I’m 66 and currently my FTP is 219 and weight is 73KG so weight/KW is around 3Kg/W. I do around 200 -250 km per week ( 12000 -15000km year) usually a couple of group rides and the rest solo or rides on the indoor trainer.
I was doing TR plans indoors for awhile but then I realized that I’d rather be outside riding as I live in the country and there are a lot of good back roads to ride on so the last few months I have been very sporadic with actual training but I’m really enjoying my riding outdoors which is what it is all about.
Occasionally I am attempting to do some hard intervals outdoors since they introduced the outdoor sessions. 
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My Dad is 62 and has an FTP of 215W and weighs around 64kg. He has very good stamina and can go close to his FTP for long times but seems to struggle with punchier efforts and FTP test… Has TSS avg of 400+ and trains inside with TR and outside on the weekends.
I have been trying to figure out how can he up his FTP but seems to be near his limit as he fails every FTP test (either ramp or 8 minute) but out on the road his numbers prove around 215ish.
Respect for everyone out there still pushing the pedals hard!!
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Sounds like working on vo2max will improve results on Ramp test (which is based on vo2max).
Improving vo2max may or may not improve sustained power.
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Well, back in January I was able to reach 248 in a Ramp Test. I’m 67 weighing 65 kg/143 lbs with Strava showing 5400 miles last year. That Ramp Test came after Sweet Spot Base mid volume II. Your milage may vary; my background includes a lot of distance running when I was younger, but also a couple interim decades with almost no endurance exercise.
Make sure your heart and cardiovascular system are healthy enough for this kind of work. My last stress test was a couple years ago; it’s time to go again.
I’ll also add that I found the Sustained Power Build mid volume plan to be too hard, and my testing spiralled downward with me recently wimping out to get a 233. My previous 2 years with the Build plans gave similar results. Joe Friel’s “Fast after 50” says we need intense workouts, so I continue to use TrainerRoad to provide these.
I agree that 300 watts may not be very realistic for us, but I’ll continue to explore what IS possible.
Did I mention that you should have your heart checked?
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Waiting until I took the Ramp Test today to comment. I’ll be 62 next week and had my FTP set to 213 since March. After finishing SSBMV2, I pretty much abandoned the structured training and got outside to train in May for my “A event” this past Sunday. I was a little concerned about my lack of long distance (maxed out at 50+ miles) since the event (around Lake Tahoe) is 71-72 miles. Turned out just fine and didn’t have any trouble finishing. Finished about the same time, maybe even a few minutes faster, but I’m happy with the result. My next event isn’t until October (mountain time trail), so doing a build and speciality works out great time wise.
Today’s Ramp Test showed a drop to 207, which didn’t surprise me considering the lack of structured training. Yesterday’s leg opener (Truuli -1) workout showed I could still handle intervals at FTP as well as the 120% and 125% intervals so despite my earlier comment in this thread about just accepting the result, I have decided to split the difference and train at 210 instead of 207. I’ll just adjust as I go along, if needed.
Looking at my FTP history, my highest FTP was 231 in 2016, about 8 months after I started with TR. I was “only” 59 years old then, so maybe that’s why it was higher? 
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67 here, TR program with Kickr Core for 4 months now. Been riding since Dec 2017.
Started at 97.5kg, now at 93kg. Weight goal is 84kg. First tested this year around 200FTP.
Now at about 215. Not much improvement.
However, the workouts seem to be getting easier. Workout or ride every other day, but nothing
like some I read about on this list! Usually 15 miles.
Just did BRAG (bike ride across Georgia) First day 73 miles right over Burnt mountain. New PR for distance for me. Longest day was 86 miles, another new PR. This year, I was able to keep going without stopping, except for traffic lights or official rest stops.
Just ordered a new Cannondale Synapse carbon disk. I could not believe the difference in the rolling resistance and dampening effects of the carbon. It was noticeable…goodbye my old 2004 700R!
I will say that if you are older, you have to keep at it, no long layoffs!
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Wow, that is super strong. 
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Turning 60 in a month. Did TR for a few months last winter and then spent time outdoors.
In Sept my FTP was 199 and I was disappointed. Hired a CTS coach and as of Dec I’m up to 236.
I’m 213 or about 97 kg so power to weight is 2.45. I will never be a racer but I want to complete Colorado’s Triple By-Pass, hope to get to 2.75 by next summer. Setting big goals and working toward them is fun, even if I will be on the slower ones.
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Age 79. Don’t worry too much about FTP beyond doing a test and then feed the model. Use WKO. It gives a good mFTP (modeled FTP) based on what you do. My FTP is a paltry 202 right now but that is/was enough for Silver at Track Nationals in my endurance event. FTP just keeps you honest and allows you to build workouts to accomplish workout goals. FTP is a tool not a goal in and of itself, unless you want it to be. Caveat: JMO.
