Anyone done a triathlon?

So- I’ve done a couple of mtb duathlons in the past but thought I’d turn to the dark side and enter a full on triathlon. Albeit a sprint.

It dawned on me this morning that I’ve not got a clue about what to wear or how the swim to bike transition will work!

Should I buy a cheap tri suit? If so has anyone got recommendations?

Or if I’m in swim shorts and then going to bike wear, will there be a whole load of other people hopping around under towels as they change?

Why I thought this would be a good idea after a couple of beers is beyond me…

For your first one I would go with what you already have or just buy a pair of tri shorts with a slim pad. Jump out pool, cycling top on, ride off basically. I chose to dry my feet and put socks on but the hardcore will attach their shoes to the bike and ride barefoot.

Other than that try and enjoy, like every sport there are those that take it way, way to seriously.

Is it open water or swimming pool? If you have to wear a wetsuit the that complicates things a bit. People tend not to change between their swim-wear and cycle wear, as a tri-suit or shorts with a minimally padded crotch does the job pretty well.
Normally you’ll run into the transition area straight from the pool/water and give yourself a quick rub down with a microfibre towel. You’ll normally have all your kit in a box or tray, and many people have their bike shoes already attached to the pedals, so when you hop on you can slip your feet in and do up the Velcro or tabs. No cycling on the transition area (or probably get disqualified) and watch out as it’s generally sloppy and wet under foot.

I only ever did a few as a youth/junior, but my sister was a WC and Olympic triathlete and she used to practice her transitions to try and knock seconds off – every little bit helps!

If it’s a pool, just shorts, top on at the bike, shoes (and socks if you like) and on the bike. Towel to stand on (sometimes the run to the bike is gravelly). Try and think what you need on the bike and make sure you have them, I forgot my glasses once.

Thanks guys. It’s just a swimming pool rather than open water. I’ll certainly not be taking it too seriously as my
Achilles is dodgy so run pace will be more of a plod and I’ve never done a competitive swim in my life!

I’ll see if I can get some tri shorts rather than the full on suit.

I’ve also just realised it starts at about 7.30am… Which wouldn’t be so bad had I not a big party the night before!

Aldi do a not bad tri suit if you can find one. Nothing fancy but good to start out with.

Aldi were doing tri suits this month – I picked one up a couple of weeks ago. Seem worth the £18

A couple of mistakes that I made when I did my first triathlon were after the swim I tried to put a cycling top on and because I was still wet I couldn’t get it over my head and was staggering about with my arms in the air and top half on until somebody helped me . Talc is your friend here . I was also told to leave my helmet with my cycling kit so I had it on before I got to the bike as it’s a penalty if you touch your bike without first putting your helmet on . Guess what I waddled out of the swimming pool changing room with cycling shoes slipping everywhere then had to waddle back in to get my helmet which I forget during the panic of trying to get my top on . The crowd thought it was really funny .

Aldi or Start cycles have cheap tri suits. As already said don’t spend loads of money. Just remember if you are putting a cycle top on do one with a FULL zip. As you’ll pull it over your head, being wet and get stuck and everyone will have a chuckle at your expense. As already said don’t worry about transitions, just put on some socks with talc in and off you go. you will become addicted and it will only be a matter of years until you do an Ironman .. despite fighting it and claiming otherwise for as many years in the run up to it!!!!!!!!!!!! Good luck and ENJOY.

Jossie has for it pretty much spot on. Tri suits are best suited for OW swimming under a wettie. If you do get one for the pool avoided pockets as they will act like a drag!

Forget socks on a sprint. Plenty of talk in your cycle shoes is all you need. Wear tri shirts for swim them make sure you dry yourself before you try to put a top on!!!! Try it and see how hard putting a top in a wet body is?

Get a tri suit

Elastic laces, no socks

Get your transitions all layed out and organised (check the tri sites for details)

Train hard on your weakest discipline

Go harder that you think, it’s only 1.5 hours

More Mile trisuits are about £30 (they’re the ones stocked by Start Fitness) and I’ve used em with no problems for the last couple of years. Making the move to seperate shorts and top this year but mainly as I’m moving up to Iron distance so want to be able to easily use the facilities…

Main thing is enjoy it. I’m not a fast swimmer, I’m rubbish at running, and I’m alright on the bike. More often than not I’m last in my age group but I still have fun

Defo a tri suit, saves a lot of faff in transition. I got a fairly cheap 2XU tri suit from CRC. They come up small, so maybe go up a size.

