Neccessary clothing for first Tri
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RV posted 18 weeks ago.
Most just wear trishorts for the entire event.
Basically bike shorts with a much thinner chamois.
RV
It takes a long time to get good. - Scott Molina
Slow is smooth; smooth is fast. - Rich Strauss
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groovyjen posted 18 weeks ago.
Tri shorts are good. They have less padding than bike shorts and won't retain water from the swim. I don't think they are any more snug than bike shorts, so I think you'd comfortable in them and not feel too exposed.
Do you have an REI near you? The one in my area has a small selection of tri stuff. Zoot mostly, I forget the other brands. At any rate you could try some stuff on and get a good feel.
Good luck on your race!
I think I can, I think I can, I think I can...
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jonovision_man posted 18 weeks ago.
MtPeter04 wrote:
Also for a top i was thinking of getting some sort of under armor tank that i could use for all three sections.
For my first tri, I just wore my cycling jersey in the water! :) My swim instructor suggested it, and it worked OK. Not perfect, but I wasn't going to set the world alight regardless of what I was wearing.
jono
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theShiba posted 18 weeks ago.
+1 on the tri-shorts. They are the perfect solution, and pretty much everyone just wears those for all three things.
I know a lot of guys that wear the UnderArmor stuff for a top, and are pretty happy with it. Just make sure it fits nice and tight.
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rebekahliz posted 18 weeks ago.
You probably wouldn't want to buy anything new unless you think you'll use it more than once, right? If you think you might do more triathlons in the future, go with the tri shorts. They're great. However, per the advice of a few helpful trifuelers, I completed my first few tris in some bike shorts I already owned which happened to feature a slightly thinner-than-standard chammy, and they worked out just fine. Didn't feel like a diaper. If you're not worried about drag in the water, wear whatever pair of old shorts or swim trunks you have lying around that you're comfortable in. Whatever you choose, make sure you swim/bike/run in them once to make sure they'll work.
Di mana ada kemauan, di situ ada jalan (Where there is desire, there is a road). – Indonesian proverb
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Mikeroe posted 18 weeks ago.
For my first sprint, I wore my plain black swimsuit (not the banana-hammock style) for the swim, then put on my bike shorts over the swimsuit and just ran in the bike shorts and cycling jersey. Worked fine for me. But, if you're planning on sticking with triathlon, a decent pair of tri-shorts will serve you well.
But like rebekahliz suggests, try all the activities (in your chosen clothing) before race day to make sure it's good and comfortable.
Good luck in the race!
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Crazyquick23 posted 16 weeks ago.
I grabed a cheap pair of $40 tri shorts and wore a nike DryFit shirt throughout the bike and run and was really comfortable.
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orangedog posted 14 weeks ago.
first post here and thought I'd continue a thread instead of starting a repetitive one - and if I'm missing the topic in a FAQ - feel free to redirect me
I'm training for my first tri (sprint) coming up mid-October. I swim now in board shorts, but seriously doubt they will work for running due to thigh chafing. does it seem reasonable to throw a pair of tri shorts or compression shorts on under the board shorts?
and, I was thinking of just keeping a lightweight, mesh/dryfit sleeveless shirt with my bike for the first transition - any red flags in my thoughts here?
I should clarify that right now I'm not worried about time - I just want to finish and get my first one done so I know how to better prepare in the future.
thanks,
orangedog
www.theorangedog.net
skills>> spirits>> speed>>
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overcome posted 14 weeks ago.
If you get trishorts don't put board shorts over them. As for the shirt if it is tight enough you could wear it to swim but it needs to be skin tight to do this.
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orangedog posted 14 weeks ago.
Thanks overcome - the shirt isn't tight enough to get away with that, so I'll leave it with the bike.
As for the trishorts - I think that is the way to go long run... my only concern is that I'm not in the shape I used to be in, and I'm not sure everyone would appreciate me running around in tight clothing. Not that I'm concerned with my looks - just trying to be considerate. Plus I need to find some in my size - a hunt I'm used to with everything from clothes, to bikes, to vehicles.
And thanks for the quick reply.
www.theorangedog.net
skills>> spirits>> speed>>
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MtPeter04 posted 14 weeks ago.
Hey,
Sorry for not posting the results of my race. I did end up just buying a cheap($40) pair of tri shorts from REI and purchased an underarmor sleeveless shirt. Overall that worked out pretty well. I didnt have any complaints about comfort except for the fact that the shirt held more water than i had anticipated. Orangedog i was in your exact spot training in the board shorts. The tri shorts are worth the investment because they work well and are one less thing you have to worry about before the race. Something i would recommend that hasn't been mentioned here is i would buy a pair of goggles that of goggles that offer a wider range of vision than the speedo goggles i was using. They fogged up on me in the race and i had to stop mid way and orient myself because they had fogged up so badly.
As for the race report, the race went as well as i could have expected. Since i had only trained a month for the sprint distance my swim was still woefully pathetic. I was maby 3rd or 4th to last out of the water out of ~140 people. The goal there was to not drown so that was fine. On the ride i picked up a lot of time and realized why tri-bikes are so effective. The course was extremely flat with few to any hills. With the bike being my strong leg i was hoping for mountains in the middle of the cornfields of indiana. During the run i held my own, but put on my event provided tank with number on backwards which caused chafing and probably some laughs. I had enough left from the 3mi run to kick at the end which was nice because before training i couldnt run 1.5 miles without stopping.
All in all a positive experience and i will keep participating in the events. I finished ~104 out of 140 after training for one month. Before moving up to larger distances i will need to improve my swimming dramatically. Now that i am in california(San Diego) it will be easier to train year round but i am nowhere near being comfortable enough to participate in a sprint in the ocean.
Thanks for the advice
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cutiger95 posted 14 weeks ago.
I picked up a $50 tri-suit online on closeout. It is a TYR and looks circa 2006 or so. I did my brick in it today 2 weeks prior to race day. Absolutely perfect without the diaper and chaffing feel I get when trying to use cycling shorts.
It has a pretty blue side pattern, black bottom and totally white top. My wife was unimpressed with the overall style but ecstatic with the price as her tri-shorts alone cost more.
Hey,
I posted here a couple of weeks ago asking how to prepare for my first triathlon. Well the race is next weekend and i'm trying to figure out what i need to wear during the race. For the swim what type of shorts should i purchase? Obviously i dont want to wear my bike shorts for either one and have no problem not wearing the padding for the bike but what type of shorts should I buy? I was thinking some sort of compression shorts, but those seem thin and i dont want to reveal my manhood to everyone at the event so what should i buy? Also for a top i was thinking of getting some sort of under armor tank that i could use for all three sections.
As for my previous post thanks for the advice. I can now swim(somewhat) and have the bike and run covered for it. Its a sprint with a 400m swim, 14mi bike, and 3mi run.
Thanks for any advice