Was wondering if anyone had any experience with the Rocket Science products, specifically the Racer Triathlon race suit. Looks very nice and has the features I am looking for but have not heard much about this brand. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
Not one person has any experience or knowledge of these suits?
Figured I would bump it and try one more time. Thanks
In my experience Rocket Science stuff is great, its very well designed & constructed.
However I haven’t used any of their race suits. I think they’re relativity new to the product line so it may be tough to get much feedback yet.
Good luck,
Travis
dumb blog
From: xxxxxxxxxxx
Date: May 13, 2009 10:48:23 PM GMT+08:00
To: eunice@rocketsciencesports.com
Subject: Re: Rocket Race Suit Order#xxxxxxxxxxx
Eunice
Just to update you on my Wildflower Triathlon with the racing suit. I set a new course record for the 65-69 age group Olympic distance race. The suit felt great in every leg of the race. In fact I would say it provided me with support, comfort, body temperature adjustment that no other suit has. Thanks for your help in delivering the product. My course record goes along with the course record that I still hold in the 60-64 age group.
xxxxxx
Let me first say I am a rep and do rep for Rocket Science. That said - I have been training for International Dist races for this season. I am a Cyclist first, Swimmer second and was a lifeguard through college so I can swim, (forget the run). 75% of my training has been in a pool. I have friends that own shops and have given me their “tri kit” to use and have tried some other brands gear in the past. Last week (Friday) I decided to try out the Racer suit. It has been learing at me for some time so I figured I’d give it a go so I actually knew what I was selling.
I honestly did not expect anything drastic or even noticable except for comfort. I swim 3x per week and every Friday for roughly 12 weeks in a row I go 1600 with the pool at long course setup (50). I know I am at 25 strokes. With the Racer Suit I was 20 strokes with the occassional 21. I did not count every lap but I was shocked so I counted most. It was sick!
I figured I saved 9-10% of my strokes (9-10 strokes per 100). So in real terms: out of a 1600 I saved close to 160 strokes. I figured that would translate to a 9-10% time savings. Do your own math with your last race time. I’m sure it would be better in the Ocean. The suit was also VERY comfortable!!! As I said I do rep for Rocket Science but I would pay retail for this suit and I get all my gear for free!
Marc Katz
Industry Rep
bikerep@carolina.rr.com
I bought one of these suits for a half that I had to bail on last minute so I haven’t tried it out yet. I will say that Eunice was very helpful getting me the suit in time for the race. It was sold out when I initially ordered it but it shipped by the date they promised, which I found to be pretty remarkable in today’s retail environment. The material seems space age (and befitting the rocket science name). In the magazine ads and on their site it looks like “normal” material but it seems even more high tech than the usual tri suit material. Super super light, excellent rear pocket, high quality zippers, etc. I’ll post again when I’ve tried it out but I found it very impressive right out of the package.
I promised to post again after I had a chance to race in the Rocket Science Sports racer suit. I wore it this weekend in the Philly Tri (Olympic Distance) and I loved it. I had some concerns about the seemingly thinner than usual (what I usually wear, anyway) chamois pad but those proved to be completely unfounded. My nether region was completely comfortable for the entire bike ride. I also had concerns about chafing around the neck and arm entry points because, as a good speed suit should, it fit me very snugly. But I applied copious amounts of Body Glide to my neck, armpit region, and even to the material touching those parts. Worked like a charm and I had zero chafing issues in any of those areas (or any others). The suit is extremely light and comfortable. It feels very sheer but does not seem to be overly fragile. This is the first time I’ve worn a one piece speed suit on a hot day and NOT felt the need to unzip the top half during the run. To the contrary, I felt like the suit actually kept me cooler than usual so I kept it on the entire time. It remained cool from the cup or two of water I dumped on my head early in the run but never got soggy or bogged down with fluid. The front zipper is nice and long and the zipper itself is high quality so if you want to vent, it’s no problem. Also, the legs were very comfortable to bike and run in. I have longer legs and I hate the 6 inch length of some of the other tri suits (wore my Zoot suit once for a half iron and haven’t put it on since then). Just cuts me the wrong way. Just measured and the Zoot suit leg inseam is 5.5 inches versus the Rocket Racer at 7.75 inches. The Rocket Racer legs/shorts stayed in position the entire race. No creeping up my leg and bunching in the crotch. Personal preference but until I’m comfortable enough to race in a speedo like Faris (um, never), I like the longer inseam. Also, when I held the Zoot suit and the Rocket Racer in each hand, the Rocket suit was noticeably lighter. I really like Zoot products but I very much prefer the Rocket suit to Zoot’s one piece trisuit. As for the swim, I wore it under a wetsuit so I really can’t chime in about how it affected my swim, but I can say that it was completely comfortable and truly felt like a second skin. It didn’t even ride up into my crotch when I crammed myself into my wetsuit, which often happens with other shorts I’ve worn. I have zero business interest in or bias with respect to Rocket Science Sports and I would not hesitate to recommend their Rocket Racer suit with two very big thumbs up.
Would you ever wear it for an Ironman distance? How are the pockets?
Thinner pads are usually the way to go in my experience.
I would definitely wear it for an Ironman distance. It’s really that comfortable and light. I bought it for a half IM and I think the longer the distance, the more you’ll appreciate its lightweight, breathable, well constructed qualities. Almost feels like saran wrap weight-wise but thankfully it’s more durable and breathes. It has one really nice rear pocket with a high quality zipper that falls in the usual spot on the lower back. Just measured it and it’s 5 inches across by 6 inches deep. Easily swallowed two Clif bars and 4 gels. I didn’t use the rear pocket for the Oly distance but it will certainly hold a bunch of nutrition. The zipper is good, as mentioned, so no worries about fumbling with it or snagging it on the material trying to open or close it. Also, with the extra two inches of leg coverage, it’s very easy to stuff some gel packets in the legs and I did do that. It’s an expensive suit but not much (if any) more expensive than other top end suits on the market and IMHO it’s well worth the price of admission. As noted in my earlier post, I bought a top end Zoot one piece for a half ironman a few years ago and haven’t worn it since that race. I like this one tons better and will certainly wear it again.
