In the past year and I have gotten significantly faster, am doing smarter training, longer distances, more time in the water, saddle and on foot.
The progress I see is great and I keep getting better. But few months back I started getting pain and discomfort when biking while wearing tri-shorts, especially in aero.
This is when I started riding longer distances in preparation for an HIM end of this year. I would not feel it when going out, but after 40 minutes it would be really bothering me.
I started wearing bib shorts for bike training, which fixes the problem. I still swim and do swim/runs in tri-shorts, but noticed that the shorts are getting uncomfortable there as well.
Any of you getting this?
I wear them as low on the waist as possible, but for some reason the band still bothers me, especially on long swims or runs. It presses my underbelly and is just uncomfortable and sometimes even painful.
I am using the same brand of shorts (Tyr) and have lost some weight, maybe 5 kilo’s, I don’t weight but I see/feel it. I figured the shorts should be looser, which they are. But it still hurts.
I figure bib shorts and suits don’t hurt because there is no band there pressing on my body in that spot.
I can use bib shorts whenever I bike only (I wear the bib with a tritop) but not for swimming and preferably not for running either.
I did some lonely training in suits (I have 2) which was good, but I guess it’s frowned upon to wear the suits for training, right? Looks too pro.
Maybe I should try different shorts? Or try some stuff?
Sounds like a saddle issue to me. I have never had an issue with tri shorts, no matter the brand as long as they are on the higher quallity/price end of the sprectrum.
Why don’t you try different shorts? If you can afford bibs and suits, then shorts should not be all that hard to come by. I’ll recommend Desoto, but there is a multitude of brands out there - all with different cuts and lines.
tri-bibs? Are those like cycling bib shorts with smaller pads like tri shorts have?
I’ll try some different brand shorts, see if that helps. I hope so.
But also, what kind of saddle issue could it be?
Yes the discomfort is at the elastic band.
What do you mean with why am I swimming and running in tri-shorts? Doesn’t everybody?
I swim-run, as in, with a transition of getting out of the water, stopping at my car, putting on shoes and running off.
I can’t swim with running shorts and don’t have swim only shorts, which are the same as tri-shorts without the chamois anyways?
I usually only wear the suits for races, and the shorts for training.
In that case you just need to experiment with different brands or sizes of shorts to find something comfortable.
As far as wearing them while swim training, personally, I wouldn’t ruin a good pair of tri shorts by training with them in the pool, but to each his own I suppose.
I’m going to try a large, see what happens. Or ask my wife to try and loosen the elastic a little although the M is not really too tight at the moment.
Could there be something inside my belly that I need to check out? Nobody has had this then?
to JayZ
I only swim open water and wash all my clothes in tap water then hang them after every training. They dry, then go in the laundry, or I may reuse one more time (yes I said it).
I guess you mean that the pool chlorine ruins the shorts and it would be better to ruin swim stretch shorts instead of tri stretch shorts, yes?
Not sure if the sea also ruins the shorts, I’ve had a few shorts for more 3 years now, no issues except the band that presses my lower belly which hurts yadi yada.
Other than that the actual shorts are in good condition.
What do you mean with why am I swimming and running in tri-shorts? Doesn’t everybody?
No, I hardly ever do. If I’m doing a brick workout I simply throw towel around my waste at the car and change from cycling bibs/shorts into running shorts and put on a fresh shirt and then off. If I go from a swim to a run or bike I do the same. I almost always change if I’m doing a transition from one to the other during training, unless I’m actually practicing a transition.
What do you mean with why am I swimming and running in tri-shorts? Doesn’t everybody?
No, I hardly ever do. If I’m doing a brick workout I simply throw towel around my waste at the car and change from cycling bibs/shorts into running shorts and put on a fresh shirt and then off. If I go from a swim to a run or bike I do the same. I almost always change if I’m doing a transition from one to the other during training, unless I’m actually practicing a transition.
chris
I don’t get this either. If I’m training on the bike, I’m wearing bib shorts. If I’m swimming, it’s in a speedo. If I’m running, jock and running shorts. If I’m racing, then I’ll wear a tri suit, but I don’t need to train in one.
