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New kit recommendations
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Good morning(ish)

I need to get a new racing kit this year. Guys seem to have a lot of good and fast options these days and I am feeling left out. I am looking for a kit that is both fast and supportive.

I am an entry level pro and I have been racing in the BlueSeventy TX3000 one piece for the last two years. The suit is great. It feels fast in the water, on the bike, and on the run. I have worn it alone in shorter races and in conjunction with a swim skin in later races. The problem is that is has very little support and no pockets. I end up stuffing gels and salt tablets anywhere I can which is usually down the front in my cleavage. Which brings me to my boobs. I have set despite being fairly lean. I am looking to try something new this year that maybe offers a little more support and at least one pocket. Last year I purchased a two piece Pearl Izumi P.R.O. In-R-cool kit but because of the dimpling the sponsors I had printed on it just did not come out well. i know there are some new women specific companies out there but I was wondering if anyone has had experience with a kit or combination of kit pieces that felt fast, comfortable, and supportive?
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Re: New kit recommendations [trikitten] [ In reply to ]
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I've tried a ton of different options over the past few years but my favorites as far as women's specific kits are Coeur Sports, SOAS, and Betty Designs. The Betty Designs material feels super slick, it's thinner but no issues with seeing through, and it feels fast in the water and she does do custom designs, which may work well if you need to add sponsor logos, not sure the cost it though but something to look into. I don't have much up top (aero boobs) so I don't require much support there. Coeur & SOAS provide more top support if that's what you are needing and they both have a great felt chamois. Coeur's chamois runs all the way down the inside of both legs of the shorts so no chafing issues at all and both have a wide yoga band type top. Last year I did IM Lake Placid in a Louis Garneau custom kit - Women's Elite Pro Short & Women's Performance Delfino Tank - both are very good quality, have held up well, and no issues at all when using it for multiple races, distances, conditions.


Elisha
"Triathlon doesn't build character. It reveals it."
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Re: New kit recommendations [trikitten] [ In reply to ]
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I might be built similarly...pretty lean and small frame, 5'6" and generally wear an XS. But I'm a 32D (thanks, mom!)

I've never had any luck with "supportive" coming from my kit, so I've always worn my own sports bra. The sad thing is that I generally end up cutting out any built-in bras, since they tend to cover about half of my boobs. However, in sampling kits for my tri team this year, I was really happy with the fit of the Castelli Free kit. It accommodated my bust extremely well, had good length, and I really liked how it fit around the arms. The pockets were also awesome and not halfway up my back in a size XS, so I wasn't in danger of dislocating my shoulder to remove anything from them.

The other brand that fits me well is De Soto. Nice length in the torso, again, and plenty of room for boobs. Very comfortable and lots of pockets.
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Re: New kit recommendations [f_ahsile04] [ In reply to ]
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Hi everyone. It's Charlotte with Coeur Sports. We're always super cautious that we don't get sideways with the rules of the board here ("no selling") but I hope it is ok to say that our Tri Tops do have a built in shelf bra. We designed for C cups and below. We also have a hassle-free, no questions return policy and free shipping in case you want to test out the gear. Thanks! http://www.coeursports.com/collections/triathlon

Oh...and we do think our seam-free chamois on the tri shorts is the only one of its kind in the market.
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Re: New kit recommendations [trikitten] [ In reply to ]
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FWIW even though i'm a card-carrying member of teh ITBC i wear a sports bra with all tops. just like to have the girls with no movement.

http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit


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Re: New kit recommendations [Charlotte] [ In reply to ]
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i was just about to pooh-pooh Couer (sp?) but followed your link and YAY! you guys got color!!!! the only reason i haven't tried your stuff is because i find it "boring". :) now no excuses. :)

http://harvestmoon6.blogspot.com
https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/katasmit


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Re: New kit recommendations [katcycles] [ In reply to ]
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I have liked Castelli's stuff but I never understood why they made a white top with no bra shelf whatsoever. I guess they expect ladies to wear the support of their choice? I have looked around for swimable bra tops but I feel this area is seriously lacking in women's triathlon apparel.
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Re: New kit recommendations [f_ahsile04] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the feedback. I sent an email to Betty designs but have yet to receive a response.

I have never heard of a chamois running down the inside of the thighs. Does it feel funny when you run?
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Re: New kit recommendations [Charlotte] [ In reply to ]
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Charlotte, thanks for the feedback and I would love to check out your stuff. I like the idea of a wide waistband and a supportive top. I have one question for Coeur, why are the shorts all short? Wouldn't women benefit from the compression and aerodynamics of a longer short (as men do)?
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Re: New kit recommendations [trikitten] [ In reply to ]
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trikitten wrote:
I have liked Castelli's stuff but I never understood why they made a white top with no bra shelf whatsoever. I guess they expect ladies to wear the support of their choice? I have looked around for swimable bra tops but I feel this area is seriously lacking in women's triathlon apparel.


