Hey all, I’m getting ready for my first 70.3 in a couple of weeks, after years of Sprint/ Olys. I have no problem with “normal” tri suits in those races, because they are fairly short. I’m wondering if anyone has any recs for better suits/ padding of the perineum for long course events. Do you just use the regular tri suit? Have particular brands with more padding? Change on the fly? Just wanted some insights
For me I had to go to a split type seat (Adamo or Cobb / etc). That was my only solution.
yeah, same tri shorts, but I’m much happier on my ISM. Really not complaints.
Thin pad so there is less material pushing up on your soft tissue.
jaretj
I just use my regular tri shorts for all distances. If you train in them for the long rides, you will get used to them. Sure the first few times you ride 50+ miles on a thin chamois it won’t be pleasant, but it really won’t take long before your undercarriage is “broken in” to the point where any length ride is OK. That being said, a good chamois cream does wonders for keeping things from chafing and aching. During a race I have no shame in T1 and will just jam my hand down the front of my shorts and slather on Assos. (At least for half or full. I don’t bother in shorter races)
I’ll chime in with the similar answer, look to change the saddle not the shorts. I went from a stock Fizik to Cobb V-flow Plus to finally the ISM TT. No undercarriage issues at all any more, except when I ride too much(is there such a thing?) like 200+ miles a week and I get ingrown hairs.
Since you are only a couple of weeks out from your 70.3, now is probably not the time to make any drastic changes, so I would just stick with what you have now.
As others have stated, you don’t necessarily want more padding. More padding will potentially create more soft tissue issues because of the added thickness and softness - chafing, saddle sores, and genital numbness caused by more soft tissue pressure. I see it all the time with customers who will come in for a fit in their tri kit, do a 100+ mile ride in cycling shorts with a thicker chamois, and then wonder why they have saddle sores.
Look to keep it thin, and look at your saddle for the solution. Maybe try adjusting yours to get yourself on the sit bones better, or look at something different. If you have a local bike shop that has some demo saddles you can rent, give that a try.
I’ve found the longer the rides the less padding I want.
Centuries, IMs and HIMs are all in tri shorts and the Felt stock seat that came with the B12. Train with what’s on the bike and there’s no issue.
Hey all, I’m getting ready for my first 70.3 in a couple of weeks, after years of Sprint/ Olys. I have no problem with “normal” tri suits in those races, because they are fairly short. I’m wondering if anyone has any recs for better suits/ padding of the perineum for long course events. Do you just use the regular tri suit? Have particular brands with more padding? Change on the fly? Just wanted some insights
I have done 3+ hours on the Sugoi RS kit which has practically zero padding and the DeSoto Riviera which has a somewhat larger insert. Both are OK, keep in mind the insert is not there to protect your a$$ from hurting, it is there to help avoid hotspots. A properly fitting saddle (in my case a Specialized Romin Evo) is really what you need. Don’t just buy a saddle and take it for a whirl, go to a shop and have it fitted. They come in different sizes and at the very minimum they should measure your butt bones which will help get you the right size. Overly padded shorts are annoying to run in, so my preference is to have as little insert as possible to get the job done.
Thanks for the responses. Just to be clear, I already have the ISM Road saddle I’ve been using all year. I was just trying to see if there were any great strategies people had besides the seat and usual tri shorts. Thanks for all the info!
Less is more for me when it comes to padding. I just use the thin fleece pad for both my tri and road bikes. Bike shorts and me don’t go well together.
I’d also add I think deforestation of the land down under and lots of butt butter helps.
In my early triathlon days, I had undercarriage issues galore! Finally found a magic combo- Cobb V Flow Max saddle plus DeSoto Riviera Tri Shorts. They have a decent enough pad on them to cushion you for the bike, but not so thick that you can’t run in them.