quick reference

Your FTP power zone table

A compact reference for workouts, indoor training platforms or interval planning.

Zone	Name	% FTP	Your watts
Z1	Active Recovery	≤55%	Up to 138 W
Z2	Endurance	56–75%	140–188 W
Z3	Tempo	76–90%	190–225 W
Z4	Threshold	91–105%	228–263 W
Z5	VO2 Max	106–120%	265–300 W
Z6	Anaerobic Capacity	121–150%	303–375 W
Z7	Neuromuscular Power	Maximal	Maximal

How it works

How to use the cycling power zone calculator

Enter your FTP

Use the Functional Threshold Power value you currently use for training rather than an old test result or an aspirational number.

Calculate your zones

The calculator converts FTP into six percentage-based watt ranges plus a maximal neuromuscular zone for sprint efforts.

Match the zone to the workout

Use the calculated range as a target for the purpose of the session, while also considering perceived effort, heart rate and fatigue.

FTP explained

What is FTP in cycling?

Functional Threshold Power, or FTP, is a practical estimate of the highest power a cyclist can sustain for a prolonged hard effort. It is widely used as a reference point for setting cycling training intensity because the same absolute wattage can represent very different effort levels for different riders.

Once you have an FTP value, percentage-based zones make it easier to prescribe sessions. An endurance ride might be set well below FTP, while threshold intervals deliberately sit close to it and VO2 max intervals are normally performed above it.

Zone target FTP × zone %

With an FTP of 250 W, 75% FTP equals 187.5 W, which the calculator rounds to approximately 188 W.

Power to weight FTP ÷ body mass

250 W at 75 kg equals approximately 3.33 W/kg.

Key point Zones are ranges

A one-watt change at a calculated boundary does not create an immediate physiological change.

Zone guide

What each cycling power zone is used for

The best zone depends on the purpose of the workout. Harder is not automatically better.

Z1–Z2

Recovery & endurance

These lower-intensity zones support easy riding, aerobic development and the long-duration work that forms a large part of endurance training.

Z3–Z4

Tempo & threshold

Tempo increases aerobic and muscular demand, while threshold work targets sustained power close to FTP. Both create substantially more fatigue than easy riding.

Z5–Z7

High intensity

VO2 max, anaerobic and sprint work is used in shorter doses. These sessions can be highly effective but also require more recovery.

Training application

How should you use cycling power zones?

Power zones work best when they support the purpose of a session. For a long endurance ride, spending most of the ride in Zone 2 is usually more important than reacting to every brief power spike on a hill. For structured intervals, the target range becomes more important because the session is designed around a specific intensity.

Your zones should also reflect your current fitness. If a new FTP test produces a meaningfully different result, recalculate your zones rather than continuing to train from outdated targets.

Power is only one input. Heart rate, cadence, perceived effort, accumulated fatigue, temperature and fueling can all change how the same wattage feels on a given day.

Accuracy

How accurate are FTP-based power zones?

FTP-based zones are useful because they are simple, repeatable and individualized, but they are still a model. Two athletes with the same FTP can have different strengths above and below threshold, and a single percentage framework cannot perfectly describe every physiological response.

That is why these ranges are best treated as a practical starting point. If a workout repeatedly feels far easier or harder than intended despite good recovery and accurate power data, the issue may be your FTP estimate, the zone model or the workout prescription itself.

FAQ

Cycling power zone calculator FAQ

What FTP should I enter?

Enter the FTP value you currently use for training. If your fitness has changed significantly since your last test, retesting may give you more useful zone targets.

How are cycling power zones calculated?

Zones 1–6 are calculated as percentage ranges of FTP and rounded to whole watts. Zone 7 represents maximal neuromuscular sprint power and is not prescribed from a fixed FTP percentage in this calculator.

Why are the watt boundaries rounded?

Power targets are normally used in whole watts, so the calculator rounds percentage calculations for practical use. The boundary itself should not be treated as an exact physiological threshold.

Is Zone 2 always 56–75% of FTP?

This calculator uses a common seven-zone FTP framework. Coaches, platforms and testing systems can use different models or slightly different boundaries, so always check which zone system your training plan assumes.

Should I update my zones when FTP changes?

Yes. If you adopt a meaningfully different FTP after testing or a major fitness change, recalculate your zones so your watt targets reflect your current threshold.

What does W/kg mean?

Watts per kilogram divides power by body mass. It is useful when comparing climbing-related power or riders of different sizes, but it is not the only factor that determines cycling performance.