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20-Minute FTP Test

FTP Test workoutAll levels66 minTSS 78IF 0.84

The classic way to set your training zones: a structured warm-up, a 5-minute effort to take the edge off, then 20 minutes as hard as you can sustain.

25%50%75%100%125%Warm-up · 10 min @ 45–65% FTPSpin-up · 1 min @ 105% FTPEasy · 1 min @ 50% FTPSpin-up · 1 min @ 105% FTPEasy · 1 min @ 50% FTPSpin-up · 1 min @ 105% FTPEasy · 1 min @ 50% FTPEasy · 5 min @ 50% FTPBlow-out effort · 5 min @ 110% FTPRecovery · 10 min @ 50% FTPTest: ride as hard as you can sustain · 20 min @ 100% FTPCool-down · 10 min @ 55–40% FTP0:000:100:200:300:400:501:00
  • Z1 Active recovery · 33:15
  • Z2 Endurance · 4:45
  • Z4 Threshold · 23:00
  • Z5 VO2max · 5:00
Power profile in % of FTP. Hover a block for its target; the dashed line is your FTP.

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Intervals

SetsStepTimeTarget (FTP)
Warm-up10 min45–65%
3 ×Spin-up1 min105%
Easy1 min50%
Easy5 min50%
Blow-out effort5 min110%
Recovery10 min50%
Test: ride as hard as you can sustain20 min100%
Cool-down10 min55–40%

How to ride it

Everything before the test block is preparation. The three one-minute spin-ups wake the legs, and the five-minute blow-out effort uses up the extra freshness that would otherwise make you start the test too fast.

For the 20-minute block, turn ERG mode off and ride in level or resistance mode, so you set the pace yourself. The 100% target in the file is only a placeholder. Start a little conservatively, settle in after five minutes and empty the tank in the last three.

Calculating your FTP

Take your average power for the 20 minutes and multiply it by 0.95. If you averaged 260 watts, your FTP is about 247 watts. The 5% reduction accounts for the fact that a 20-minute effort is shorter than the roughly one hour that FTP describes.

When to test

Test fresh, after an easy day, at the same time of day and on the same trainer each time. Most riders retest every six to eight weeks, or when workouts start to feel clearly too easy or too hard.

Questions

How do I calculate FTP from a 20-minute test?

Multiply your average power for the 20-minute effort by 0.95.

Should I use ERG mode for an FTP test?

Not for the test block. ERG mode holds a fixed target, so you could never go above it. Use level or resistance mode and pace the effort yourself.

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