ggeiger wrote:
HuffNPuff wrote:
stevej wrote:
HuffNPuff wrote:
DFW_Tri wrote:
The only issue I have with Kiwami is the material (at least on the LD1 and WS1) is not particularly good in the heat. If heat control isn’t a major issue for you then it is certainly worth considering. I still really like and use WS1 for shorter non wetsuit races and its great.
So what sleeved one piece suits are good in the heat and have tested well for drag?
Garneau
That's interesting because I have both the Garneau M2 and Kiwami LD1 and consider the Garneau to be less comfortable in the heat. Since DFW Tri is the one alleging that Kiwami is not good in the heat, I hope to hear what he thinks is ... and why.
Agreed. Having used my Spiders in 92 and above heat and feeling fine, I tend to feel that statement may not be factual. In fact, the newer Spiders have an ice pocket in the back of the neck.
In 2018 I trained and raced two 70.3's and a full 140.6 in the Spider LD Aero. Like DFW_Tri I'm a larger triathlete and heat management is very important. I can overheat on a rainy, 70 degree day. I've trained and raced in a lot of different tri suits and the Kiwami LD Aero fits extremely well with zero wrinkling around the shoulders in aero, and the mid-torso and upper leg compression is the best bar-none. The water repellency of the suit is exceptional. Kiwami's customer service is also top-notch and super-responsive. But unfortunately unless it's a cool to cold race, I just plain overheat in this suit and quick. I realize the new LD Aero 2 is more breathable due to "airfluence" material on the arms, upper shoulders and upper back, and I haven't tried it out yet; but, if the main front panel on the torso is the same, it's just too thick and hot for me. The ice pockets are another issue that actually add to the problem, for me. The neck ice pocket is nine inches across on the bottom, 4 inches in width, and the top opening that ice is supposed to enter is 3 inches across. As an athlete who overheats easily, the last thing I want and need extra layers of material. And In none of my races have I ever been able to throw ice behind my back, and have it land in that 3" hole. Just my experience. The two ice pockets on the lower torso part of the kit measure 6" across by 3" deep. In total between all 3 pockets this is a lot of extra material on me that decreases the breathability of the suit, and ice in these lower pockets sitting against my insulated love handles does little for cooling. If I were a leaner body type and did not continually suffer overheating issues, I would very well love these pockets for storage or ice.
This past weekend I raced Eagleman in the Zoot Ultra Tri SS Aero suit and I was blissfully cool. Yes it was an overcast, rainy cool day but I still have overheated in those type of conditions. Crazy, I know, but that's just me. (I'm the only guy at a January 30 degrees, 10-mile road race wearing a tank top with a giant V-shape of sweat at mile 3 in the race photos.) I've also trained with the Zoot Ultra in warmer, humid sunny conditions and the carbon material breathes like none other I've tried. I'm not sure how aerodynamic the suit is, but I went 2:27 for 56 miles on 231W this past weekend.
Unfortunately the Zoot Tri SS doesn't provide very good, if any leg compression (the thigh cuffs are loose and floppy after just a few uses). I wish I could find a sleeved suit with the compression of the Kiwami and the breathability of the Zoot.
I've also use the DeSoto Riviera tri suit which is an "okay" compromise as it's more breathable than Kiwami and more compressive than the Zoot; but I'm still hunting for something that fits me better. The DeSoto shoulders wrinkle like crazy on me and the shorts constantly ride up my thighs. I've also used the 2XU X-vent which breathes and cools very well - love that about the suit; but the compression is almost non-existent so I use it strictly for training.
I'm leaning toward trying a Roka Aero II. I was considering the Castelli All Out Speed Suit, but on their own website that say: "I
t's not the most flexible for the swim, nor the coolest in the run." So there goes trying that suit.