The last thing athletes want to worry about in the middle of a triathlon is a clothing failure. Years of training and hard work can suddenly come to nothing as a uniform or wet suit begins to bind and chafe, putting an athlete’s mind in places that are not productive of performance.
The most successful triathlon athletes, then, put as much thought into the selection of a Tri suit as they do into their bikes or running shoes. Fitting close to the skin for the hours that it will take to finish the race, a suit of this kind can ultimately make a big difference in the experience and the athlete’s chances of winning.
As befits the unique nature of the event, a Tri suit is normally a pretty distinctive article of clothing. Most incorporate a fair amount of neoprene, this being the fabric used in wet suits, in an effort to provide some extra warmth during the swimming portion of the race. Neoprene soaks up a layer of water and holds it near the body until it dries out again, and this process allows the athlete’s body heat to warm up that accumulation of water, creating an insulating blanket.
Once the athlete gets back on land, of course, that is no longer helpful. In most cases, such suits are also designed to breathe well when out in the dry air, so that sweat doesn’t build up within them in ways that will inhibit performance. Suits made by specialised companies like Urban Tri Gear LLC, for example, make use of highly breathable, high-tech fabrics that have proven to work well for intensive athletes of all sorts.
Most suits will also incorporate a couple of small pockets, even if only large enough to hold a laminated I.D. card and the like. Beyond this, the emphasis is usually and predictably on minimalism; there is typically little reason to have much in the way of frills on such a performance-oriented garment. That means that those shopping for such suits will want to look for ones that fit as well and comfortably as possible, because that is ultimately what matters most.