Frankly, I don’t know why anyone would train on the bike in anything but cycling bibs/shorts.
I use De Soto tri bibs. Love them. I don’t train in them, only race. On the bricks I just change from my bike bibs gear to run shorts in my garage or in my Outback if I’m away from home.
Try some De Soto tri bibs (though not really suited for swimming w/o a wetsuit), or you may also want to try the De Soto Forza low cut tri shorts (they sit low like a speedo, which may move the waist await from your discomfort zone).
Alternately, just train in a trisuit. If appearance is an issue for you, just throw a tech tee over top before setting out on runs. Personally I do my long runs in a trisuit and use the rear pockets for fuelbelt bottles and gels (much more comfortable and less bouncy than a fuelbelt).
What do you mean with why am I swimming and running in tri-shorts? Doesn’t everybody?
No, I hardly ever do. If I’m doing a brick workout I simply throw towel around my waste at the car and change from cycling bibs/shorts into running shorts and put on a fresh shirt and then off. If I go from a swim to a run or bike I do the same. I almost always change if I’m doing a transition from one to the other during training, unless I’m actually practicing a transition.
chris
I don’t get this either. If I’m training on the bike, I’m wearing bib shorts. If I’m swimming, it’s in a speedo. If I’m running, jock and running shorts. If I’m racing, then I’ll wear a tri suit, but I don’t need to train in one.
Frankly, I don’t know why anyone would train on the bike in anything but cycling bibs/shorts.
Really? Do you race in cycling bibs/shorts? Of course not. Some people like to train in what they are gonna be wearing on race day. Nothing unusual about that. I don’t always do it myself, but I have ridden in tri shorts in the past. No biggie.
Agreed. I think it’s pointless to not train in what you race in. Everyone knows how cycling bibs feel at the century mark, but only the few, the proud, know how tri shorts feel. You certainly won’t be regretting it on race day.
Never understood why people bike in tri clothes. It’s one thing if you are doing a simulation or specific brick, but for just a normal 60k ride?? I always wear bibs and a jersey, socks, gloves and a road helmet. Ride like a cyclist, run like a runner and do bricks like a triathlete.
Bike clothes are designed to work well for biking. Bibs are amazing compared to even the best tri shorts. Jerseys have good pockets for spare/tools and food or extra clothes. It just makes sense to be comfortable when you are spending 10+ hrs s week on the bike.
Thanks for the suggestions for trying different brands. There is a limited selection where I live but I will order some other brand tri-shorts, and hope they don’t hurt me.
I have the same problem with cycling shorts and when I go out cycling only, I only wear bib shorts. All my cycling shorts and tri-shorts are not being used because of this.
But let me get something out of the way before we continue…
**To all the I-don’t-understand-how-you-could-ride-with-tri-shorts haters. Come on. You are totally overreacting. ** It’s not crazy or incredible at all that people wear tri-shorts to swim/run, swim/bike, bike/run or even cycling, running or swimming only.
What is the difference if somebody else :
**- Wears a tri-short to train running, instead of running shorts? **
**- Wears a tri-short to train cycling, instead of cycling shorts? ** - Wears a tri-short to swim, instead of swim stretch short?
**Why are tri-shorts only race gear all of a sudden? This “race gear only” mentality is based on money. Yes. MONEY. ** Any argument that you may have to discard the use of triathlon specific gear to do any of the training FOR TRIATHLON is because you don’t want to “waste” the so-called “race gear” on training. I understand and respect that decision, but don’t be so surprised or judgmental if other people use actual triathlon gear to do actual triathlon training, even if it’s only one or two of the 3 disciplines.
**I mean, is it also wrong to use triathlon cycling shoes without socks for cycling training? Or do we also need to use a cycling only shoe because the triathlon shoe is for triathlon. **
**Stop hating and let it go. Focus on the problem, **which is that the elastic band hurts my belly when I wear tri shorts.
Any help or similar stories still welcome. Daniel.
