OK, so after two Olympic distance races last summer, it’s time to purchase some stuff
I am ready to do 3 or 4 more Oly. distance races this summer.
I’m happy with my Fuji aluminum (with 105) road bike I bought early last year. Sooo, what areobars should I get for it? I used my Dad’s ancient Century clip-ons (the kind that are all one piece, with the pads that flip) and they worked fine. Now it’s time to get my own. I’ll pay $100-$150, if need be. What’s comy and fast?
Bigger question (money-wise): what’s a nice full wetsuit that will last me many years? Seems like nytro.com has anything I could want.
syntace c-2 or streamliners are both nice. They are both probably more comfy than my HED one piece bars but not as cool. The new HED cliplights are real nice too, not the greatest pads but insanely light. If I was going for absolute function and with your budget I’d buy a Syntace C-2 and I’m betting a lot of people will second this. Wetsuit, sorry I live in Hawaii and barely ever use mine.
I have had about four or five different aero bars and “for the money” I agree with Tai on Syntace C2. Also agree on the wet suit,we are spoiled out here.
Tai, are you doing the Marine Base Sprint Tri in a couple of weeks? Maybe too close to KKT?
Re wetsuit: You really can’t go wrong with any of the main brands as long as you get one that fits correctly.
If you can afford it (and you can handle the action to remove it), the De Soto wetsuits are good for Olympic distances since they are easy to remove.
I have heard that Piel is another wetsuit which is even easier to remove but is stiffer because of the full length zips, so is better for the shorter (sprint+olympic) races.
For one piece suits, QR, Orca, Ironman - all are good suits and it comes down to how comfortable you are in the suit.
Have you been using a wetsuit for your races so far? Was it comfortable? If you were happy with it, stick with the same brand (as long as it is a triathlon specific wetsuit).
I asked the same question a few weeks ago and a few people recommended carbon stryke aero bars. I got a pair and they’re great. There’s a ton of adjustments you can make. I went with an Ironman Stealth wetsuit. I haven’t gotten to use it yet but man, does it look freakin’ great hanging next to my bike!!
However, my wife has gotten tired of me trying it on and wearing it around the house. Can you believe it, she thinks that’s wierd. I can’t wait unti the first race of the season. Good luck.
I’ll recommend the Syntace C2’s also but remember that you’re on a road bike so should get a size smaller than you’d normally ride on a steeper angle tri bike otherwise you’ll likely be too stretched out. Another recommendation would be for the shorter road geometry specific bars such as the Profile Jammer GT of Oval slam bars.
I’ve been using Syntace aerobars for years. I only use the streamliners. I don’t like the curvy part on the C2’s. I love the straight aero bar on the streamliners. I also cut 1" off the end of the bars. This way my hands fit on the up turn better and I don’t need to move my hands to shift. The standard up turn section is too long, even for guys with big hands.
just bought a ProMotion wetsuit and used it yesterday for the first time. it was geat! Easy on and easy off! It has mid calve length legs.
“However, my wife has gotten tired of me trying it on and wearing it around the house. Can you believe it, she thinks that’s wierd.”
It’s perfectly normal to try your suit on a few times after you get it. It’s possibly the most expensive piece of clothing that you own.
If you decide that you really like walking around the house in a full rubber suit, and buy a matching mask with zippers over the mouth and eyes, well that’s just plain deviant. ;p But hey, what you do in your house is your business.
Your wetsuit will relax somewhat after you swim in it a few times, and will get more comfortable to wear and swim in. Mine(also a Stealth) was very tight at first, and hard to breath in, but now it’s pretty confortable once I get it in the water.
I like the Profile Aerolite. I tried the Syntace streamliners, but I didn’t like the way they pointed your wrists out and they weren’t adjustable lengthwise. My LBS just switched them out for me (which was nice, since that isn’t so easy w/ bar-end shifters!). The Aerolites are adjustable lengthwise, as well as rotationally…the “angle” that the bend faces (you can make the bend face straight up, a little in, a little out, whatever makes your arm/wrists more comfortable.
If you are on Slowtwitch website, there is plenty of info about aerobars and bikes. Dan “Slowman” Empfield says aerobars need to match front-end configuration, I am inclined to agree with him from both a logical reasoning and experience perspective. Check out the section on the basics of bike fit on this website.
Long story short your best options, Profile-Designs Jammer GT; Oval Concepts A700 Slam bars. There are other options, but those two are the best value and are the most adjustable going. These are the shorty style reccommended for riding aero on road bikes. Don’t let anyone try and sell for length bars, because you’ll end up too stretched out and will be very uncomfortable after about a half hour on the bike.
Wetsuit: get an entry level fullsuit from one of the major brands Orca, Quintana Roo, Ironman, Aquaman, Exterra, etc…BUY the one that fits best!
i’m debating on the sprint tri, it’s not that it’s close to kkt but that it’s right before the honu IM qualifying race… but we’ll see the marine core sprint is a fun course (love the hill) and cheap so maybe I’ll do it.