Watts per Kg Calculator (W/kg)

How to use the calculator

1. Choose your sex. The reference charts are different for men and women.
2. Enter your weight and your FTP, the power you can hold for an hour. If you don’t know it, work it out first with the FTP calculator from a 20-minute or ramp test.
3. Optional: your best 5 minutes and 1 minute. You’ll find them in the power curve on your bike computer or training app. We’ll tell you what percentage of the world-class level they are.
4. Check the bike weight if you want to fine-tune the climb table.

The result gives you your W/kg, your level, what you need to reach the next one and your time on a 6.2-mile (10 km) climb at 7% compared with each level.

How we calculate it

W/kg = power (W) ÷ rider weight (kg)

We use your body weight, without the bike, because that’s how every reference chart is calculated. If you weigh yourself in pounds, divide by 2.2046 to get kilograms. For what you need to reach the next level:

Watts needed = level W/kg × your weight (kg) − your FTP

Equivalent weight = your weight (kg) − your FTP ÷ level W/kg

The climb time comes from the physics model by Martin and colleagues (1998), the same one used in the climb time calculator: your weight plus the bike’s, the grade, air resistance and rolling resistance.

FTP levels in W/kg

This is the classification Garmin publishes based on Hunter Allen and Andrew Coggan’s book Training and Racing with a Power Meter (2010); the watts per kg by level chart turns it into watts for each body weight:

To give you an idea: a 154 lb (70 kg) man is “good” from 196 W of FTP, “excellent” from 276 W and “superior” from 354 W. A 128 lb (58 kg) woman is “good” from 137 W, “excellent” from 194 W and “superior” from 250 W.

FTP you need for each level by body weight

The minimum FTP, in watts, that puts you in each band:

The world-class benchmark

Allen and Coggan’s full power profile chart has more levels and four durations (5 seconds, 1 minute, 5 minutes and FTP). Its top row, the best in the world, looks like this in the adaptation BikeRadar publishes:

The calculator compares your 5 minutes and your 1 minute with this row. Don’t be put off by the percentage: reaching 60-70% of world class is already a very high level. We don’t publish the intermediate 5-minute and 1-minute levels because we couldn’t verify them in a source that reproduces them in full.

What W/kg it takes to climb

The best link between W/kg and a climb is VAM, the meters of elevation you gain in an hour. This table shows the FTP in W/kg you need to climb 3,281 ft (1,000 m) of elevation in different times, depending on the grade. A 154 lb (70 kg) rider, 21 lb (9.5 kg) of bike and gear, average altitude of 3,281 ft (1,000 m).

Two ideas from the table:

• Climbing 3,281 ft (1,000 m) in an hour (a VAM of 1,000 m/h) takes about 3.5 W/kg on a 7% climb: the bar for a very fit amateur.
• Gentle climbs demand more. At 5% you go faster and the air takes more of your watts, so for the same VAM you need more W/kg than at 9%.

Remember that FTP is your one-hour power. On a 20-30 minute climb you can go a bit above it; on a two-hour climb, well below it.

How to improve your W/kg

You have two levers, and the watts lever usually pays off more:

• More power: structured training (plenty of easy volume plus some threshold and sweet spot work) keeps raising your FTP for years, especially if you’re just starting out. Work out your zones with the FTP calculator.
• Less weight: losing fat helps on climbs, but do it slowly and eat enough to train. A rider who loses weight and power at the same time doesn’t improve their W/kg.

Common mistakes

• Calculating W/kg from a short effort. The levels in the table are for FTP. Your best 5-minute power divided by your weight will always give a higher number.
• Weighing yourself dressed and holding a bottle. Use your body weight; the rest goes into the bike and gear weight.
• Obsessing over weight. Losing fat helps you climb, but dropping weight by undereating usually drags your power down too. If you lose 3% of your weight and 5% of your watts, you come out behind.
• Comparing on the flat. W/kg explains who climbs faster. On the flat, absolute power and aerodynamics rule: a bigger rider with lower W/kg can be faster. You can check it in the power to speed calculator.

Updated October 19, 2026 ·Report an error on this page