Anybody wear your bib numbers under your wetsuit? I was thinking if I do that I could tape down the back of the bib number to my rear and thus keep it from flapping on the bike. Not to mention this would save me one less complication during T1.
I have read somewhere that the numbers don’t survive we’ll on the swim.
After the bike, I could just peek up the tape while running and spin the belt around like usual.
Thoughts?
I have done this for the last three years (everything from Ironman to Sprints). I wear them under my wetsuit / speedsuit and have never had an issue. Same me a little time and one less thing to think about.
No need to tape down, when you are on the bike it is not an issue at all…
Check the rules for your event. I’ve been at some the expressly forbid you from wearing it under the wetsuit.
I have done this for the last three years (everything from Ironman to Sprints). I wear them under my wetsuit / speedsuit and have never had an issue. Same me a little time and one less thing to think about.
No need to tape down, when you are on the bike it is not an issue at all…
I was thinking more aero if it wasn’t flapping around.
Just use a second race belt for the bottom holes.
Check the rules for your event. I’ve been at some the expressly forbid you from wearing it under the wetsuit.
I did a race that had that rule. Think it was Timberman but I’m not sure. They said the reason it was prohibited was that the bibs would not survive well in the water. And upon inspection, they certanly weren’t very tough bibs. But I’ve done other races that used Tyvek bibs and had not problem with it.
I do this also. I just roll it around the race belt and unroll it when I need to. Does fine and it is one last thing to think about if you pushed it a bit much on a leg.
Check the rules for your event. I’ve been at some the expressly forbid you from wearing it under the wetsuit.
They can’t really tell you you can’t wear it, they can just tell you the thing will dissolve in water and that you have to have it on the bike/run course or else…
Just use your race belt like normal and put it under the wetsuit. Works great. Most races say not to but it’s not something they can enforce and I’ve never had a race number fall apart on me yet.
Anybody wear your bib numbers under your wetsuit? I was thinking if I do that I could tape down the back of the bib number to my rear and thus keep it from flapping on the bike. Not to mention this would save me one less complication during T1.
I have read somewhere that the numbers don’t survive we’ll on the swim.
After the bike, I could just peek up the tape while running and spin the belt around like usual.
Thoughts?
I learned a trick to keep it from flapping. Before you place it on your race belt crumple it up into a ball a couple times. Then flatten it out. It will go from the consistency of a crisp new dollar bill, to an old softer one. This will keep it from flapping violently on the bike and run! Works every time!
Check with the RD or officials… you may not have to wear the number on the bike. So now you just grab it on your T2 run-out and attach while running. Lay the number belt open under your shoes in transition so it doesn’t blow away.
Did this 2x this summer. Each time resulted in the race belt cutting a 2-2.5 inch slice into my lower back. First time thought it was a one off. Did it next race a few weeks later & same result. The pressure of the wetsuit on the belt against the skin & the twisting of the body while swimming resulted in just enough movement to give me permanent scars. It does save about 5 seconds in transition though. What’s a little pain & mutilation for 5 seconds though…?
For anything under an IM I wear my race belt under my wetsuit, with the number folded in half (under the belt). Once on the bike I’ll reach back and unfold the number so it shows. This works well for the tyvek race #'s. For IM’s, they use a less durable paper-based number which would get damaged during a longer swim, so I put my race belt on as I leave T1 in an IM.
I just roll it around the race belt and unroll it when I need to. Does fine and it is one last thing to think about if you pushed it a bit much on a leg.
–Holy crap. In a million years I would never have thought of this. I’m laterally challenged when it comes to thinking about race numbers on the bike. Now that I see it, it seems like the ‘only’ solution.
Andrew Moss
I learned a trick to keep it from flapping. Before you place it on your race belt crumple it up into a ball a couple times. Then flatten it out. It will go from the consistency of a crisp new dollar bill, to an old softer one. This will keep it from flapping violently on the bike and run! Works every time!
+1
Crumple it up and then flatten it out. The texture actually adds support to it. Once I do this, I never really notice it.
Check the rules for your event. I’ve been at some the expressly forbid you from wearing it under the wetsuit.
They can’t really tell you you can’t wear it, they can just tell you the thing will dissolve in water and that you have to have it on the bike/run course or else…
Yes they can. I’ve seen in some athlete’s guide and have been to some athlete’s meetings where they specifically state that you can’t wear it. Now, whether you wear it or whether they enforce it or whether it’s a stupid rule or not, that’s a different discussion.
I do it in races that do not require numbers on your back side for the bike. I just pin it on my front, then swim, bike and run with it. The main reason is, racebelts aren’t that comfortable with my body figure. They typically slide up to and end up around my stomach bouncing around. I prefer the belt to be on my hip, but since that is the widest circumference below my chest, it doesn’t stay there as I run.
Check the rules for your event. I’ve been at some the expressly forbid you from wearing it under the wetsuit.
They can’t really tell you you can’t wear it, they can just tell you the thing will dissolve in water and that you have to have it on the bike/run course or else…
Yes they can. I’ve seen in some athlete’s guide and have been to some athlete’s meetings where they specifically state that you can’t wear it. Now, whether you wear it or whether they enforce it or whether it’s a stupid rule or not, that’s a different discussion.
Semantics
I can’t imagine the Tyvek number being affected at all. I have done a few races where a timing chip is fastened to the number, I don’t know if water would affect them.
I can’t imagine the Tyvek number being affected at all. I have done a few races where a timing chip is fastened to the number, I don’t know if water would affect them.
I am talking about IMFL in specific here, the numbers last year were some kind of plastic, it seemed pretty damn difficult to hurt them. In the race packet it does say please do not wear your bib number during the swim, but it hardly makes it a rule or states a penalty for doing so.