I have a TT tomorrow and its my first one. Weather is supposed to be 40 degrees with wind swept rain. I am going to suck it up and do it but I was wondering what you guys wear on your legs. Basically there is not much aero/water resistant clothes out there.
Nothing on the legs. If you ABSOLUTELY MUST…kneewarmers (or bib knickers if you are wearing standard kit instead of a skinsuit). But hey, your legs are doing most of the work and will be plenty warm.
Long sleeves on the arms. If you are wearing standard kit…an UnderArmor skin tight long sleeve shirt will work well.
If its 40 degrees with windswept rain I wear my blanket, not just on my legs but on my whole body and enjoy a couple hours of extra sleep. Unless I have a great reason to race, to me those conditions are not worth getting out of bed to race in.
If it is a “A” race I would go with a long sleeve UnderArmor type shirt under my skinsuit and leg warmers. Depending on te length of the TT and if its a course that requires any kind of braking or shifting, you might want to think about a way of keeping your hands warm as well. Numb hands don’t do a good job of conroling a bike.
Simple
Go ahead and wear leg or knee warmers, and arm warmers, or a long sleeve skinsuit
As long as the clothing fits (tight) you will perform much better if comfortable than you would if freezing cold, and you run the risk of getting sick if you race without clothing
Get a thick plastic bag, like from Home Depot, or a lawn garbage bag, cut a 2’ x 1.5’ piece and slide it up under your skinsuit, getting out the wrinkles, you will be nice and warm without the need for a jacket.
Wear long finger gloves, wear clear or yellow lenses
Have fun, racing in the rain is scary, but fast, I have a feeling that the rain actually improves the road surface, speed wise, if it is a light coating of water
Mike,
Having survived a couple of those rainy (2 of 4 this year) windy (30mph and 28F warming to 40F two years ago) … if there is no covered or protected area to set up your stationary trainer to warmup I bring my patio umbrella (some of the really fast wimps bring gas heaters)… and with the wind make sure that it’s anchored to something (usually my car). I leave my rain jacket on until I’m the next in line at the gate. Make sure you have something warm and dry to put on when your done.
Have a good TT.
Jay
On the legs…
Freddy’s Choice Warm-up - Does wonders!!!
If you’re worried about the water, you can use slight amount of vaseline for a barrier…but it’s a pain in the ass to clean up.
5 years ago I bought a long sleeve surfer’s scrub that does wonders under 50 degrees. Fits like a glove under my team’s uni…
I raced a TT in Denver on the Wednesday night before St. Anthony’s. It was 40 degrees and raining, and the race lasted less than 26 minutes. I got sick before St. Anthony’s and finished dead last in the Pro field, had a fever of 102, and the day after St. Anthony’s after flying back to Boulder from Florida, was told by the doctor that I had pneumonia and what the heck was I thinking racing?! Anyway, BUNDLE UP. What’s the difference of a couple of seconds lost by wearing tights, etc. compared to getting sick and ruining racing/training for a few weeks?
Generally speaking, I find triathletes under-dress for both training and racing, particularly when it comes to cycling. Not sure why this is. Perhaps, they think that all triathlons, and all training takes place in Hawaiian like heat. Who knows? This is certainly NOT the case where I live.
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The great thing about cycling apperal is that there are so many truely functional appareal accessories that can make cycling in a broad range of temperatures and conditions, even in the same ride, a warm and comfortable outing. Arm warmers, knee/leg- warmers, a tight fitting wind vest, rain shell, helmet liner and/or helmet cover and a good, thermal base layer top should be part of every triathletes wardrobe.
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Post race is another time I see triathletes breaking all the rules. Many stand around and yak, yak, yak after a race in soaking wet gear. I see many visibly shaking with blue lips( Hello hypothermia!), but still talking away. I am not against post-race socializing. Just - Immediately after finishing any race other than in roasting heat, get all wet race clothing off and a dry layer on and warmer cloths on if needed. Takes about 2 minutes. Then you can talk to your hearts content.
Fleck