{"id":34003,"date":"2022-03-08T16:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-08T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bikeradar.com\/?p=619961"},"modified":"2022-03-08T16:19:13","modified_gmt":"2022-03-08T15:19:13","slug":"power-to-weight-ratio-explained-why-w-kg-is-important-and-how-to-improve-yours","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/cyclingplus\/rss_feed\/power-to-weight-ratio-explained-why-w-kg-is-important-and-how-to-improve-yours\/","title":{"rendered":"Power-to-weight ratio explained: why W\/kg is important and how to improve yours"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>

By Tom Bell\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Tuesday, 08 March 2022 at 12:00 am<\/p>

\n\n

Power-to-weight ratio is one of the key metrics that determines how quickly a cyclist can climb uphill.<\/p>\n

Of course, the total power output you can produce plays a role in determining your overall cycling performance, but raw wattage alone doesn\u2019t always tell the entire story, especially when climbing hills comes into the equation.<\/p>\n

This is where your power-to-weight ratio \u2013 expressed as watts-per-kilogram \u2013 is key.<\/p>\n

Normalising your power output to your body weight can provide a better means of assessing your ability over hilly terrain and comparing your performance to other cyclists.<\/p>\n

Here, we\u2019ll look at how to calculate your own power-to-weight ratio, how to improve it and what effect that improvement can have on your cycling performance.<\/p>\n

Calculating power-to-weight ratio<\/h2>\n

Your power-to-weight ratio can be calculated as watts (W) divided by your body weight in kilograms (kg), expressed as W\/kg.<\/p>\n

All you need to do is take the power output you can sustain for a given duration or at a certain physiological threshold (we\u2019ll come on to that) and divide it by your body weight in kilograms to find your own W\/kg.<\/p>\n

The watts used in this calculation will most commonly refer to your power output at your maximal steady-state power, which could be an identified lactate concentration (e.g. 4 mmol\/L), critical power or, most commonly, Functional Threshold Power<\/a> (FTP).<\/p>\n

For example, if you complete an FTP test and your Functional Threshold Power is determined to be 250 watts, and you weigh 75kg, your power-to-weight ratio here will be 3.33 W\/kg.<\/p>\n

\""Power\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
If you\u2019re riding with a power meter, the latest bike computers can be set up to display W\/kg.<\/span><\/figcaption> Simon Bromley \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

While lactate concentration, critical power and FTP\u00a0are slightly different to one another, they are all essentially trying to identify a maximal point at which exercise intensity can be maintained without the rapid onset of fatigue.<\/p>\n

At the same time, your W\/kg over shorter and longer durations can just as easily be calculated to see how you stack up in other types of effort \u2013 for example, on a single hill or over the course of an entire event or ride.<\/p>\n

Other common durations of comparison include your W\/kg over one minute (roughly indicating your anaerobic capacity) and five minutes (roughly indicating your aerobic capacity, or VO2 max<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Why does W\/kg matter?<\/h2>\n
\""Group\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Power-to-weight ratio is particularly important when climbing.<\/span><\/figcaption> Russell Burton \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

As mentioned above, your power-to-weight ratio really starts to affect performance when climbing comes into the picture.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s because, when climbing, the dominant source of resistance to your forward motion is gravity.<\/p>\n

The gravitational force you have to overcome is dependent on your body weight. So producing 300W as a 60kg person (5 W\/kg) will get you up the hill faster than producing 300W as a 90kg person (3.3 W\/kg).<\/p>\n

In contrast, when riding on the flat, the dominant source of resistance to your forward motion is air resistance. This increases with speed and also depends on your frontal area (i.e. how big you are).<\/p>\n

In this case, body weight has a small indirect impact, because bigger people are often heavier. But this impact is much less than for climbing and, ultimately, it\u2019s usually raw power that makes the difference on the flat rather than W\/kg.<\/p>\n

