Your power profile,
against riders who train with power.
One number says how strong you are. Four durations say what kind of rider you are. Enter the bests you have and see your watts per kilogram, your percentile at each duration, and the shape of your curve.
Where your efforts land
Add your weight, pick a population, and enter at least one best effort to see where each one lands.
What each tier takes
The watts per kilogram that reach each tier, at each duration. These are read from the empirical distribution, not interpolated between a pro at the top and a beginner at the bottom, which is why the entry rows sit lower than the chart you may have seen before.
Men
| Tier | 5 sec | 1 min | 5 min | 20 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trained30th+ | 10.43 | 5.73 | 3.99 | 3.38 |
| Competitive55th+ | 12.64 | 6.71 | 4.61 | 3.90 |
| Strong Amateur75th+ | 14.71 | 7.59 | 5.15 | 4.37 |
| Elite Amateur90th+ | 16.74 | 8.55 | 5.73 | 4.86 |
| Top-tier Amateur98th+ | 19.01 | 9.58 | 6.43 | 5.41 |
Watts per kilogram needed to reach each tier, for men. Below the Trained row is the bottom 30% of riders who train with power.
Women
| Tier | 5 sec | 1 min | 5 min | 20 min |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trained30th+ | 8.67 | 5.00 | 3.74 | 3.26 |
| Competitive55th+ | 10.59 | 6.04 | 4.40 | 3.87 |
| Strong Amateur75th+ | 12.48 | 6.67 | 4.77 | 4.20 |
| Elite Amateur90th+ | 14.27 | 7.48 | 5.43 | 4.61 |
| Top-tier Amateur98th+ | not published | not published | not published | not published |
Watts per kilogram needed to reach each tier, for women. Below the Trained row is the bottom 30% of riders who train with power.
Only know your FTP?
The power zones calculator turns one FTP number into the seven training zones in watts and places it against the same population. Once you know which duration is holding you back, the guide to raising your FTP covers what a real gain costs and how to tell one from test noise.
Power profiles, answered
What is a cycling power profile?
A power profile is your best power at several durations expressed in watts per kilogram, then compared against a population. One number tells you how strong you are; four durations tell you what kind of rider you are. A sprinter and a time-triallist can share an identical 20-minute figure and look nothing alike at 5 seconds.
Why not use the Coggan power profile chart?
The Coggan/Allen chart is anchored at its endpoints, with the rows between them filled in by linear interpolation rather than measured. Its lowest tier was also defined as a coached cyclist on day one of training, not a recreational rider, so a competent amateur often lands in it. The percentiles here are read from a published empirical distribution of power-meter users instead.
What watts per kilogram is good for cycling?
It depends entirely on duration and on who you are comparing yourself against. Among riders who train with power, a man needs about 3.90 W/kg for 20 minutes to reach the 55th percentile and about 4.86 W/kg to reach the 90th; a woman needs about 3.87 and 4.61. At 5 seconds the same tiers sit near 12.64 and 16.74 W/kg for men. The table on this page lists every tier at every duration.
Do I need a 20-minute test to use this?
No. Enter whatever best efforts you already have from your head unit or training app. Each duration is graded on its own, so a profile with only a 5-second and a 5-minute figure still returns two percentiles. You need one short effort and one long one before the shape of the curve can be read.
Are men and women compared against the same numbers?
No. The tables are separate, because the distributions are. Grading a woman against male norms would understate where she sits. One caveat we state plainly: the published female data stops at the 95th percentile, so above that we decline to name a tier rather than invent a threshold.