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Triathlon Gear |
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Tuesday, 29 August 2006 |
What is a triathlon?
For those that don’t already know a triathlon is comprised of three sporting disciplines swimming, cycling, and running combined to form one sport. Distances range from 13 miles to 140 miles for one race. For those of you just getting into the sport you may have done one or all three separately but never all at one time. So you probably already have gear and clothes to run in, to swim in (triathlon wetsuits), and maybe to cycle in (like kestrel tri bikes). The point at which you mix these sports is when you run into issues where your gear isn’t quite right any more. Here we’ll talk about some common considerations for triathlon gear.
Triathlon Gear
Finding triathlon gear today is much easier than it was just 10 years ago before there were tons of triathlon specific brands. Brands like QR, Zoot, Orca, De Soto, 2XU, and Ironman were all founded and dedicated to the triathletes market. Today’s difficulties don’t lie in finding so much as choosing what gear to buy. Now more so than ever there are plenty of triathlon stores both online and brick and mortar. I recommend OneTri Triathlon Gear for your needs.
Triathlete Clothing
Why are triathlete clothing different than traditional running, biking, and swimming gear? The swim portion of a triathlon generally takes place in a lake or ocean; occasionally shorter races will take place in a pool. In colder lakes and oceans a wetsuit is preferred and sometimes required. Triathlon wetsuits are designed for surface swimming and speed. Thus, the buoyancy distribution is unique. Unlike surfing and diving wetsuits triathlon wetsuits have more flexibility in the arms and legs. Clothing is generally form-fitting so it can fit under wet suits. In order to get a faster time triathletes generally wear their cycling outfits under their wetsuit or swim in their cycling outfits. There is generally padding in the crotch for triathlon shorts; however the padding is generally thinner than traditional cycling shorts. This is because triathletes must also run and swim in the same outfits so they need a wider range of mobility. Pockets and pouches on the bike and outfit are common for triathletes, they are ideal for storing nutrition on longer races. A good visor or hat that is comfortable over long distances. Generally athletes wear the same outfit for swimming, biking, and running so they can save time from changing into different outfits.
Like any sport you can see there is a real need for specialized triathlon gear. The good thing is that there are affordable ways to gear up. As well, a true diehard triathlete can deck themselves out with the newest high tech gear.
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