Two figures in, a clear answer out. The cycling wattage calculator uses bike and gear weight, chain, position, surface, tires, your weight, elevation, grade, speed, time, wind speed and one way to produce power-to-weight ratio, calories and power, applying the standard relationship for this problem in the order the calculation actually needs it.
What Is the Cycling Wattage Calculator?
The cycling wattage calculator turns bike and gear weight, chain, position, surface, tires, your weight, elevation, grade, speed, time, wind speed and one way into power-to-weight ratio, calories and power.
It is a quick way to get from the numbers you have to the number you need, without setting up a spreadsheet or reaching for a formula.
How the Cycling Wattage Works
Each result follows from the ones before it, and the calculator shows every step, so a surprising answer can be traced back to the input that caused it.
Round your inputs to the precision you actually know, and keep more precision than that in the intermediate steps.
Getting a Result You Can Trust
Run the calculation twice with slightly different inputs. A sensible calculator moves its output in proportion; a wild change points to a unit or a decimal point problem in what you entered.
Write the inputs down next to the answer. It takes a moment and it is the difference between a number you can explain and one you cannot.
A Worked Example
Working through an example, with bike and gear weight set to 10, chain set to 0.045000000000000, position set to 0.408000000000000, the calculator returns power of 1,916.9885, and power-to-weight ratio of 383.398, and calories of 9.55437. Substitute your own figures and the same steps produce the same kind of answer.
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to work out power-to-weight ratio?
Enter bike and gear weight, chain, position, surface, tires, your weight, elevation, grade, speed, time, wind speed and one way. The calculator then works through the relationship and reports power-to-weight ratio, calories and power.
What does the cycling wattage actually calculate?
It takes bike and gear weight, chain, position, surface, tires, your weight, elevation, grade, speed, time, wind speed and one way and converts them into power-to-weight ratio, calories and power using the standard relationship for this problem. Each step is applied in turn, so every output is traceable back to the numbers you typed in.
How should I enter bike and gear weight?
Use the value you actually have, in the unit shown next to the field. Enter every value in the same unit system. The calculator assumes the figures you supply are consistent, so it cannot correct a mistake that happens before the calculation starts.
Can I use this for a quick estimate as well as a precise answer?
Yes. The calculator is built for quick checks, so round your inputs to a sensible number of significant figures and the result will be just as useful. If you need more precision, keep the same method and add digits to the inputs rather than adjusting the method itself.
Is the answer exact?
It is as exact as the formula and the inputs allow. The method itself is the standard one for this problem, so the only sources of error are the figures you enter and the precision you ask for.