\""Power-to-weight\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
The growing popularity of smart trainers has made training with power, and thus power-to-weight ratio, more accessible.<\/span><\/figcaption> Simon von Bromley \/ Immediate Media<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

A cyclist\u2019s power-to-weight ratio isn\u2019t just a relevant metric for riders who want to climb faster in the real world.<\/p>\n

The virtual roads and trails found on indoor cycling apps<\/a>, such as Zwift<\/a>, RGT Cycling<\/a> and Rouvy<\/a>, use your W\/kg as a major determinant in how fast you go, and thus having a good W\/kg can help you win Zwift races<\/a> and stay up at the front in virtual group rides<\/a> on hilly courses.<\/p>\n

Zwift also uses W\/kg to categorise races and group rides, so you can find a group to match your ability.<\/p>\n

What\u2019s a good power-to-weight ratio?<\/h2>\n
\""Lizzie\"<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>
Professional cyclists can have an FTP with a power-to-weight ratio north of 6 W\/kg.<\/span><\/figcaption> Craig Zadoroznyj \/ SWPix.com<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Now that you have some idea about how your power-to-weight can affect performance, what do good numbers actually look like for different ability levels?<\/p>\n

A power profile chart is commonly used to compare different ability categories in terms of power-to-weight ratio.<\/p>\n

