Why Shop at a Triathlon Clothing Store?
Triathlon is a sport that combines three disciplines (swimming, cycling and running) in a single race that may have a distance ranging anywhere from 13 miles up to 140 miles. Now, if you’re thinking about entering the sport, you’re probably already into one, two or all of the disciplines. The difference is you do each of them individually and not one immediately after the other. So, most likely you already have clothing and gear for each discipline that you do.
However, when you have to do all three sports in one go, there will be issues where a piece of clothing or gear specific to one discipline may not be entirely suitable to another discipline. This is where shopping at a triathlon clothing store is necessary. Here are some tips to consider when buying clothing and gear specialized for triathlons.
Triathlon Clothing Store Shopping Tips
Swim
In colder waters, you will want to wear a wetsuit and it may sometimes be required. A triathlon wetsuit has special technical details that are different from diving and surfing wetsuits. For one, it is designed for speed and surface swimming so it features a unique distribution of buoyancy. It is also more flexible in the legs and arms. A triathlon outfit is typically form-fitting so you can wear a wetsuit over it. It must also be resistant to the elements as well as to salt water and chlorine exposure. Triathlon clothing is also meant to be non-absorbent to ensure you stay dry when you transition to the cycling and run legs of the race.
Bike
For transitions from one leg to another, shop for triathlon transition bag which is specially designed to carry all of your triathlon gear and keep them organized from your water bottle, clothing and sunglasses to your helmet and even an mp3 player. As for the shorts, those for triathlon generally have crotch padding that is thinner than regular cycling shorts since you would also need to swim using the same outfit. One accessory you will definitely need for cycling is a helmet. If you’re serious about competing, try aerodynamic helmets for better speeds.
Run
For the run, a triathlon clothing store will have outfits and gear like visors or hats that are suitable to meet the requirements of long distance racers for comfort and speed. It’s common for outfits to include pockets so you can carry nutrition.
As you can see, triathlon specific clothing and gear is really necessary just as you would need such things specialized for other sports. A good triathlon clothing store will offer plenty of options in terms of products and price points so you can gear up properly whether you’re on a budget or a diehard with lots of money to spend.
