Cummerbund
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Yes, exactly this. Iāve purchased and returned suits from two prominent companies after trying them on and determining the fit wasnāt good.
Also, look closely at sizing charts and donāt be afraid to email the companies to ask for advice if you are between sizes.
For more aero bellies. Helps with the pear shaped.
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- I preferer sleeves, but have sleeveless kits too. The sleeveless kit are usually designed for Sprint Triathlons. Most swim skins doesnāt have sleeves so if you are doing a race that is not wetsuit legal that you are going to use a swim skin that doesnāt have sleeves that is another reason to go sleeveless. For sprints you can find a kit that is fast enough in the water you donāt need a swim skin. For long course races the swim skin is going to be best for a fast swim split. The sleeved kits just feel faster and more aero on the bike for me so if I am going a long race that is what I like. Plus the sun protections.
- I donāt like pockets. For Sprint and Olympic races I donāt need to carry anything with me for refueling so pockets just seem like extra drag in the water if it isnāt wetsuit legal and I donāt have a swim skin. On the long course races you can put Gu packets in the pockets, etc. but I just put everything in the bento box on the bike and in my fuel belt on the run. I really donāt have any use for pockets.
- Aero Fabric - Yes, this is the top of the list for me. This can make a difference of 10-15 watts on the bike and in the water their are fabrics that are fast and fabrics that are slow too. If you are swimming and biking in you kit go with something that is fast for both. If you are just cycling in the kit you can get something fast on the bike.
- This is defiantly some I take into consideration. My first kit I just got what was in the budget because I know it would be better than the Speedo Jammers and Under Armour compression shirt I had been using. Now I am a little more color coordinated. I want to be the best looking triathlete at the race.
- This relates to #3 & #4. If the golf divot pattern in the fabric makes me faster I want it. If the color patter looks sharp and professional I want it. If not I donāt.
- When I go into the sport 10 years ago there were people who were dropping tons of money on Tri equipment. I didnāt try to complete with people who had $10K of aero gear. I knew that I was on inferior gear and was at a disadvantage. I knew there were probable a few people that were beating met that werenāt better athletes so I didnāt race against anyone but myself. I set a budget of $1000 a year and tried to see how much I could improve without going over budget. That was when you could still do an off brand 70.3 race for $250. Races are double or more that now so the gear budget is lower as pool fees, race fees, etc. have gone up. My first kit was around $60. Now I feel that a good entry level kit would be more like $200-$250 and if you are looking for the best you can get more line $400-$500. I personally wait for the Black Friday and clearance rack deals and get all my gear for the lowest price I can. I havenāt had to buy a bike, helmet, wetsuit, bike shoes, aero wheels sets, carbon race shoes, etc. for about 6-7 years so I can afford a nice kit on my $1000 annual budget if I get a good deal and am careful with all my other spending.
- I got aero calf sleeves this year because I had never tried them and though it would be fun to try something new. We still have snow on the ground where I am at so I havenāt got to do any tests with them yet. When It gets nice out (i.e. end of May to early June), I have some down hill roads picked out to do some aero testing of gear. I donāt know if that type of testing will give me accurate results but I am curious to see how it will go all the same. The goal for the sleeves is to be faster on the bike only. They are not for muscle support, blood flow, or looks. I am told it is a hit and miss thing where they are faster for some people but actually make others slower. I hope they make me faster. I could use some luck.
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Come back to test. I also travel to test.
Heading east and then to an area about 500 miles east of SC in the middle of the ocean to test.
All this talk about it got me thinking. Iām actually thinking of just buying a sensor. Iāve got quite a few buddies around here that are geeks like me and might find it interesting.
I have flat and straight roads for miles so could easily do this with the right sensor. Signed up for gibli notification yesterdayā¦hopefully will be in stock soon.
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I was in AUS last year for testing. Tested in SYD, Canberra and Jindabyne. Can make a trip back as Iāve got family in SYD.
Itās one thing to have a sensor, itās another to use it properly. get the protocol down, learn how to test before testing.
For instance I saw a coach that was in TUS who did some testing on one of their pros. They found a 28w difference between the Aerohead and Rudy Wing. I can tell you from testing the aerohead one hundreds of people against all sorts of helmets and testing the Wing many, many times against all sorts of helmets, there is not a 28w difference
between those helmets. Yet this coach was IG those results like they were gospel.
Let me know when youāre back in Sydney!
Definitely understand that it takes some learning and experience. As a hobbiest I really enjoy that process. It would be hard for me to find the time to make a trip someplace and do testing. My job, family, and training commitments eat up 98% of my time.
At 45, Iām late in entry to the Tri world, but Iāve been involved with cycling and MTB for 20 years. Iām tinkerer and love learning and data. So I donāt mind that process. I feel I have at least enough common sense, experience, and knowledge to know when something seems off.
Iām surprised that coach wouldnāt question a 28w difference in helmet and rerun or confirm that with other results or data sets. Thatās A LOT savings and would have me question it immediately.
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These last few days when Iāve scan the topics in the tri forum and see this thread for some reason my mind substitutes ālikeā for āforā .
To answer your question: price, comfort and colours/patterns. Of course, my favorite so far has been the SlowTwitch Goodlife tri suit. It checks all the boxes for me.
Is mywindsock.com something that would be helpful for self CDA testing ?
That is if I ride the same route with approximately the same power have you seen resaonable relative estimations from this app?
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I have had some people come through that have used this. Personally Iāve never used it as Iāve always just tested myself.
Sorry that I donāt have a better answer for you
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