Power-to-weight ratio chart<\/h4>\n
<\/colgroup>
\ufeff<\/th>Male<\/th>Female<\/th><\/tr><\/thead>
5-sec<\/td>1-min<\/td>5-min<\/td>FTP<\/td>5-sec<\/td>1-min<\/td>5-min<\/td>FTP<\/td> <\/tr>
World class<\/td>25.2<\/td>11.5<\/td>7.6<\/td>6.6<\/td>19.4<\/td>9.3<\/td>6.7<\/td>5.7<\/td> <\/tr>
24.9<\/td>11.4<\/td>7.5<\/td>6.5<\/td>19.2<\/td>9.2<\/td>6.6<\/td>5.6<\/td> <\/tr>
24.6<\/td>11.3<\/td>7.4<\/td>6.4<\/td>19<\/td>9.1<\/td>6.5<\/td>5.5<\/td> <\/tr>
24.3<\/td>11.1<\/td>7.3<\/td>6.3<\/td>18.8<\/td>9<\/td>6.4<\/td>5.4<\/td> <\/tr>
24<\/td>11<\/td>7.2<\/td>6.2<\/td>18.5<\/td>8.9<\/td>6.4<\/td>5.4<\/td> <\/tr>
23.7<\/td>10.9<\/td>7.1<\/td>6.1<\/td>18.3<\/td>8.8<\/td>6.3<\/td>5.3<\/td> <\/tr>
23.4<\/td>10.8<\/td>7<\/td>6<\/td>18.1<\/td>8.7<\/td>6.2<\/td>5.2<\/td> <\/tr>
23.1<\/td>10.7<\/td>6.9<\/td>5.9<\/td>17.9<\/td>8.6<\/td>6.1<\/td>5.1<\/td> <\/tr>
Exceptional<\/td>22.8<\/td>10.6<\/td>6.8<\/td>5.8<\/td>17.7<\/td>8.5<\/td>6<\/td>5<\/td> <\/tr>
22.5<\/td>10.4<\/td>6.6<\/td>5.7<\/td>17.4<\/td>8.5<\/td>5.9<\/td>4.9<\/td> <\/tr>
22.2<\/td>10.3<\/td>6.5<\/td>5.6<\/td>17.2<\/td>8.4<\/td>5.8<\/td>4.9<\/td> <\/tr>
21.9<\/td>10.2<\/td>6.4<\/td>5.6<\/td>17<\/td>8.3<\/td>5.7<\/td>4.8<\/td> <\/tr>
21.5<\/td>10.1<\/td>6.3<\/td>5.5<\/td>16.8<\/td>8.2<\/td>5.6<\/td>4.7<\/td> <\/tr>
21.2<\/td>10<\/td>6.2<\/td>5.4<\/td>16.6<\/td>8.1<\/td>5.5<\/td>4.6<\/td> <\/tr>
Excellent<\/td>20.9<\/td>9.9<\/td>6.1<\/td>5.3<\/td>16.3<\/td>8<\/td>5.4<\/td>4.5<\/td> <\/tr>
20.6<\/td>9.7<\/td>6<\/td>5.2<\/td>16.1<\/td>7.9<\/td>5.3<\/td>4.4<\/td> <\/tr>
20.3<\/td>9.6<\/td>5.9<\/td>5.1<\/td>15.9<\/td>7.8<\/td>5.2<\/td>4.3<\/td> <\/tr>
20<\/td>9.5<\/td>5.8<\/td>5<\/td>15.7<\/td>7.7<\/td>5.1<\/td>4.3<\/td> <\/tr>
19.7<\/td>9.4<\/td>5.7<\/td>4.9<\/td>15.5<\/td>7.6<\/td>5<\/td>4.2<\/td> <\/tr>
19.4<\/td>9.3<\/td>5.6<\/td>4.8<\/td>15.2<\/td>7.5<\/td>4.9<\/td>4.1<\/td> <\/tr>
Very good<\/td>19.1<\/td>9.2<\/td>5.5<\/td>4.7<\/td>15<\/td>7.4<\/td>4.8<\/td>4<\/td> <\/tr>
18.8<\/td>9<\/td>5.4<\/td>4.6<\/td>14.8<\/td>7.3<\/td>4.7<\/td>3.9<\/td> <\/tr>
18.5<\/td>8.9<\/td>5.3<\/td>4.5<\/td>14.6<\/td>7.3<\/td>4.6<\/td>3.8<\/td> <\/tr>
18.2<\/td>8.8<\/td>5.2<\/td>4.4<\/td>14.4<\/td>7.2<\/td>4.5<\/td>3.8<\/td> <\/tr>
17.9<\/td>8.7<\/td>5.1<\/td>4.3<\/td>14.1<\/td>7.1<\/td>4.4<\/td>3.7<\/td> <\/tr>
17.6<\/td>8.6<\/td>5<\/td>4.2<\/td>13.9<\/td>7<\/td>4.3<\/td>3.6<\/td> <\/tr>
Good<\/td>17.3<\/td>8.4<\/td>4.9<\/td>4.1<\/td>13.7<\/td>6.9<\/td>4.2<\/td>3.5<\/td> <\/tr>
