Extended forcast - Sunday (24 hours): Partly cloudy, chance of a thunderstorm. Highs in the low 70s and lows in the low 50s.
After the last two years of 90+ heat, this year’s race will seem nice and cool! Z
Brrr - sounds cold to me!
It’s actually ideal racing conditions. I believe that I have seen studies that have shown that the ideal temperature for marathon running is 10 - 12C, which seems cool to cold when you are standing around.
Problem is, many triathletes don’t know how to dress properly, paricularly for the bike. Arm warmers and knee or leg warmers, toe warmers, gloves and a helmet liner should be in every triathletes race kit bag as they hed off to a triathlon where the weather will be variable. It would take less than 30 seconds to put this gear on in T1, but could save the day if it was a cool to cold day.
It amazes me when I watch a triathlon, particularly a long race in cool weather and see people nearly naked out on the bike.
Fleck
Ah come on…isn’t it just those 2% body fat pro types that need all that? I went for a ride this morning (5:30) in bike shorts and long sleeve jersey and temp was 52f (11c) and I really wasn’t cold once I got going. I really hate overheating. I think some people just deal with it better than others. But of course I could be full of shit…
I’m always surprised at how much clothing some people wear! “Hmm… let’s spend 1000s of dollars to get the most aero bike on the market and then wear a nylon jacket two sizes too big.”
Next to my bike, arm warmers are my favourite bike-related purchase. Knee warmers and toe covers are tied for third.
Extended forcast
Only a sucker believes any forecast for the Inland Northwest that’s extended past the next hour. Don’t be a sucker. 
“Ah come on…isn’t it just those 2% body fat pro types that need all that?”
Not sure if you consider the Professional road cycling peleton Lance Armstrong and the like, “2% body-fat types”, but generally speaking they have the legs and arms covered up and warm if it is less than about 18 - 20C.
Fleck
Agreed.
However, cycling has some very cool and functional apparel that can be used in cold weather triathlons and many triathletes try and grunt through while being cold/freezing. You have three of the essentails:
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Toe warmers
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Arm warmers
-Knee warmers
To that I would add:
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Thin helmet liner( you loose 30% of your heat through your head)
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A tight feeting full zip( this is key, so you don’t have to struggle to get it on quickly) vest or short sleeve cycling jersey.
Indeed, forget the parachute wind breakers, because they really are breaking the wind!
Fleck
… It would take less than 30 seconds to put this gear on in T1,…
Ahhhemmm, I don’t know anybody that can put all that stuff on in 30 seconds. After swimming you are all pumped up and dripping wet. All that tight fitting clothing does not go on the same then.
Toe warmers would be on the shoes already. You then pull the knee warmers on, put the helmet liner on, stuff the armwarmers in your back pocket and put them on the fly when the arms have dried off after a couple of K on the bike. I think that would keep the additional time in transition to a minimum.
Fleck
stuff the armwarmers in your back pocket and put them on the fly when the arms have dried off after a couple of K on the bike
Fleck - considering how much some people who leave their shoes clipped in weave all over the road getting their feet in their shoes, how much do you want to see a big group of triathletes riding down the road with no hands on the bars trying to pull armwarmers out of their pocket and pulling them up their arms? We see enough crazyness out on the road when people have both hands on the bars. I think I personnally would be faster just putting them on in T1 or stopping by the side of the road rather than soft-pedalling for a mile trying to keep my balance and not drop anything in the process. I compare this to watching video of a pro bike racer riding down the road with no hands and twisting from side to side to try and make his back pop. I almost fall out of my chair at the office trying to do it.
I think we are much better off just riding without them - the fashion police are just too brutal when it comes to the ‘arm warmers with sleeveless top’ look.
Ahem - it is personal preference & physilogy. Personally I freeze on the bike if it is in the 50’s F! (60s not much better)
I’d much rather race in 80’s F than low 70’s F. I just plain function better.
To each his own.
I’ve worn the arm warmers on the swim before and I’ve also put them on right after the swim. Wearing them for the swim is better, as long as they’re not the ones that are fuzzy inside. They dried fairly quickly and I was not arrested by the fashion police. Although, my shoulders are one of my nicer body parts, so maybe they cut me some slack.