RedHairedScot

I'm a grad student with no money. I'm looking to run my first triathlon. I'm also looking at buying my first pair of bike shorts -- or I might just go whole-hog and get bibs. Everybody seems to gush about them, and I'll try anything twice.

So for a first newbie sprint triathlon for a guy who doesn't want to change more often than Barbie, can I wear these things in the pool? Or is this a ridiculous question?

tribro

probably not bibs in the water. tri-shorts have less padding in the butt so they dry quicker. Regular shorts/bib for training, tri-shorts for racing. for a sprint you could probably get away with just a swimsuit (speedo - if your brave ).

good luck and have fun.

cjbruin

Check out www.sportsbasement.com They have some of their stuff on sale...check out the tri suits that can be worn through the entire race. I love mine for sprints and international distances.

TriBob

For a sprint you can get away with your swim suit (jammers).

ZackJones

RedHairedScot: Sure you can wear your biking shorts to swim in. I may be in the minority but I don't prefer bibs over regular shorts. A trisuit, as mentioned by others, would be a good investment if you think you'll be doing more than one triathlon.

roadpig2001

Go with the speedos. On a sprint the distance you ride is probably no more than 20 miles. Howerver a wet chamois with standard bike shorts might make the run very uncomfortable.

earthling

So what do people actually wear?

Swim: Wetsuit over tri-bike shorts?
Bike: Tri-bike shorts w/ jersey?
Run: Same?

Why not:

Swim: Wetsuit over speedos
Bike: Bike shorts over speedos
Run: Running shorts over speedos

TysonB

OR,

If it's warm enough, why not:

Swim - Speedo
Bike - Speedo
Run - Speedo ?

When I did a "tin-man" (now "Olympic" distance) tri 20 years ago, this is what I wore. The speedo dried on the bike and was fine for the run. I have a bit of a belly now, so out of the water I will be sure to have on a shirt or singlet just so the dogs, horses, women and children don't spook. That was the uniform of the elite guys that day, also. Butt might be a little saddle sore the next day, but 24 miles of riding shouldn't do lasting damage.

Tyson

ZackJones

When I was a 20 something (meaning in shape) I was speedo man. I'd do the swim and bike in the speedo and then add a top for the run. What I'm planning on doing in June is do everything in bike shorts. I swim and run in them now so I'm used to the feeling of wearing them. I'm planning on wearing a short sleeve underarmor type shirt as well. I'm doing this for a couple of reasons. I plan to wear my HRM for the whole race and I think having a shirt over it for the swim, since I won't be wearing a wet suit, will help keep it in place and it makes pulling a bike jersey on after the swim a whole lot easier. The jersey slides over the underarmor shirt much easier than my wet skin. When I drop the poundage I'll go back to wearing a tri suit. I still have one that I used to wear back in 1999 when I did the Whistlestop duathlon and I'm looking forward to the day that I'll be able to wear it again

lala

haha -- 'just so the dogs, horses, women and children don't spook'

earthling

Dumb question...HRM?

DogBoy

Heart Rate Monitor