June 17, 2026 · 4 min read

Ramp Test Results Explained — Where Your FTP Number Comes From

A ramp test takes twenty-odd minutes, but the important part happens afterwards: a single number — your best one-minute power — becomes your FTP, and your FTP becomes every training zone you ride in. Here's where the 75% factor comes from, when the result can lie, and exactly what to do with your new FTP.

What does a ramp test actually measure?

During the test, resistance rises every minute until you can no longer hold the target power. The raw result is your best one-minute power (MMP1, maximal minute power) — the highest 60-second average, usually from the last full minute before you crack. New to the protocol? Start with our guide on how to measure FTP with a ramp test.

MMP1 is a heavily anaerobic effort — nobody holds that power for an hour. That's why FTP isn't the test result itself but an estimate:

FTP ≈ 75% × best one-minute power

Example: you blow up at 320 W and your best minute is 316 W. FTP = 316 × 0.75 ≈ 237 W.

Where did 75% come from?

The factor is empirical. Training platforms compared ramp test results against "true" FTP (from hour-long and 20-minute tests) across large groups of riders, and for most training amateurs, threshold power lands close to three quarters of the best minute. TrainerRoad collected over 7,000 tests during its beta before trusting the protocol; most training apps have used a similar factor ever since.

The key word is "most". 75% is a median, not a law of physics — and that's where interpretation begins.

When the ramp test overestimates — and when it underestimates

The result depends on your physiological profile: the balance between your anaerobic and aerobic power.

• Sprinter / anaerobic rider. A big anaerobic engine can drag you one or two test steps past your actual threshold. MMP1 goes up, your threshold doesn't — the result comes out inflated, sometimes by 5–10%. Symptom: sweet spot and threshold intervals are undoable even on fresh legs.
• Diesel / time-trialist type. Riders with a strong aerobic base and a weak sprint crack early relative to their threshold — the result tends to come out low. Symptom: every zone feels suspiciously easy and your heart rate at "threshold" sits well below your real threshold heart rate.
• Mixed type (most amateurs): 75% hits the mark.

Your power curve tells you which group you're in: if your 5-second and 1-minute numbers are outstanding compared to your 20-minute numbers, you're closer to a sprinter — treat the ramp result with a downward haircut.

The reality check: one week of training

The best way to verify an FTP isn't another test — it's training. After setting the new value, watch the first 7–10 days:

• Threshold intervals (95–105% FTP) should be hard but doable — the final rep at the limit, not beyond it.
• Sweet spot (88–94% FTP) should feel "comfortably uncomfortable" for 20–40 minutes.
• Zone 2 should allow easy conversation.

If you keep failing intervals despite being fresh — drop your FTP by 3–5%. If everything feels too easy and your heart rate never reaches its usual numbers — raise it by the same amount. A manual tweak of a few watts is normal and expected.

What to do with the result — concretely

1. Save the FTP in your training app. Every power zone and every workout's intensity is derived from this value.
2. Recalculate your zones. A 10 W change shifts every zone — the old ranges no longer apply.
3. Compare against previous tests. A single number means little; the trend across 3–4 tests taken every 4–6 weeks shows whether your plan is working.
4. Note the test conditions. Sleep, fatigue, temperature, caffeine — next time, compare like with like.

When to throw the result away

• You stopped for any reason other than your legs giving out (cadence collapsed because of gearing, someone interrupted you, the chain dropped).
• You tested the day after a hard session — fatigue can easily cost 10–20 W.
• It was your first ever test — many riders quit mentally too early. A second test a week later almost always comes out noticeably higher.

In these cases don't adjust FTP by feel — just repeat the test after 2–3 days of freshness.

The ramp test gives you a number; interpretation turns it into a tool. Set your FTP, verify it with a week of training, correct by single percentage points — and retest every 4–6 weeks so your zones always match your current form.

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