Usually, FTP test is a little difficult for beginners and needs skill and experience. Fortunately, Ramp Test has made testing the FTP much simpler. Unfortunately this can be only down indoors on a trainer.
FTP
Your Functional Threshold Power, or FTP, is the foundation upon which all of your power-based workouts are built. In essence, it’s the measure of your highest sustainable power for an extended duration. In theory, it’s supposed to represent the maximum power you can sustain for an hour, but in the real world, most riders have trouble sustaining it for much longer than about 30 minutes.
Why Test?
The FTP estimate you obtain from an FTP test is used to calibrate your training zones and set the intensity of your workouts. Because we use this measure of fitness as the basis for all of your training, it’s important that this number estimates your actual sustainable-power threshold as closely as possible. This is why it is important to test your FTP and test it often.
Ramp Test
The key is to absolutely empty the tank. Follow the intended target power as close as possible for as long as you can. Even a few seconds more when you think you are done can yield meaningful data, so you should ride until you physically can’t maintain power anymore. You should not make the conscious choice to stop- instead, your legs should override your brain.
How is FTP calculated from the Ramp Test?
It uses 75% of your best one-minute power output as your FTP. It’s important to follow the target power as closely as possible as you progress through your test, but if you are above target for the final minute. You do not need to finish a full step in the ramp for the test to be accurate, simply ride at the target power until you are unable to continue, whenever that occurs. Ensure ERG is turned on for this.
See this image. The power should hold steady automatically when ERG mode is on.
Please see this video before doing your first ramp test.
Note if you are having to shift gears in ramp test then you are doing it wrong. ERG mode should automatically change power and entire test should be done without shifting gears once the ramp section stats.