Which cycling calculator should you use?
Start with the question, then choose the measurements that answer it. Distance and time describe a ride; power and body mass describe an effort; elevation and horizontal distance describe a slope; tooth counts and wheel rollout describe a gear. Keeping those questions separate makes the result easier to interpret.
If you have a completed activity and want its average, use the speed calculator. If you have a power recording and want to express it relative to rider mass, use W/kg. If you are organizing power ranges around a threshold reference, use FTP and zones. For climb geometry choose gradient, and for mechanical rollout or cadence speed choose bike gears.
| Your question | Tool | Measurements to bring |
|---|---|---|
| How fast did I ride, or how long might a distance take? | Speed, distance and time | Two of distance, time and average speed |
| What is my power relative to rider body mass? | Power-to-weight | Watts, body mass and effort duration |
| What power zones follow from this FTP? | FTP and power zones | Known FTP or a 20-minute test average |
| What is the average slope of this climb? | Climb gradient | Vertical rise and horizontal run |
| How far does this gear travel per pedal turn? | Bike gear ratio and speed | Tooth counts, circumference and cadence |
Five tools, five useful distinctions
The speed, distance and time calculator solves a simple relationship in three directions. It lets you keep kilometres or miles throughout and enter time in explicit fields. Decide whether your time includes stops: a moving average and an elapsed average can describe the same outing with different numbers.
The power-to-weight calculator divides watts by rider mass. Its effort label helps prevent a five-minute power figure being mistaken for FTP. A ratio can be useful without becoming a ranking, and it does not imply a target body mass or guaranteed road speed.
The FTP calculator accepts an existing FTP or applies the conventional 95% estimate to a 20-minute average. Its seven-zone table states exact boundary rules. The estimate and the zone labels remain reference points, not an individualized training programme.
The gradient calculator separates vertical rise from horizontal travel. It also gives an incline angle and 1-in-N equivalent. An average conceals steep ramps and flatter sections, so a percentage alone cannot establish a climb's complete difficulty.
The bike gear calculator starts with a selected chainring and sprocket, then adds measured wheel circumference. Its speed result is theoretical speed at a specified cadence. Resistance, rider effort and terrain determine whether that cadence can be maintained.
Use measurements consistently
A precise-looking answer can still start from an uncertain input. Check where a number came from before comparing it with another ride. Was distance recorded by GPS or a wheel sensor? Is power an interval average or an app estimate? Does elevation mean net rise or cumulative ascent? Has the wheel input been measured, or taken from a nominal size table?
Choose a consistent definition and retain it in your notes. The tools convert supported units for you, but cannot identify a measurement entered into the wrong field. Minutes belong in the minutes field; metres of elevation are not kilometres of road distance; a tyre's rim label is not its rollout circumference.
The displayed defaults are examples. Replacing them with your own measurements and pressing Calculate produces an answer for those inputs. Reset returns to the examples, allowing you to reproduce the worked calculations below each tool before testing a different scenario.
Understanding cycling beyond the calculator
Our Tour route guide and stage guide place climbs and distances inside an entire race day. The statistics archive distinguishes published route totals from final classified distance. These contexts matter because the same number can mean different things in a planning note, a recorded ride and an official result.
You can combine tools without treating them as a full simulation. For example, use gradient to understand a slope and gears to compare rollout. Use speed to plan a time scenario. That sequence still does not include a power-to-speed resistance model or reproduce the tactics of a Tour stage.
Transparent methods, useful limits
Each calculator page includes formulas, worked examples, input guidance, relevant sources and a focused FAQ. Calculations happen in your browser; the explanatory text and links are part of the rendered page. No account or payment is required to use the tools.
Read the assumptions beside the result before applying it. These are independent publication tools, without official Tour de France endorsement. Their purpose is to make a small cycling calculation understandable and repeatable, while leaving room for the realities that a single formula cannot capture.