Why Your Ramp Test FTP Feels Too High (And How To Fix It)
Yesterday I posted on Reddit about creating the MAP/ramp test protocol that Zwift and TrainerRoad use for FTP estimation. Twenty thousand people showed up with questions.
The top comment got 50 upvotes: "It seems like there is no way I could sustain my estimated FTP for an hour."
If you've ever felt this way after a ramp test, you're not imagining things. Here's why it happens—and how to fix it.
The Origin of the 75% "Rule" (Spoiler: It Was Never a Rule)
When I developed the MAP test in 1996, "FTP" wasn't even a term yet. I was working on an Hour Record attempt and needed a fast, repeatable way to estimate 1-hour power output.
I tested over 100 riders across different disciplines: time trialists (including World Hour Record holders), road racers, crit specialists, pursuiters, world-class track sprinters, and kilo riders. Male and female athletes across a wide age range.
The results: All but one person fell within 72-77% of their maximal aerobic power (MAP).
So I used that range to estimate 1-hour power.
But here's how 75% became the "industry standard" completely by accident.
I used to hang out on early cycling forums (this was 1999-2000), and people would ask how to estimate their hour power. I'd reply: "Take 72-77% of your MAP test result."
One day I got lazy and just wrote "75%."
That stuck.
Suddenly everyone was using 75% as if it were some magical universal constant carved into the laws of physics. It wasn't. It was never meant to be.
It was always supposed to be a range: 72-77%.
Why 75% Doesn't Work For Everyone
The 72-77% range works for roughly 99% of riders. But if your estimated FTP feels way too high (or occasionally, too low), you might be in that 1%.
Here's why some riders fall outside this range:
1. Fiber Type Distribution
If you're heavily slow-twitch dominant—what we call a "diesel"—you might be closer to 77-78%. Your body is built for sustained efforts, so a higher percentage of your MAP converts to hour power.
If you're more fast-twitch dominant (sprinter background, explosive athlete), you might be 70-72%. You can generate massive power in short bursts, but sustaining it is harder.
2. Anaerobic Capacity
Riders with enormous anaerobic engines—think track pursuit backgrounds or kilo specialists—can score very high on the ramp test. But that doesn't mean they can sustain 75% of that power for an hour.
Their massive anaerobic capacity lets them push deep into oxygen debt during the test. But FTP is about aerobic capacity, not anaerobic.
3. Training History
If you've spent years doing sprint-focused training (track racing, crits, Zwift races), your MAP will be artificially elevated relative to your endurance capacity.
Your body has adapted to produce huge power for 30 seconds to 5 minutes. But your aerobic system hasn't developed proportionally.
4. Testing Execution
Some riders go too hard at the start of the ramp test and fade before reaching their true MAP. Others pace it perfectly and get an accurate reading.
If you started too aggressively and couldn't complete the final stages, your MAP score is artificially low—making the 75% estimate too high.
I've tested hundreds of riders beyond my original 100. Only a handful have been significantly outside the 72-77% range. But when you ARE outside it, using 75% gives you an FTP that's either crushing (too high) or sandbagging (too low).
How To Find YOUR Personal Ratio
Here's the protocol I use with athletes who fall outside the standard range.
Step 1: Do An Accurate MAP Test
Get your MAP score right first:
Proper warm-up: 15-20 minutes progressive, building from easy to moderate
Starting power: 50-60% of your expected FTP (don't start too hard)
Ramp rate: Smooth and continuous is ideal—5W every 12 seconds, or 25W per minute if your trainer does steps
Go to complete failure: Not "this is hard," but "I literally cannot turn the pedals anymore"
Record your best 60-second power: This is your MAP
Step 2: Validate With A Sustained Effort
Within 1-2 weeks of your MAP test, do ONE of these validation efforts:
Option A: 20-minute all-out time trial
After proper warm-up, go as hard as you can sustain for 20 minutes
Use 95-96% of this power as your FTP estimate
This works well if you can pace efforts accurately
Option B: 40-minute hard steady effort
This is closer to actual FTP duration
The average power you can hold for 40 minutes IS your FTP
More accurate but more brutal
Option C: Best 1-hour power from a race or hard group ride
If you have recent race data where you were going hard for an hour
This is as close to "real" FTP as you can get
But requires the right opportunity
Step 3: Calculate Your Personal Ratio
Take your validated FTP and divide it by your MAP score.