17<\/td>8.3<\/td>4.7<\/td>4<\/td>13.5<\/td>6.8<\/td>4.1<\/td>3.4<\/td> <\/tr>
16.7<\/td>8.2<\/td>4.6<\/td>3.9<\/td>13.3<\/td>6.7<\/td>4<\/td>3.3<\/td> <\/tr>
16.4<\/td>8.1<\/td>4.5<\/td>3.8<\/td>13<\/td>6.6<\/td>3.9<\/td>3.3<\/td> <\/tr>
16.1<\/td>8<\/td>4.4<\/td>3.7<\/td>12.8<\/td>6.5<\/td>3.8<\/td>3.2<\/td> <\/tr>
15.8<\/td>7.9<\/td>4.3<\/td>3.6<\/td>12.6<\/td>6.4<\/td>3.7<\/td>3.1<\/td> <\/tr>
Moderate<\/td>15.5<\/td>7.7<\/td>4.2<\/td>3.6<\/td>12.4<\/td>6.3<\/td>3.6<\/td>3<\/td> <\/tr>
15.2<\/td>7.6<\/td>4.1<\/td>3.5<\/td>12.2<\/td>6.2<\/td>3.5<\/td>2.9<\/td> <\/tr>
14.9<\/td>7.5<\/td>4<\/td>3.4<\/td>11.9<\/td>6.1<\/td>3.4<\/td>2.8<\/td> <\/tr>
14.6<\/td>7.4<\/td>3.9<\/td>3.3<\/td>11.7<\/td>6<\/td>3.3<\/td>2.8<\/td> <\/tr>
14.3<\/td>7.3<\/td>3.8<\/td>3.2<\/td>11.5<\/td>6<\/td>3.2<\/td>2.7<\/td> <\/tr>
14<\/td>7.2<\/td>3.7<\/td>3.1<\/td>11.3<\/td>5.9<\/td>3.1<\/td>2.6<\/td> <\/tr>
Fair<\/td>13.7<\/td>7<\/td>3.6<\/td>3<\/td>11.1<\/td>5.8<\/td>3<\/td>2.5<\/td> <\/tr>
13.4<\/td>6.9<\/td>3.5<\/td>2.9<\/td>10.8<\/td>5.7<\/td>2.9<\/td>2.4<\/td> <\/tr>
13.1<\/td>6.8<\/td>3.4<\/td>2.8<\/td>10.6<\/td>5.6<\/td>2.8<\/td>2.3<\/td> <\/tr>
12.8<\/td>6.7<\/td>3.3<\/td>2.7<\/td>10.4<\/td>5.5<\/td>2.7<\/td>2.2<\/td> <\/tr>
12.5<\/td>6.6<\/td>3.2<\/td>2.6<\/td>10.2<\/td>5.4<\/td>2.6<\/td>2.1<\/td> <\/tr>
12.2<\/td>6.5<\/td>3.1<\/td>2.5<\/td>10<\/td>5.3<\/td>2.6<\/td>2.1<\/td> <\/tr>
Novice 2<\/td>11.9<\/td>6.3<\/td>3<\/td>2.4<\/td>9.7<\/td>5.2<\/td>2.5<\/td>2<\/td> <\/tr>
11.6<\/td>6.2<\/td>2.8<\/td>2.3<\/td>9.5<\/td>5.1<\/td>2.4<\/td>1.9<\/td> <\/tr>
11.3<\/td>6.1<\/td>2.7<\/td>2.2<\/td>9.3<\/td>5<\/td>2.3<\/td>1.8<\/td> <\/tr>
11<\/td>6<\/td>2.6<\/td>2.1<\/td>9.1<\/td>4.9<\/td>2.2<\/td>1.7<\/td> <\/tr>
10.7<\/td>5.9<\/td>2.5<\/td>2<\/td>8.8<\/td>4.8<\/td>2.1<\/td>1.7<\/td> <\/tr>
10.4<\/td>5.7<\/td>2.4<\/td>1.9<\/td>8.6<\/td>4.8<\/td>2<\/td>1.6<\/td> <\/tr>
Novice 1<\/td>10<\/td>5.6<\/td>2.3<\/td>1.8<\/td>8.4<\/td>4.7<\/td>1.9<\/td>1.5<\/td> <\/tr>
9.7<\/td>5.5<\/td>2.2<\/td>1.7<\/td>8.2<\/td>4.6<\/td>1.8<\/td>1.4<\/td> <\/tr>
9.4<\/td>5.4<\/td>2.1<\/td>1.6<\/td>8<\/td>4.5<\/td>1.7<\/td>1.3<\/td> <\/tr>
9.1<\/td>5.3<\/td>2<\/td>1.6<\/td>7.7<\/td>4.4<\/td>1.6<\/td>1.2<\/td> <\/tr>
8.8<\/td>5.2<\/td>1.9<\/td>1.5<\/td>7.5<\/td>4.3<\/td>1.5<\/td>1.2<\/td> <\/tr>
8.5<\/td>5<\/td>1.8<\/td>1.4<\/td>7.3<\/td>4.2<\/td>1.4<\/td>1.1<\/td> <\/tr>
8.2<\/td>4.9<\/td>1.7<\/td>1.3<\/td>7.1<\/td>4.1<\/td>1.3<\/td>1<\/td> <\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>