here are the USAT rules for wearing a wetsuit
sect 4.4 Wet suits.

Each age group participant shall be permitted to wear a wet suit without penalty in any event sanctioned by USA Triathlon up to and including a water temperature of 78 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water temperature is greater than 78 degrees, but less than 84 degrees Fahrenheit, age group participants may wear a wet suit at their own discretion, provided however that participants who wear a wet suit within this temperature range shall not be eligible for prizes or awards. Age group participants shall not wear wet suits in water temperatures equal to or greater than 84 degrees Fahrenheit. The wetsuit policy for elite athletes shall be determined by the USAT Athletes Advisory Council.

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"on your Left"

For tubulars the tube is actually sealed inside of the tire and you glue or tape the tire to the rim. For clinchers the tire and tube are separate and the tire relies on the pressure from the tube to press the bead against the rim. Most people tend to use clinchers for training since tublars are more expensive to replace than just a tube for a clincher. For a dedicated race wheel (which you probably don;t need since you're just getting started) tubulars are the way to go since they ride nicer and are lighter (usually).

Adam,

I, too, came from a swimming/water polo background. The run is by far my worst discipline now, but when I first started, the bike was pretty dismal too. A couple things:

1.) all that mass in your legs (from hours of eggbeater drills) really does not translate into efficiency on the bike... the power is there, you just need to recondition your legs to only move in two dimentions as opposed to three.

2.) Make sure you ride with people who know what they are doing. Prior to my first tri, I mostly rode alone, because I knew no one else who had a road bike (everyone else were MTB'ers). My ability increased exponentially when I started going on group rides with triathletes and roadies alike. Suck a lot of wheel (draft) when you are first starting out. Learn things like pedaling efficiency and how to climb properly. Proper gearing is also important.

3.) One thing none of us "fishes" want to hear is that you don't win a race on the swim. Being first out of the water feels great as you run up the beach, but if it saps your energy for everything else (bike specifically) then you may have been better served by taking it a little easier and having more juice on the bike. That was a tough lesson for me to learn.

Good Luck,

Woody

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Mike Hollywood
http://www.bostontriathlonteam.com
http://www.michaelhollywood.com