{"id":962705,"date":"2026-11-08T06:54:18","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T06:54:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/962705\/"},"modified":"2026-11-08T06:54:18","modified_gmt":"2026-11-08T06:54:18","slug":"the-cycling-power-benchmarks-every-beginner-should-aim-for-and-the-3-workouts-you-need-to-improve-yours","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/962705\/","title":{"rendered":"The Cycling Power Benchmarks Every Beginner Should Aim For \u2013 and the 3 Workouts You Need to Improve Yours"},"content":{"rendered":"

When you first start trying to improve your cycling<\/a> fitness, it can be hard to know what to focus on. Should you aim to increase your distance, or spend a specific amount of time on the bike? Should you pay attention to your cadence, or focus on speed? <\/p>\n

These metrics can all tell you something, but power output \u2013 in particular, your functional threshold power (FTP) \u2013 is potentially the most useful way to measure your overall fitness. <\/p>\n

What is functional threshold power (FTP)? <\/p>\n

Recorded using a power meter attached to your bike or via an indoor bike\u2019s built-in sensors, power (measured in watts) tells you how much work you\u2019re doing on the pedals over time. Your FTP, by extension, is simply a measure of the highest average power you can maintain for an hour on the bike \u2013 aka, the spot where you’re working considerably hard, but your body is able to keep things ticking along without free-falling into an all-out crash. <\/p>\n

FTP is often estimated using shorter tests, so you don’t have to spend an hour cycling all out every time you want to check yours. Indoor training apps like Rouvy<\/a> have FTP tests built in, but you can also do one on your own if you have a power meter.<\/p>\n

Knowing your FTP is useful for two reasons. Firstly, it allows you to measure the difficulty of your rides. If your FTP sits around 200W, then doing an hour-long ride where your average power output sits at around 180W is a sign of a high-intensity effort. However, if your FTP is closer to 300W, that ride probably sits in the easier, endurance-building category. Both types of rides are important for building fitness, and knowing your FTP allows you to make sure you\u2019re varying the difficulty of your sessions during training. <\/p>\n

Knowing your FTP also allows you to compare your performance to those around you and can give you a good idea of how your fitness shapes up compared to the benchmarks for your age. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s worth noting that FTP doesn\u2019t take into account bodyweight, which can influence the amount of raw power you\u2019re able to produce. It’s for this reason that some people also use watts per kilogram to compare their performance to other riders of different sizes, especially when tackling a route with elevation. <\/p>\n

What is a \u2018good\u2019 FTP or W\/kg?<\/p>\n

According to data from Rouvy<\/a> users, a ‘good’ FTP for each age group \u2013 aka, the next step up from beginner \u2013 is as follows:<\/p>\n

40-49: 162\u2013225 W (or 1.9\u20132.9 W\/kg)<\/p>\n

50-59: 159\u2013219 W (or 1.9\u20132.8 W\/kg)<\/p>\n

60-69: 147\u2013203 W (or 1.8\u20132.6 W\/kg)<\/p>\n

70-79+: 123\u2013176 W (or 1.6-2.3 W\/kg)<\/p>\n

Of course, it’s worth noting that these numbers are based on Rouvy users, who are more likely to do dedicated cycling training. So working towards the lower end of these numbers when you first get started is totally fine. <\/p>\n

Anything under these figures is considered a beginner, so if you’re not quite there yet, it’s just a sign that you’re early on in your cycling journey \u2013 and have lots of room for improvement.<\/p>\n

\"col<\/p>\n

Justin Paget<\/p>\n

How to improve your FTP as a beginner <\/p>\n

According to Rick Stern, training expert for Rouvy, the key to improving your FTP is combining a mixture of different workouts, depending on your needs. <\/p>\n

\u2018Endurance riding, threshold work and VO2 max intervals can all contribute to improving FTP,\u2019 Stern explains. \u2018The balance between them should reflect what you need, rather than following the same formula for everyone.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s how to structure each type of workout \u2013 and how to tell which ones you need more of. <\/p>\n

