I am looking for a new tri suit for this season and I am wondering if it is worth buying a top-end suit vs. a standard sleeved suit.
There are a few experts on her that do a lot of testing. What is the kind of CdA saving you see from top-end suits relative to standard sleeved suits?
Since I will not be able to test multiple suits against each other before purchase I will have to pick a “reputable brand” that I think will deliver the aero goodness. Is the aero benefits very individual or is a fast suit faster on most people? What is the chance that I get a decent CdA benefit from a top-end suit rather than just ending up with an over-priced suit that is not faster than the “run-of-the-mill” suit for half the price?
Anyone willing to short list the brands that are more likely to to be fast(er) without doing any pre-testing?
However, you need to be fitting these well. It makes no sense to have a trusuit so small, that it restricts breathing and blood flow. Contrary, it makes no sense to have an expensive high-end suit with flapping arm sleeves.
As to aero savings, definitely more than any wheels. More than one tri bike vs another tri bike (assuming same position). More than one aero helmet vs another aero helmet.
Partly it’s going to depend upon how well each fits you. Suits are very individualistic. Suit A could be 4w faster for me and 9w faster for you. Suit B could be 3w slower for me than A but 3w faster for you. Fit, and it can not be said enough, is extremely important.
Suits and helmets are very important in reducing drag and both are very, very individualistic.
In some brands it could be 1-2w & in some brands it could be 5-9w.
IMO HUUB is one of the brands that is crushing it in triathlon right now. While maybe not the fastest suit for everyone it has tested well on everyone I’ve tested the Anemoi on.
Zoot has done well, Kiwami.
A lot of suits test within a 2-4 range.
Anyway I know that doesn’t answer which suit, yet I hope that gives you some things to think about