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Cold Weather Tri
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I've got a Tri tomorrow and the weather is looking very, very cold (at least by South Florida standards). It will be 45 degrees at the start (with a feels like temp of 39). Water temp is a chilly 60. I've never raced in anything close to this. I'll obviously be in a wet suit for the swim. I've heard breathing in cold water is difficult. I'm thinking of a jacket for the ride. By the run it should be in the 50s, which I find to be a good running temp.

Any suggested cycling gear is welcome, as well as any tips for what to expect in the cold water.
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Re: Cold Weather Tri [Celerius] [ In reply to ]
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No good advise. Wear your wetsuit on the bike. Be that guy. Have fun.
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Re: Cold Weather Tri [Celerius] [ In reply to ]
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I would maybe put toe covers over your cycling shoes ahead of time (close up the venting so to say). Same with helmet vents; tape over at least a few. Legs should be fine once to get them spinning. Maybe something for the hands that you could throw away at a bike aid station if you no longer need them.
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Re: Cold Weather Tri [Celerius] [ In reply to ]
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For the swim, if it's really cold in the water (14C or below), put cotton in your ears, put a neoprene cap on (with earflaps), put a silicone cap over that. Keeping the cold water (at least mostly) out of your ears will help a lot. Make sure you get your face in the water before the swim start goes off. For the bike, wear a close-fitting jacket if you really think you'll be cold -- gloves if it's cold enough for your hands to get numb. You can put toe covers over your bike shoes ahead of time. Personally, I typically warm right up on the bike even if the air temp is quite cold.
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Re: Cold Weather Tri [Celerius] [ In reply to ]
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This reminds me of Santa Cruz a few years back. 58 Water / low 50s and wind for the bike. I'd avoid ice in your bottles and would wear two tri-suits (i.e., doubling up). Getting the wetsuit off will be one of the tougher things in those temps - numb hands make it super difficult!
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Re: Cold Weather Tri [Celerius] [ In reply to ]
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When I did IMFL in 2014 I wore a vest made out of a 10 gal kitchen garbage bag under by kit. No aero penalty, blocks the wind and keeps your core warm. If you get hot you just rip it off and throw it at an aid station.... Toe warmers, gloves and a skull cap are also pretty quick to put on in T1. You can also tape the helmet vents. For a sprint I would consider keeping the wetsuit on :)
Last edited by: sp1ke: Jan 6, 18 21:06
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Re: Cold Weather Tri [Celerius] [ In reply to ]
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Out of idle curiosity, what did you wear during the race and how did you do? I raced the sprint. I was very concerned about the cold but I ended up still opting for a fairly minimalist outfit. I wore tri shorts, a technical tank top and shoes sans socks or toe warmers. The only thing I did was, after a short practice swim Saturday and the blast of cold that hit me when I took of my wetsuit at the beach, stop by the Trek Store near the race site and buy a pair of gloves and arm warmers. I put on them on in T1, which was not easy, and wore them during the bike. I took them off for the run. My feet were numb before the swim and only got worse. They didn't thaw out until two miles into the run. I was concerned I was doing my feet some damage but in the end, everything was fine. I actually enjoyed the race. It was at times uncomfortable but all in all, it wasn't that bad. It's the first race I've ever done in which I didn't break a sweat.

RP
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Re: Cold Weather Tri [Celerius] [ In reply to ]
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Being from Minnesota that is great weather for a May/June Triathlon! I typically find that I still get warm in my wetsuit in 60 degree water once I get moving. A good warm up will be a must. If you are not used to cold weather you may want to throw on a jacket for the bike but be ready to drop it at an aide station. Gloves are a must as your hands will be exposed to the wind and wind chill will occur making it much colder than the air temp on them. A skull cap under you bike helmet works great to keep the wind off your ears and very little aero penalty, and you can leave it on for the run to if the weather does not warm up to you liking. The cold weather may cause you to sweat less but you still need to hydrate even though you may not feel as thirsty. Same for nutrition.
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