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Middle age ftp test 😞

by Stretch45

Sun, Mar 09, 2025 17:46

Hi all right I've not ridden a bike for a year, normally xc and emtb. I've started doing some turbo work 2 weeks ago on xc bike as I'm buying a gravel/Road bike I'm sick of braking bones off road lol and I miss been fit. I've never done a ftp in all the years of cycling but I thought do one now when I'm totally unfit and check again in a few months or so ? Now I'm 47 6ft 6 and 83kgs it's come out at give or take 200ftp (198) on a proper hr test not 20 mins test I have no idea if that's shit OK or what but to my question with some training do we think over 300ftp is possible in middle age or would it take alot of training? I need to gain 100watts lol but I suppose I'm starting from scratch ? I know ftp isn't important as I'm not racing but I've always liked goals and targets I fancy a sportif or fondo type ride in the future cheers people

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3 comments

Rendel Harris | 2 hours ago

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3 watts/kilo is really good for someone aged 50 (sorry, not wishing your life away, I know you're not quite there yet) so if you can get up to 250 W FTP you'd be in about the top 10%–20% of people in your age group who cycle relatively seriously. I think to get to 300 W FTP, which would probably put you in the top 5% for your age bracket, you would need to train pretty hard, on a par with someone who races regularly. Speaking as a humble 195-er, I find around 200 is sufficiently strong to ride long distances at a reasonably decent pace and shorter ones quite fast; if you achieved 250W FTP at your weight you'd definitely find yourself a lot nearer the front than the back on most fondos/sportifs.

jaymack | 3 hours ago

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Don't sweat over your FTP. Getting fit and enjoying your riding is far more important. If chasing the numbers is important to you then FTP is as good a measure to pursue as any other. It's a useful metric, just remember that it's a tool not a badge of honour. My younger brother's FTP is higher than mine but he's yet to reach the crest of the hill before me.

Simon E replied to jaymack | 1 hour ago

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What jaymack said.

I think adding 100w to your current FTP is unlikely but I'd ask why you're so bothered about an arbitary number - this is not your job, it's meant to be a hobby.

Tracking improvement can be motivating but equally chasing numbers can be a fool's errand or even counterproductive and get you down.

At 45 you're still likely to be able to respond well to training stimulus but your lung function is only going to gradually reduce. You should also think about strength training (weights) to help counter the other effects of ageing such as loss of muscle mass and bone density and yoga or other flexibility work.

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