FTP ÷ MAP = Your Personal Percentage
Example 1:
MAP test: 400W
40-minute TT: 280W
Personal ratio: 280 ÷ 400 = 70%
Now you know: For YOU, FTP = 70% of MAP (not 75%).
Example 2:
MAP test: 350W
20-minute TT: 280W (280 × 0.95 = 266W FTP)
Personal ratio: 266 ÷ 350 = 76%
You're more of a diesel. Use 76% going forward.
Step 4: Use This Ratio Going Forward
Next time you do a MAP test, multiply the result by YOUR percentage—not 75%.
If your MAP improves to 420W and your ratio is 70%, your estimated FTP is 294W (not 315W).
Step 5: Retest Both Periodically
Your ratio can change with training.
If you do a lot of VO2max intervals, your MAP might improve faster than your FTP (ratio drops slightly).
If you do a lot of threshold and tempo work, your FTP might improve faster than MAP (ratio increases).
Retest every 8-12 weeks and recalculate your ratio. It won't change dramatically, but it can shift by 1-2 percentage points.
Want the complete testing protocol with warm-up structure, execution checklist, and zone calculations?
Download my free guide: The 6 Pillars of Performance for Masters Cyclists
It covers testing, training structure, and recovery for riders over 40.
What If You Fall WAY Outside The Range?
I've tested a few riders who were significantly outside 72-77%. Here's what I found:
Cardiac rehabilitation patients: Close to 100%. Their exercise capacity is so limited that their "hour power" IS their maximal aerobic power.
Ultra-endurance specialists: Sometimes as low as 68-70%. They're built for 8-hour days in the saddle, not maximal aerobic efforts.
Elite pursuers after taper: Occasionally 80%+. But this is temporary—their taper elevated FTP while MAP stayed constant.
If you're a healthy recreational or competitive cyclist and your ratio is below 70% or above 78%, double-check your testing:
Did you do the MAP test to complete failure?
Was your validation effort truly maximal?
Did you have adequate recovery between tests?
Most of the time, testing execution is the issue—not actual physiology.
When FTP Testing Doesn't Matter
Here's something most coaches won't tell you: FTP is just a number.
It matters if:
You're setting training zones for structured workouts
You're tracking progress systematically over months
You race time trials or triathlons with power
It doesn't matter if:
You train by feel and it's working well for you
You race crits or road races (1-5 minute power matters more)
You ride for fun and fitness (RPE is perfectly fine)
I've coached riders who obsess over FTP to the point where they stop enjoying training. Don't let testing become the tail that wags the dog.
FTP is a tool, not a goal.
Should You Test With Multiple Protocols?
Yes.
The MAP test gives you one data point. A 20-minute or 40-minute effort gives you another. Critical power testing (3-min, 6-min, 12-min efforts) gives you yet another.
Each test reveals something slightly different about your physiology:
MAP test: Your aerobic ceiling
20-minute test: Your ability to sustain hard efforts with pacing
1-hour test: Your true sustained power
Critical power: Your power-duration curve across multiple time domains
I recommend testing:
5-second sprint power (once every 8-12 weeks)
60-second max power (once every 8-12 weeks)
MAP test (every 4-8 weeks during build phases)
Long TT effort (every 8-12 weeks, or use race data)
This gives you a complete picture of your fitness across all durations.
The Bottom Line
If your ramp test FTP feels too high, you're probably not imagining things.
The 75% conversion was never meant to be universal—it was always 72-77% based on testing 100+ riders across different phenotypes.
Find your personal ratio by comparing your MAP score to a validated sustained effort. Use that ratio going forward.
And remember: FTP is a useful training tool, but it's not the point of cycling. Getting faster, lasting longer, and enjoying the ride—that's what matters.
Want Help Dialing In Your Training Zones?
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Questions about your FTP or testing? Drop a comment below or email me: ric@cyclecoach.com