Calculate your cycling power-to-weight ratio (W/kg) from your FTP or threshold power, and see how it compares to the classic Coggan power-profile reference.
| Category | W/kg |
|---|---|
| Untrained | 0–2.5 |
| Fair | 2.5–3.1 |
| Moderate | 3.1–3.7 |
| Good | 3.7–4.4 |
| Very Good | 4.4–4.9 |
| Excellent | 4.9–5.6 |
| Exceptional | 5.6–6.4 |
| World Class | 6.4+ |
This reference assumes the power entered is FTP/threshold power — the same W/kg from a 5-second sprint or a 5-minute effort means something completely different, so don't compare across durations. It's also a rough, unisex-averaged reference based on the classic Coggan/Allen power-profiling chart — real benchmarks vary by sex, age and discipline.
Raw watts favor heavier riders on flat ground, where aerodynamic drag (not weight) dominates power demand. But on a climb, gravity acts directly on total weight, so a lighter rider producing fewer absolute watts can still climb faster than a heavier rider producing more. Watts per kilogram normalizes for that difference, which is why it's the standard way to compare climbing performance across riders of different sizes.
Note this divides by body weight only, not total system weight — the standard convention, even though gravity on a climb technically acts on rider + bike weight together.
Take a rider with an FTP of 250 W who weighs 70 kg:
That lands in the calculator's "Moderate" reference band — a rough orientation point for FTP-based W/kg, not a verdict on fitness. Enter your own FTP and weight above to see where you land.
W/kg means very different things depending on how long the power was sustained. A rider's 5-second sprint W/kg can be far higher than their FTP-based W/kg, so always compare power-to-weight values over the same duration. The reference table on this page assumes FTP/threshold power specifically.
