Last season, I raced my “A” Olympic distance race in a pair of tight Speedo bike/swim shorts (no chamois) and Orca tri-singlet. Bad move - I chaffed my "meat and potatos "so bad that I needed a bottle of baby powder and a couple of days off work to get over it. I mean I rubbed the skin so far off…I will spare you the details - out of action with the girlfriend for a couple of weeks too. A bad end result all round.
Anyway, this seasn I am sure that this problem can be alleviated with a proper pair of tri-shorts, but I am also considering a one piece tri-suit. Is is similar in feel to riding in bib-knicks? Super-comfy?
I am only racing Olympic distance, so don’t need pockets etc for nutrition, so thought I would throw it open to the forum as to what works well for everyone. Feel free to add any war stories re clothing injuries (bleeding nipples springs to mind…) as well - might make me feel a little less ridiculous.
Hey Oz Tri-Guy, What’s up? Ahhh, the age old question: What to wear? As a close associate of mine likes to say, “No matter what anybody says, its a fashiion show out there.” She showed me her Ironman photos from Wisconsin and I was like, “Girl, you don’t look like you’re doing Ironman, you look like you’re modelling tri-clothes.” -Looked fresh as a daisy after 140.6 nasty miles. -No idea how she does it.
Anyway, I am a convert to the one piece suit for everything up to Ironman distance. Sugoi is my favorite but the new Orcas set a new standard for quality and fit as well as some cool designs: Not too flashy, not too lame.
If it is super hot out I will wear a Speedo brief bottom with a pad in it and a tri singlet. I know, only Euro guys wear Speedos to race in, but I’m old school and at least I don’t go grocery shopping in it like the German dudes in Kona.
I think tri shorts with a short inseam will replace my propensity for briefs this year. It seems to be the more fashionable alternative. More modest too. I absolutely despise tri shorts with the longer inseam like Peter Reid wears. They feel so hot and nasty to run in. No fun. I think they look kind of dorky too.
No war stories for you. The only chronic groinular chafing I got was during the one month period (two years ago) when I tried one of those God-awful, utterly stupid “men’s” saddles with the hole in it. Complete, unmitigated crap. A real package wrecker.
Lucky we don’t have too many people wearing speedos around these parts. For one Melbourne is too cold for that stuff, and secondly, if I ever wore those things around anywhere outside of a race or a pool, I would have to beat the sh!t out of myself!!!
I just used my new Tyr tri shorts and top for IM FL and they were great. I had been using RnH gear for the past 6 or 7 seasons but had to go with a new look (the flashy red/yellow/black asteroid pattern) so my kids could pick me out from a long way back on the road. When my wife took pictures at Roth in 2001 she took photos of ever guy in the race with a white top and dark tri shorts so I had to go for the distinctive look
i’ve got me a de soto skinsuit. it’s pretty killer. i really dig it. so much more comfortable (has a fleece pad) than the spandex shorts i raced my first sprint in. i don’t have any problems. i don’t think i’d wear it for a half, but i’m currently only doing olys and less. it has a mesh pocket which is convenient to toss a gel in for the run if you dig that kinda nutrition. i also stash my trashed gel packets in it. the short part is that lycra power stuff. i guess i like it, though i haven’t noticed a significant difference from normal lycra. but it works to run in.
I raced last season in speedo aquablade long shorts, no problems over olympic courses at Noosa and Mooloolaba.
this season i raced Noosa in an orca one piece as we didn’t have to wear the previously compulsory race singlet. Found it comfortable but started to get a bit hot on run. Don’t know if i would want to go any longer in the one piece because of the heat factor, they need a longer zip in them.
Mooloolaba and St Kilda were the two Oly’s I wore them. They just killed me. I think the stitching was just in the wrong place for the bike leg, and I paid the price for not training in something before I raced in it.
Am really contemplating the one-piece - will do Oly’s in Mooloolaba, St Kilda and Elwood (last two both in Melbourne), so two of the three will be in a cooler climate. Apparently the material in the new blue Orca suit is different from the older grey ones, so maybe that would make a difference?
I have to go have another beer. I spit my out laughing at the chafing incident. Soooory about the boyz.
I have a rip-n-hammer and desoto tri short I race in. Although both are similiar design there are rather noticeable differences in design and both are very comfy.
Off to grab another porter/
A number of people here mention that they love the skin suit but they would not wear it for IM. I have raced in two pieces for a bunch of years including two IMs and was thinking of getting a one piece for IM Canada next year. Why doesn’t anyone like the one-piece suits for IM?
For racing I wear Sugoi tri shorts (slightly longer, sorry Tom) and a Louis Garneau sleevess zipper tri singlet. I’ve found both to be very durable and comfortable and, moct importantly, my wife thinks I look good in the stuff, so, you know, that’s what I’ll continue to wear.
I use my 2 year old one piece suit with front zipper. The suit is brandless and was made here in portugal by a casual clothing company.
Done every thing that you can imagine with it, from sprint tri/ du´s to ironman FL and even some brick training. I did wear a diferent one piece suit in the ITU long distance WC but it was crappy and the back zipper terrible.
I gess that Tom Demerly words of wisdom can be applied in tri suits world… “buy the one that fits you”, and if you feel comfortable inside it then distance is not a problem.
Much easier to just let it rip while biking/running. Of course, if you’re talking #2, then a 2 piece is better, but you should cut out the solid foods on race day.
I race everything from sprints to IM in a DeSoto Powersuit. I did do a couple of local races in DeSoto tri-shorts and tri-top, just because they were lime green and I wanted to stick out. I like the PowerLycra in the Powersuit, and everything I have read says that it works.
