What are watts in cycling? Power explained (and how to get more)

Torque is the turning force you apply to the crank. Cadence is the number of crank revolutions you complete each minute. A power meter uses torque and rotational speed to calculate your output in watts.

The same power can be produced in different ways. One rider may push a bigger gear at 70 rpm, while another turns a lighter gear at 95 rpm. Both could be riding at 200 watts. Increasing cadence alone does not necessarily increase power because shifting into an easier gear reduces the force applied with each pedal stroke.

The aim is not to find one mathematically perfect cadence. Choose a gear that lets you produce the required power without excessive muscular strain or uncontrolled spinning. On outdoor rides, I use my power meter to keep an eye on both watts and cadence, particularly on longer climbs where it is easy to push too big a gear without noticing straight away. I generally prefer a higher cadence for sustained riding because it reduces the force needed on each turn of the pedals, which feels kinder to my knees. Lower-cadence work can still have a place in specific strength or climbing sessions.

For more practical ways to work on this, try these cadence drills for pedalling efficiency.

Average power, Normalised Power (NP) and FTP

Above: Power-based indoor workouts give each interval a clear wattage target based on your current fitness.

Because live power changes from second to second, cycling platforms and head units also summarise it over time.

Average power includes freewheeling and time at zero watts, so it is most useful when the effort is fairly steady.

Normalised Power (NP) estimates how demanding a variable ride was by giving greater weight to harder efforts. It may therefore be higher than average power after a hilly route or interval session.

Functional Threshold Power (FTP) estimates the highest power you can sustain at a hard, steady effort for roughly an hour. It is commonly estimated through a ramp test or shorter time trial rather than a full 60-minute effort.

FTP gives your watts some personal meaning. Holding 180 watts could be an easy endurance effort for one rider, close to threshold for another and above threshold for someone else. Once your FTP is set, your cycling training zones turn a general wattage into an appropriate target for your current fitness.

Find a useful starting point

A current FTP makes structured workouts far more personal. Follow the ROUVY ramp test guide, set your baseline and use it to train at wattages that suit you.

What are watts per kg in cycling?

Watts per kilogram, written as W/kg, compares your power with your body mass. Divide the watts you produce by your weight in kilograms.

For example:

• A 60 kg rider producing 180 watts is riding at 3 W/kg.
• An 80 kg rider producing 240 watts is also riding at 3 W/kg.

The second rider produces more absolute power, but both are producing the same amount relative to their body mass.

W/kg becomes much more relevant once the road starts climbing because the rider and bike must be lifted uphill. A lighter rider can therefore climb faster than a heavier rider producing the same absolute watts, assuming the other main factors are similar.

On flatter roads, absolute power and aerodynamics matter more. The 80 kg rider in the example may have an advantage because they can produce 60 watts more than the 60 kg rider at the same W/kg.

Always compare W/kg over the same duration. Five-minute power and FTP describe different abilities, even when both are divided by body mass.

You may also see platforms use W/kg to calculate virtual speed or organise events. Enter an accurate body weight when the app requires it. A few missing kilograms may flatter the screen number, but they will not help when the road tilts upwards outside.

What is a good wattage for cycling?

There is no single wattage that counts as good. The number only becomes useful once you know who produced it and for how long.

Consider 200 watts. For one rider, it might be a hard five-minute effort. Another may hold it for an hour, while a well-trained rider could use it for an easy endurance ride. Body mass, sex, age, training history, fatigue and testing method all affect the comparison.

These questions make a power figure more useful:

Your own previous results are usually more useful than somebody else's FTP. Compare similar tests completed under similar conditions and look for a trend over several weeks. A rise from 180 to 190 watts at the same body mass is clear progress. Holding the same power at a lower heart rate under similar conditions can also be an encouraging sign, as can reaching the final interval without your cadence falling apart.

Typical W/kg ranges vary by rider level and effort duration. Our power-to-weight ratio guide puts those numbers into context.

For a deeper comparison, read what counts as a good FTP in cycling.

Power is particularly useful for short intervals because it responds immediately. Heart rate takes time to rise, so chasing a heart-rate target during a 30-second effort can lead you to start too hard.

Heart rate still shows how your body is responding. An unusually high heart rate for your normal power may point to heat, fatigue, dehydration or insufficient recovery. Speed shows the outcome, but wind, gradient, road surface and drafting all influence it.

Personally, I look at power to control the effort, heart rate to see how I am responding and feel to decide whether the numbers make sense. Familiar watts feeling unusually hard can tell you as much as another figure on the screen.

How to increase watts in cycling

Start with a repeatable FTP test before beginning structured workouts. Use the same protocol and equipment each time so that your results are easier to compare. During a training block, retesting every six to eight weeks is usually enough to keep your training zones up to date.

Build your aerobic base

Steady endurance rides improve your ability to sustain power and recover between harder efforts. Keep them controlled. Turning every endurance day into an unofficial time trial can leave you too tired for the sessions that are meant to be hard.

Add targeted intervals

Choose intervals that match the power you want to improve. Longer threshold and sweet-spot efforts develop sustained power, shorter VO2 max intervals target higher aerobic output and sprints train another part of the power-duration curve.

A systematic review and meta-analysis found that continuous endurance training and high-intensity intervals both improved VO2 max in healthy adults. A sensible week can include both, with enough easy riding between harder sessions to recover properly.

Include strength training

Strength training can also help, provided it does not leave you too tired to complete your cycling sessions. A systematic review and meta-analysis found benefits for cycling performance, efficiency and anaerobic power, although the certainty of the evidence was low.

Exercises such as squats, split squats and deadlift variations can be useful, but start conservatively and seek qualified guidance if you are unfamiliar with lifting or managing an injury.

Fuel the work and recover from it

Hard training requires energy. Start a hard session short of energy and you may struggle to reach the planned watts, never mind repeat them properly. Sleep, easy days and lighter weeks are part of improving your watts, even though none of them produces an impressive graph by itself.

Judge the plan over months, not after one exceptional Tuesday. Fitness does not rise in a straight line, and power can vary from day to day. Look for a gradual improvement in repeatable efforts rather than chasing a personal best every time you ride.

How power fits into real riding

Power is useful when it helps you make a decision. It can stop you riding the first half of a climb too hard, keep an easy day genuinely easy or give an indoor interval a clear target.

You do not need to watch it every second. I often keep an eye on my watts during a long climb, then look up and ride by feel once I know the effort is under control.