I’m a convert. I violated the “never wear something in a race you haven’t previously worn in training” rule and it didn’t bite me in the @ss. I packed a different outfit in my tri bag just in case it was uncomfortable for the warmup and I wanted to change, but that thought never crossed my mind. You will definitely want to generously apply Body Glide to the arm and neck openings, including the material, but after that no worries.
Thanks for this report. I was the guy who opened and closed the gate at the swim start to let the different color swim caps into the stageing area at the Philly Oly. By the time you guys got to the run the sun was high enough and hot enough to make the 4 to 5 mile part of it a real solar cooker. I find it very intresting that you thought this suit kept you cool. What color is it? Tim
Someone, maybe the CEO, just took my call at 9:00 EST, answering a number of questions. Bought it just now! Thanks all for the feedback. I have the Muncie Endurathon July 11 and will give a report, if I get it by then that it (hint, hint Mr. Sochacki). ;o)
Hey, thanks for volunteering on Sunday! The gate was a great idea. I don’t remember that from prior years but it certainly worked to keep everyone from cramming into the dock area before their wave was called. As you mentioned, the first 5k is nicely shaded but the second 5k was brutally hot except for a nice headwind after the turnaround (nice for cooling, not so nice for my run split though obviously I got the benefit of the tailwind at some point). To answer your question, the suit is actually dark blue and looks almost black, which is one of the reasons I was shocked how cool I felt in it. I’m a huge fan of white for cooling purposes. White helmet, white shoes, white tri tops, etc. The Zoot one piece suit I own is mostly white and I was tons hotter in that one than this one, and I have to attribute that in part to the lightweight and breathability of the Rocket Racer material. You really wouldn’t want to wear this Rocket Racer suit in white. At least I wouldn’t without some enhancement surgery. I just read Jordan Rapp’s post about the new Limited Edition Kiwami tri suit and it’s mostly white but he’s recommending wearing a brief under it. If the Rocket Racer were white in the crotch area, you would definitely need a brief under it or just run with your hands over your privates. I’m about 180 lbs and I do not like racing in the heat, but with a cup of water over the head every few miles, this suit kept me nice and cool even in the brutal sun during the second 5k. I might have unzipped the front zipper at some point, don’t really remember, but I definitely had no thoughts of peeling it down around my waist like I had to do with the white Zoot suit after just a few miles in the direct sun. And the front zipper is really nice and long so it offers plenty of ventilation if you need it. Thanks again for coming out on Sunday. You volunteers really make the race.
Someone, maybe the CEO, just took my call at 9:00 EST, answering a number of questions. Bought it just now! Thanks all for the feedback. I have the Muncie Endurathon July 11 and will give a report, if I get it by then that it (hint, hint Mr. Sochacki). ;o)
eunice@rocketsciencesports.com and virginia@rocketsciencesports.com will do their best to get you a suit. Yes you spoke to me. I do answer customer calls sometimes to stay in touch with my peeps 
I know we are short on some sizes in Black color but do have the Urban color for sure and we are making more black suits as well.
Cheers
Two questions on the suit:
Do you have pics of the Urban? Not sure what color that is.
Are the dimpled panels on the legs scs-coated neoprene (a-la swim skins)?
Please send us an email for the photo and we will send it to you. yes its SCS coded Fabric.
Glad to help. I hope it arrives in time for your race and I hope you find it as comfortable as I did. Good luck with the Endurathon.
Is there an option for a team to get your tri-suits with our team and sponsor logos on them?
(But even if this were possible, it would negate the “white advantage” of the 20BPM, wouldn’t it?)
On another note… I have seen cyclists with light colored bike shorts, and, um, it wasn’t very discreet with their “packages”… How does the 20BPM fare in that regard?
Is there an option for a team to get your tri-suits with our team and sponsor logos on them?
(But even if this were possible, it would negate the “white advantage” of the 20BPM, wouldn’t it?)
On another note… I have seen cyclists with light colored bike shorts, and, um, it wasn’t very discreet with their “packages”… How does the 20BPM fare in that regard?
1.) Yes we can do team logos on the rocket RACER you can see here team riptide in the custom logo ITU version of the suit, which is approved by ITU
http://riptidemultisports.com/
http://www.facebook.com/...45159&id=7942903
2.) The 20BPM suit we could print team logo but we would not suggest to print all over the suit since it would affect the reflective properties of the fabric
3.) The 20BPM suit is very unique in fact it’s not see trough even though when it’s wet. I tried the suit personally outdoor and even in the shower and I did not scare anyone in my family and I do have 3 kids Also Brad Culp from the Triathlete magazine has one right now and commented that he had no issues, perhaps he can post something here if he reads this… here is part of Brad’s email “… how nice it is that someone finally made a white suit that isn’t see through.”
0But on the serious note that is how the suit works from the technical side. Since most of the white fabrics even though do not get hot most of the sunlight passes trough and heats up the skin under the suit. That is why there is not a big difference between the back and white suits in general or not as much one wou0000ld expect. What makes this suit unique is that the fabric (1) reflects sunlight and radiant heat and (2) on the torso of the body it blocks it from penetrating trough, making the suit “opaque”.
I hope this helps to address your questions, and please stay tuned to the official PR and release date of the suit. We are thinking as a promotion to give the suit to people for free if they race in it at IronMan Kona this October and they have to win their age group
0
Cheers