Not me but my wife does.

Her first one she swam in cycling shorts and a sports bra then threw on a thin cycling top at transition for the run and cycle. She did this mainly as she didn’t want to buy a tri suit in case she she hated it. As it happens she won her first event, loved it and has now bought a a suit. However, she doesn’t feel her clothing inhibited her at all in the first one bar adding 30 secs onto her time for her to put her top on.

Other than that, elastic laces are a must though socks are optional. She didn’t attach her shoes to her cleats as she reckoned she’d loose more time trying to get her feet into her shoes on the bike than just putting her shoes on in transition. Oh, and practise getting on and off your bike, she gained a real chunk of time by mounting and dismounting CX style, many others stopped their bikes and got on/off where she just ran through.

Great tips…thanks all!

Planet x also have cheap trisuits at the moment.

On the sizing front, More Mile suits now seem to match up with real world sizing. My first suit was a XXXL, but my current one is an XL, and I’ve not got any smaller…

A trisuit is better than a separate shirt as it sticks when you put it on costing you precious seconds!! Also get used to riding with your shoes and no socks – I put socks on wet feet, again costing me precious seconds! Having said that i’ve got at least 5 minutes I could easily take out of my run before I start looking at shaving seconds at the transitions.

Trisuit definitely but re: socks I find the best method is to find that baggy saggy scabby old pair at the back of the draw, bang a bit of talcin and leave them in your shoes, if theyr’e knackered enough they shoe and sock’ll go on together in one fluid motion – nearly. If it’s cold arm warmers rolled up on your bars too.

My bargain top tip is dhb undershorts – light pad that is fine wet and doesn’t get in the way on the run. I’ve used these for open water Olympic distance where to be honest a tri suit would be perfect (but then I’m tight fisted and in full distance I take my time and change fully in t1 and t2 so wouldn’t get much use out of one)

Mine are older than these but I expect they are the same. £7 job jobbed

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-active-padded-undershort/

if it’s your first, and in a pool, why on earth would you shell out for a tri suit… 😯

as MC: Get a jersey with a full zip, and talc your socks, transition is the 4th event so it pays to practice. Also running straight after a ride is something to get to know as well.

Have fun 😀

if it’s your first, and in a pool, why on earth would you shell out for a tri suit…

well you can get a full on tri suit for 30 quid, about the same as tri-shorts.

I would want at least tri shorts, even for a one off, so you might as well go cheap suit.

You don’t need tri shorts or anything like that for a first tri! you are riding such a short distance! even cycling shorts wil be fine to swim in then jump straight onto bike and go!

You don’t need tri shorts or anything like that for a first tri! you are riding such a short distance! even cycling shorts wil be fine to swim in then jump straight onto bike and go!

They’re right you know. Shorts with a thin pad and a tight baselayer will be fine to swim, cycle and run in for sprint distance, it’s only just over an hour FFS.

^ +1. If you get serious, elastic laces are great (as is going sockless) but you don’t need it for your first tri!

Take the 10 seconds to pull your socks on (remember to talc the inside beforehand), then just lace up your running shoes. If you enjoy it and want to get serious, *then* have a look at elastic laces and start going shoeless (to see if/how much you blister up), etc etc.

Above all – have fun! 😀

If your thinking of doing more or even more duathlons a tri suit is great to speed things up, however as has been said probably not worth it for your first ‘just for fun’ I usually sow my pockets up but most of my swimming is ow now so doesnt really matter if you do opt for a tri suit you’ll want a number belt too to save you pinning the numbers to your tri top/suit, again I wouldn’t bother with socks but if you feel the need talc and put them on when you set transition up and roll them up …..there easier to roll on when your feet arw wet rather than pull on….if your wearing swim shorts/jammers rather than speedo type trunks id be tempted to just bike in them as its usually only around 10-15 mile

I wore a knackered old skinsuit for my first few tri`s