Endurance training <\/p>\n

\u2018If your fitness is relatively low, or you currently do minimal training, steady endurance riding may increase your FTP without needing harder efforts,\u2019 Stern says. \u2018It allows you to accumulate training volume without the fatigue associated with repeatedly riding hard.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Endurance training should be the foundation of all your training, no matter what level you\u2019re at. \u2018For someone with limited time, a 60\u201390-minute steady ride can be useful, with a longer ride when their schedule allows. The effort should feel controlled, with breathing comfortable enough for conversation. It shouldn\u2019t become a competition to achieve the highest possible average power.\u2019 <\/p>\n

Threshold training <\/p>\n

Threshold training is the next step up on the training ladder and will help you to improve the power you can comfortably sustain for longer periods. These sessions will see you sit around your FTP wattage \u2013 approximately 95%-105% of your FTP \u2013 to build your stamina and \u2018comfortable\u2019 power. <\/p>\n

If you\u2019re someone who already does quite a bit of steady endurance training \u2013 for example, by cycling to work \u2013 then adding threshold training to your mix could be the key to driving your FTP upwards. <\/p>\n

\u2018An example is three eight-minute efforts around FTP, separated by four minutes of easy pedalling,\u2019 Stern says. \u2018As you adapt, you might extend those efforts to ten or twelve minutes. The aim is to accumulate good-quality work at an appropriate intensity. If you can barely finish the first interval and your power falls substantially in the next two, the target is probably too high for that session.\u2019 <\/p>\n

VO2 max training <\/p>\n

Think of your VO2 max<\/a> training as an opportunity to raise the ceiling of your harder efforts \u2013 while it may not challenge your FTP directly (you\u2019ll be doing bursts of high power for short periods), it increases your maximum power \u2013 and brings up your capacity as a result. <\/p>\n

\u2018One useful session is four four-minute efforts, with at least four minutes of easy pedalling between them,\u2019 Stern explains. \u2018Recovery can be longer if that helps you complete the session well.\u2019 <\/p>\n

When it comes to effort, Stern recommends aiming for around 115-130% of FTP. \u2018But the percentage is a guide,\u2019 he says. \u2018The important thing is to choose the hardest intensity you can sustain across all four efforts without a substantial drop in power during or between them. Don\u2019t force yourself towards 130% simply because it appears in the range. <\/p>\n

\u2018You don\u2019t need every type of interval in every week. For many recreational riders, one or two harder sessions, supported by endurance riding, is a sensible starting point.\u2019<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Lauren Geall is deputy site editor for Women\u2019s Health UK and Men\u2019s Health UK. She graduated from Exeter University with a BA in English Literature before studying an MA in Magazine Journalism at City, University London. She\u2019s been writing about health, fitness and wellbeing for over five years, with a total of seven years in digital journalism. Prior to her current role, she worked at Stylist as the acting health and fitness editor. As well as being a keen runner, Lauren is passionate about women\u2019s sport and can often be found cheering on Arsenal Women at the Emirates or keeping tabs on the Red Roses\u2019 latest win.\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"When you first start trying to improve your cycling fitness, it can be hard to know what to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":962706,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[445],"tags":[49,48,4671,328748,635,784,787,237154,783,328747,273948,82,211781],"class_list":["post-962705","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-cycling","tag-ca","tag-canada","tag-content-type-default","tag-contentid-2e9bab2f-5a18-4ac7-bb30-b2962862eb0b","tag-cycling","tag-displaytype-standard-article","tag-hasproduct-true","tag-issyndicated-false","tag-locale-gb","tag-shorttitle-cycling-power-benchmarks-to-aim-for","tag-sponsored-false","tag-sports","tag-subsection-cardio"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962705","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=962705"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/962705\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/962706"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=962705"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=962705"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=962705"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}