Drop raw ride files from any bike computer. Inspect elevation profiles, grade-by-grade climb breakdowns, VAM vertical speed, and pacing numbers.
Supports .FIT, .GPX, and .TCX from Garmin, Wahoo, Tacx, Hammerhead, and Strava.
First popularized by cycling coach Dr. Michele Ferrari, VAM measures vertical elevation gain in meters per hour (m/h). Unlike average speed—which varies wildly with wind and road curves—VAM isolates climbing efficiency.
A recreationally fit climber maintains 600–800 m/h on a 7% grade. Elite amateur racers climb at 1,000–1,300 m/h, while Grand Tour peloton leaders push past 1,500–1,800 m/h on hors-catégorie alpine cols.
A hilly 50-mile ride with lots of coasting on descents and 400W surges on steep pitches might show an average power of only 190 Watts. However, your body feels like it rode at 240 Watts.
WattsUP calculates Normalized Power (NP) using a physiological weighting algorithm. This provides an accurate measure of metabolic strain, calculating your true Training Stress Score (TSS) and Intensity Factor (IF).
Exporting your rides from Garmin Connect, Wahoo ELEMNT, or Strava? WattsUP automatically parses timestamps and GPS track points to deduplicate overlapping records.
Your data stays in your personal Route Book—no ads, no algorithmic feeds, and no social pressure. Export clean FIT and GPX records back to your hard drive at any time.
Standard ride trackers flatten hills into generic averages. WattsUP segments sustained climbs and color-codes steep ramps:
Any device that produces .FIT, .GPX, or .TCX files is 100% compatible. This includes all Garmin Edge and Forerunner models, Wahoo ELEMNT and BOLT, Hammerhead Karoo, Bryton, Stages, Coros, and Apple Watch exports.
No. While power meters provide exact wattage and Normalized Power, WattsUP calculates elevation profiles, grade percentages, climb categories, and VAM from barometric and GPS altitude coordinates even without a power meter.
WattsUP applies an intelligent moving-window smoothing filter that removes barometric drift and GPS elevation spikes without smoothing out legitimate steep grade changes or switchback ramps.