Stop the presses! Find some super on-sale tri shorts that have a pad for cycling that won’t absorb water on the swim and wear them under your wetsuit, with either your fave sports bra or that and a “tri top”- the top is optional, you can throw on any top you want to bike in and run in. I strongly urge NOT WEARING UNDERWEAR— it is a recipe for chafey chafey chafing. A regular swimsuit is also a recipe for chafing. Tri shorts are your pal, plus tons of “Body Glide”.
Have fun!!

Underwear?

This is a good question for The Womens forum where you get threads like this

female here. As far as underwear goes.....DO NOT wear any on the bottom. Just wear tri shorts or a tri suit.

Up top, you can wear a sports bra under your tri top or tri suit for the swim bike and run. It will dry pretty fast. No need to change.

I wouldn't recommend racing in a regular swimsuit. It just won't be comfortable.

Best of luck on your race!

This is a good question for any triathlon forum.

This one is entertaining.

https://forums.runnersworld.co.uk/...-in-your-lady-garden

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Deceptively slow.

Get a trisuit (or trishorts and a top). Wear this under the wetsuit, and for the bike and run (no underwear, they just cause chafing). Depending on your build and the support in the trisuit (some have a shelf bra), you may want a sports bra underneath.

I've seen some first timers use a swimsuit and then pull on some running shorts and a top (for modesty). This is both slower (lots of flapping fabric on the bike), and much less comfortable to ride in.

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Of course it is. But as it was the OPs first post here, she might not be aware that SlowTwitch has a subforum that was created at the request of the women members to answer female specific triathlon questions. That forum typically provides higher quality responses than male centric replies like “why wear underwear at all?”

Welcome! :) It's been said already, but bears repeating - don't wear underwear. You can theoretically do a whole triathlon in nothing but a swimsuit, but I never have and wouldn't recommend trying. Find a pair of tri shorts and tri top (or a one-piece suit, which I prefer) that fits snugly. If you need extra support up top, wear a sports bra underneath - choose one without any padding in it, or it'll hold the water after the swim. Apply chamois cream to the lady bits and body glide anywhere else you think you might chafe. And above all, enjoy! Best of luck, you'll have a great time and get hooked on it like the rest of us.

Agreed

"why wear underwear at all" is not a male-centric reply.. It's the reply of most/all triathletes. We go commando, period.

I think the idea of a womens forum is nice but that page doesn't get many eyeballs compared to the main page. I love it that someone posted a question about their undies on the main page. There was recently a post from a man about his undies and/or his nards and how to best protect them from the environment and no one clutched their pearls. Let's mix it up, people.

I agree with this :)

OP - you've got a few options... depending on how much time you want to save in transition. I've seen ladies (as well as men) change out of their swimsuits and into their cycling / running clothes with underwear / sports bra (obviously behind a towel or in a portaloo) which is perfectly fine if that's what you're comfortable with, and if you're not fussed about losing time. The other option is a trisuit or tri shorts and top that you can wear for all 3 legs, though can be quite expensive and depending on where you live.. may not be easy to find and try. The other option is to wear a two piece sporty swimsuit ... it's not something you'd find in a Victoria's Secret swimsuit catalog but Speedo, O'Neill and other swimwear and surf brands have this. With any option, train with it and you'll notice where chafing can happen... prepare and vaseline or bodyglide these spots on race day. Also, chest size is going to affect your options.. you may not have a choice but to wear a sports bra if you are a bit bigger on top. Honestly I wouldn't recommend investing in any expensive clothing or equipment unless you know you're addicted (as many of us on here are ;)

There is nothing "male centric" at all in that reply. Its triathlon centric and wearing underwear is a bad idea unless you like pain.

It is number one here..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXieV-UF-Ow

….and number nine here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWC66VYDC7Q

Lots of other good tips for beginners as well..


I'll let the others debate about how horrible we men on Slowtwitch are.. :-)

isn't a sports bra considered to be underwear?

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