And keep riding and go hard on intervals. Max efforts will keep you in the game.
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Crikey! I feel young on this thread at a mere 60 
To quote Joe Friel: “Age is only a problem if you use it as an excuse.”
As above FTP in Trainerroad terms is just a number to align the workouts correctly. Don’t sweat about it, reserve that for the workouts. From the linked thread about the Bell Curve it seems there’s a consistent drop in FTP as we age, a result of decreasing muscle mass amongst other factors. A lot will depend on your genetics, your exercise history, etc., etc. I need to read “Fast after Fifty” again, in it he looks at longitudinal studies, i.e. looking at the same subjects year after year rather than a random snapshot, and a lot of the figures are based on data taken prior to the exercise boom. The thought is that the year on year decline will still be there but the absolute values will be higher, i.e. you’ve got more to lose, so a sixty year old now will have the same figures as say a fifty year old twenty years ago.
@PusherMan - I think Chad talked about muscle memory having a half life of fifteen years or so. Basically it isn’t as simple as “use it or lose it” but more “if you’ve had it then it’s a lot easier to get it back” .
I’m 86kg, 1.8m (5’ 11") and my FTP is currently 242W or 2.81W/kg. First target is 3W/kg so at current weight that’s 258W but ultimately I’d like to get to 3.5W/kg which I think is a tough target but achievable especially with a bit of weight loss. Gotta have dreams! Also since I suspect I underperform on the Ramp Test given how subsequent workouts feel - I could set my FTP 10W higher and still be comfortable at whatever level in the workouts. That’s another point - don’t assume the Ramp Test (or any other) is a best fit for you, use your experience in the workouts to modify things as you see fit.
As you get older you’ll need more recovery, look at the Low Volume plans and after a few months if you’ve handled those OK, then add a workout or two.
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Just finding this thread. I’m 67, still employed fulltime, and my FTP has hovered around 215 (give or take a few) for the last two years. After losing 20 lbs in 2017, I’ve added some back and now at 195 lbs/88.5kg. After a big improvement in 2018, my 2019 mileage declined to 2,800 miles (down from 4,500 in '18.) In July 2018, a car pulled in front of me at mile 97 of an imperial century (and on a PR pace at that!), cracking my bike and couple of ribs. Still trying to regain conditioning after more than month off. I’ve got a Kickr with the Inside Ride’s E-flex base (fantastic for longer indoor rides InsideRide KICKR E-Flex Motion System // How it works, ride feel - YouTube) and plan to see how much stronger (and lighter) I can get by Spring. I can keep up with lots of guys 30 years younger than me, except on hills >5%. I had a CT heart scan last year, which showed partial blockage of my “widowmaker” artery, but I passed a nuclear stress test with flying colors and have no limits from my cardiologist. My HR maxes out about 168.
I think the larger issue is not a “realistic FTP” but the desire and satisfaction of still trying to improve our performance and fitness at an age eligible for Social Security and Medicare! So far, I have always felt that I had the potential to improve if I improve my training and nutrition. Realistically, I know there will come a point soon (maybe now?) that I will no longer be able to get better or faster. So be it. I will still keep going, enjoying the ride. But I’m not giving up yet!
PS. I’d like to see forum subset for cyclists over 60. Is that possible or does it maybe already exist? I don’t hang around the forum too much.
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Inspiring. Some strong grandpas on the road.
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Me too. 
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I was about to ask whether there was anybody here who had trained fairly consistently through their 40s, 50s, 60s and was able to give insight into how their FTP had changed through those decades. Then realised that it’s probably highly unlikely anybody has that data given how uncommon PMs were even 10 years ago!
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FFT Rank My Watts as a Cyclist! [Quick link: fft.tips/rankme] - Google Sheets will give you your exact percentage at any age from a panel of about 5000 cyclists with power meters. bw alex
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I’ll be 55 this year and have an ftp of 210. I’ve not done any real structured training yet so am looking forward to trying out TR. I have a 65 mile sportive in 16 weeks time so hoping my ftp will increase over this time period. I weight 86kg so not a great watts/kg at the moment.
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excellent - thanks 
you are most welcome!
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I can give you my N=1. I raced on and off from my early 40’s through to my mid 50’s. In the latter part of that I had a Computrainer, and then an SRM. I ended up with an FTP around 230 watts, just over 3 watts/kg. I stopped riding altogether from 2011 to 2018. My last ramp test- today, is 186, down 2 watts from earlier this fall. I’m currently 65.
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I started a separate thread for over 60 cyclists using TR if you’d like to participate.
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