The triathlon suit (or trisuit) is almost an essential for all triathletes, but choosing one can be difficult. I did my first couple of races with a pair of swimming shorts which I pulled shorts and T-shirt over, but there are a number of benefits of a trisuit.
Benefits
Let’s help you understand whether you actually need a trisuit or not before we get too deep.
Faster Transitions
If you don’t need to change your clothing, you are so much faster than if you need to play about adding or removing different layers of clothing.
Less Chafing
As nudity is banned, you have to keep your swimming costume on for the entirety of the race. Cycling with a soaking wet swimsuit under our clothing is setting us up for a chafing nightmare, and it gets worse when we start running.
You will still be cycling and maybe running in wet kit, but as there are less layers of clothing, and the trisuit is very tight fitting, the chances of developing chafing from wet clothing is significantly lower.
Dries Quickly
Trisuits are made of extremely quick drying fabrics, many will be completely dry within ten minutes of exiting the water. When you choose a triathlon suit, it may be worth paying attention to the thickness of the material, as this will have an impact on how quickly it dries, as well as improving cooling.
Faster
If you choose to race in a triathlon suit, you will go faster. This is because there is less material to flap about and slow you down, which is especially important on the bike. This can make the suits feel very snug, but if you want to go faster, this is a fantastic way to do so.
More comfortable
Triathlon suits include what is called a chamois pad which provides you with padding on your sit bones, making a hard saddle comfortable. This may feel unusual if you are new to cycling, but nearly every road cyclist will use them.
The chamois will be notably thinner in a triathlon suit than in cycling shorts, to ensure that it does not interfere with us too much on the run.
Factors to consider when choosing a triathlon suit
When it comes to choosing a triathlon suit, we have a number of factors to consider. Some of these are very obvious, others not so much.
One piece vs two piece
Triathlon suits come in two broad flavours, one piece and two piece. A one piece suit, as the name suggests, is a single piece of fabric, while a two piece is a pair of shorts and a top separately.
The benefit of a two piece is that it is easier to use the toilet, and I understand it is more comfortable for some over an Ironman distance. They are also ideal for someone who may have an especially long/short torso for their height, who might struggle to find a one piece that suits them.
Two piece suits tend to use a hook system to keep them together and stop the top from riding up. I have never tried a two piece myself, as I worry that the waistband cutting into my midriff would exacerbate any digestive discomfort.
Two piece suits used to be very popular, but have declined in popularity in recent years. I believe this is due to the fact one piece suits are cheaper, but also as that two piece suits tend to be less aerodynamic. As the sport becomes hyper fixated on aerodynamics, the penalty of a two piece suit is seen as being hard to justify by many.
As a result, many manufacturers have stopped producing two piece suits. This isn’t to say that there is anything inherently wrong with two piece suits, but those that you find may be lower quality and slower than the one piece options.
Getting the right fit
When you choose a triathlon suit, fit and comfort should be the most important factors. There will be lots of marketing about how aerodynamic and advanced the fabrics they use are, but if you find yourself in pain wearing it or unable to breathe properly, that will ruing your race.
Your race suit should feel snug, but not constricting. You do not want any gaps around the arms or the legs, and your breathing should be unrestricted across the chest.
You should also be able to lift your arms above your head with no restriction, and be able to bend over easily.
If you are new to endurance sport, you may be concerned at how tight it feels, maybe even feel slightly vulnerable. This is normal, but trust me when I say that no-one is going to be looking closely at you on the day, and choosing baggy clothing will make the day much more uncomfortable, and actually make you stand out more than wearing the skintight triathlon suit.
Long course or short course suits
Like the two piece suit, this is something of a dying concept, the difference between a long course suit designed for Ironman racing, and a short course suit manufactured for shorter events.
The broad concept is that long course suits have a wider, thicker chamois to provide more comfort on the bike and more of a focus on aerodynamics, which are much more impactful over long distances.
It may be that due to an improvement in materials that creating a suit which works well over both distances is a lot easier, or it could simply be that people were no longer buying long distance suits. Either way, there are only a few manufacturers that make this distinction. Just don’t be lulled into thinking you can’t wear a short distance suit at a long race, or visa versa.
How much should you spend?
This is an impossible question to answer without knowing more about you and your situation. If you are just starting out, you don’t need to break the bank by choosing all singing, all dancing triathlon suit. Something cheap will do for now until you decide the sport is for you.
Money will generally buy you faster dying materials, a more aerodynamic fabric, a more comfortable chamois and a stretchier suit. How important these are, only you can decide.
Honestly, my triathlon suit is not one of the areas I would look to break the bank on. If the only suit that felt good on me when trying them on was the most expensive one I’d suck it up and pay the extra, but it’s a low priority for me personally.
Conclusion
There are a lot of factors to consider when choosing a triathlon suit, but the best way to find out is to try some on and see what works best for you. If you can, visiting a bricks and mortar establishment or expo is the best way to go, but I’m aware these are increasingly few and far between.
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