I wouldn't disagree. I have some moving comfort bras that are pretty awesome and don't chafe, irritate, or seem to get in the way when swimming, so I just make do.

I'm also with you on the short-shorts. I prefer a longer inseam for all the reasons you gave.

As a side note to Charlotte, I would seriously loooove if someone would make a tri top with enough support for a D cup.
Last edited by: katcycles: Feb 23, 15 13:03
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Re: New kit recommendations [trikitten] [ In reply to ]
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I'ma HUGE fan of Smashfest Queen. Snagged a kit last year before IMCHOO & because of timing didn't have a chance to really do much other than try it on prior to the race. Even though that's a HUGE nono, it worked out just fine for me. I don't think I felt the need for more support under it - I'm a 36C (& not so lean..) but didn't have any problems. I spent a ton of time last year looking for shorts with no seam on the chamois (it's great to have that seamless pad but if there's a seam sitting on the outside of it then what's the point?!) but wound up with the Smash gear anyway & seriously had little to no issues at all.

As someone who tends to like my shorts on the shorter side, these were almost a smidge long for me but again, wound up not being an issue. Material is high quality, didn't stretch out on me over the course of the day, stayed nice & compressive & comfortable. It's even light colored & held up well over the day!

Hilary Biscay started the line looking for something she wanted to race in. I had exchanged emails with her directly after emailing the company while on seam-quest. Boyfriend surprised me with the kit & had been working directly with her to get it delivered in time for the race. Dealing directly with the pro who started the line, who searched through the entire stock looking for something for him/me, sealed the deal for me. I'm definitely a fan.

Just another name in the hat worth considering.

AW
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Re: New kit recommendations [katcycles] [ In reply to ]
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Interestingly, we've found the in-seam length to be perhaps the most debated feature of women's tri shorts. We tested 5", 6" and 7" in-seams during development and roughly 65% of the testers preferred the 5", about 25% liked the 7" and a few wanted 6". There were also a few who basically wanted hot shorts too (something like a 4" in-seam) but we were just too modest to even make a sample garment for that length. The most common feedback was that the 5" with a wider leg hole, hit a good spot on the leg and actually appeared longer once they were on.

That being said, we understood the need for a longer length, so our cycling shorts (coming out in early March) will have a 7" in-seam. By the way, we have to second the comment about Hillary. We've known her for a while and think she's amazing! For that matter, so is Kristin at Brand Betty!

Oh...and here's a video that shows what the 5" in-seam looks like. Elizabeth is a local triathlete and we give all of her measurements. http://www.coeursports.com/pages/sizing
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Re: New kit recommendations [kathy_caribe] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks Kathy! Glad you liked it and we hope you have a great 2015 season!
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Re: New kit recommendations [trikitten] [ In reply to ]
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Hi. It's Charlotte again. I'm pretty sure we're supposed to avoid doing anything that can be construed as "selling" on the forum board here, so I hope it's ok to respond. On the chamois, the feedback we've received has been universally positive. Before we launched, one of the founders (Hailey) tested the shorts in Kona during Ironman Hawaii. She loved them and gave them the thumbs up. Since then, our customers and ambassadors have done dozens and dozens of Ironman races and have all raved about the design. We suspect other companies will come out with the same thing before long but it is a more expensive sewing technique, so that may complicate things. Ok, I'll be quiet now!
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Re: New kit recommendations [Charlotte] [ In reply to ]
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As a shorter person (5'3") I love the 5" inseam. Wish I could find running skorts with that short length but tend to find longer (which looks terrible on my leg length) or ultra short that provides no thigh protection.

The real purpose of my reply is to say I'm surprised that short length is the most debated topic. I would have guessed it to be about "support". My 2 cents, take all "support" out. I've never found a top with included bra to fit correctly and it pains me to cut the extra fabric out of a >$80 piece of kit. All I've seen is a wimpy/non-useful band of fabric sometimes with a tighter than heck elastic band that fits across the bottom of my rib cage. Don't know if I've selected manufacturers that are looking to stow C or D's with no actual support or women with sagging to the waist, but the simple answer is to ditch this and let me choose my own bra. Wearing 2 (if I don't cut the pre-fab one out) is extremely uncomfortable.

To breathe, to feel, to know I'm alive.
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Re: New kit recommendations [trikitten] [ In reply to ]
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I believe someone already recommended Coeur kits, which I will second. The new line this year has AMAZING fabric, the tops feel a bit longer so little chance of that lovely burn line and the seamless chamois is a game changer for real.
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Re: New kit recommendations [lovebonovox] [ In reply to ]
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Thank you soo much for the nice comments! Charlotte from Coeur
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Re: New kit recommendations [Charlotte] [ In reply to ]
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I actually went specifically looking for your shorts as I wanted to try out your fleece pad with no seam. Loved the pad! Hated the length (bought the top, I love the feel of the fabric). When you have a longer short, I'll be sold. The issue is where they cinch at the bottom of the leg in I look like a sausage and the part of my thighs below the short would rub together when I ran, no bueno!
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