Hi Triathletes!
I googled tips and tricks to keep a tri top from riding up and I found this forum. Unfortunately, that thread (from 2013) was full of more frustrated athletes and the best suggestions were to try different brands or sizes. A few suggestions included safety pinning the top to the shorts and I have done that but it was not ideal for me - I had a handful of reasons that I needed to take the pins out and re-do it before a race.
I went back to the drawing board and found the answer! Install a drawstring inside the bottom hem of your tank! This saves you from buying a new top.
Grab your favorite tri top that rides up and look at the hem along the bottom.
Verify that the hem is a full open loop all around by rolling the fabric between your fingers whoever you see seams. If it is, you're in luck. If you have any tri shorts with a drawstring, you are recreating it exactly so you probably don't need the instructions below.
For those of you who could use some help, here are instructions. This is a very easy task and can be done in about 10 minutes if you have a random shoelace in the house.
What you'll need:
1) String with some stretch that is about 8 to 10 inches longer than the size of your waist. If you use fast bungee laces, the factory laces from your running shoes could work for most athletes.
2) Hard straw or safety pin to thread the string through
3) Scissors or a very sharp knife like a razor blade to cut slits for the string
4) Favorite tri tank that rides up
5) Optional: a pinch-type fastener that comes on the ends of hoodie strings or stuff sacks
6) Optional: sewing needle and thread OR lighter to seal the slit hole edges like burning the end of a frayed rope (I didn't and it works fine)
Instructions:
1) Create two small slits in the tank about 1 to 2 inches apart right in the front center of the tank on the INSIDE of the hem. Doing one big slit may cause it to expand as you draw the strings tight. Doing two slits lets you draw the strings towards each other and it does not stress the fabric around the slits. The slits should be small - about a 1/4 inch.
2) Using a hard straw, thread the straw with the string. Raw spaghetti noodles can be used to push the string through the straw. Once you get it through, tie a knot to keep the string inside the straw. Feed the straw through the tank and work it all the way around then pop it out the other hole in the front. Remove the straw. Tie the strings together. Bam. Done.
OR Using a safety pin, pin the end of the string. Feed the safety pin into a slit then work it through the hem to the other side.
3) At this point, you have options. You can tie a knot to keep the strings together then re-tie each time you put it on (this is what I do). Another option is to use the pinch-fastener to keep them together - you can use one or two. Find what works for you.
4) How it works: For those with love handles, you will be happy for the extra padding. Situate your top and tighten the string below the extra curve that your love handles give you. For some, this is enough to keep the shirt down (I'm one of those people). If you do not have love handles or protruding hip bones providing ledges to keep the tank down with the drawstring, sew a few buttons around your shorts (maybe two or four?) to act as a ledge for the string to get "caught" on. You will have to figure out how big of buttons and how many. Make sure the location of the buttons is appropriate with where you want your top to be parked and your running movements.
I hope this helps another athlete save gobs of money from buying another tank that won't work!
I googled tips and tricks to keep a tri top from riding up and I found this forum. Unfortunately, that thread (from 2013) was full of more frustrated athletes and the best suggestions were to try different brands or sizes. A few suggestions included safety pinning the top to the shorts and I have done that but it was not ideal for me - I had a handful of reasons that I needed to take the pins out and re-do it before a race.
I went back to the drawing board and found the answer! Install a drawstring inside the bottom hem of your tank! This saves you from buying a new top.
Grab your favorite tri top that rides up and look at the hem along the bottom.
Verify that the hem is a full open loop all around by rolling the fabric between your fingers whoever you see seams. If it is, you're in luck. If you have any tri shorts with a drawstring, you are recreating it exactly so you probably don't need the instructions below.
For those of you who could use some help, here are instructions. This is a very easy task and can be done in about 10 minutes if you have a random shoelace in the house.
What you'll need:
1) String with some stretch that is about 8 to 10 inches longer than the size of your waist. If you use fast bungee laces, the factory laces from your running shoes could work for most athletes.
2) Hard straw or safety pin to thread the string through
3) Scissors or a very sharp knife like a razor blade to cut slits for the string
4) Favorite tri tank that rides up
5) Optional: a pinch-type fastener that comes on the ends of hoodie strings or stuff sacks
6) Optional: sewing needle and thread OR lighter to seal the slit hole edges like burning the end of a frayed rope (I didn't and it works fine)
Instructions:
1) Create two small slits in the tank about 1 to 2 inches apart right in the front center of the tank on the INSIDE of the hem. Doing one big slit may cause it to expand as you draw the strings tight. Doing two slits lets you draw the strings towards each other and it does not stress the fabric around the slits. The slits should be small - about a 1/4 inch.
2) Using a hard straw, thread the straw with the string. Raw spaghetti noodles can be used to push the string through the straw. Once you get it through, tie a knot to keep the string inside the straw. Feed the straw through the tank and work it all the way around then pop it out the other hole in the front. Remove the straw. Tie the strings together. Bam. Done.
OR Using a safety pin, pin the end of the string. Feed the safety pin into a slit then work it through the hem to the other side.
3) At this point, you have options. You can tie a knot to keep the strings together then re-tie each time you put it on (this is what I do). Another option is to use the pinch-fastener to keep them together - you can use one or two. Find what works for you.
4) How it works: For those with love handles, you will be happy for the extra padding. Situate your top and tighten the string below the extra curve that your love handles give you. For some, this is enough to keep the shirt down (I'm one of those people). If you do not have love handles or protruding hip bones providing ledges to keep the tank down with the drawstring, sew a few buttons around your shorts (maybe two or four?) to act as a ledge for the string to get "caught" on. You will have to figure out how big of buttons and how many. Make sure the location of the buttons is appropriate with where you want your top to be parked and your running movements.
I hope this helps another athlete save gobs of money from buying another tank that won't work!