With the start of the triathlon season literally days away there are a few things that you probably haven't done that you should get sorted as soon as possible.

Rubber repairs

First up, we bet you haven't taken a look at your wetsuit in a while! Now is the time to get it out from where ever you hid it (right-side out and neatly folded - of course...) and give it a good checking for nicks, cuts and dodgy seams. Even some quite substantial damage can be fixed relatively easily, and at far less cost than a complete new suit, while alterations like a different neckline or a reverse action zip are all possible.

Within the UK, other than a quick fix to a nick with some Black Witch glue (see here on the Sigma Sport website), most wetsuit repairs will end up at one of three places. First on the list would be Snugg down in Newquay where Malcolm Ball's team of tailors can do fixes and alterations to suits that even the original suppliers can't detect. More than a few pro athletes wearing what appears to be a branded suit are actually wearing suits that Snugg have 'tweaked' - and on a domestic level, both Jenny's current suits are Snugg modified with different collars and reversed zips.

The other UK-based wetsuit maker is Biddie Foord and her Terrapin wetsuit business up in Leicestershire. Just as some people prefer one tailor to another, Biddie has a stream of loyal customers going back to the dawn of triathlon in the UK and she can do pretty much anything that Snugg can do.

A recent addition to the party is a company called Wetsuit Repairs who are based in Lostwithiel in Cornwall. Their business is based around other things made out of neoprene but they have developed a nice little sideline in fixing wetsuits as well. Judging by the results, they are perfectly capable of sorting out most of your problems - they are the official repair centre for a couple of major suit brands.

Name on your kit

The second item on the list of things you might well want to do comes about because of a change in the ITU's rules for major championships. From 2009 it will be a mandatory requirement to have your name and country on your kit. This year the requirement is optional but it's probably worth going through the process this year so you know what can be done and, anyway, it just looks so cool! It's not a simple as just sticking the name and country code on, they do have to be in the right place and in the right size plus any sponsor logos have to conform to rules and guidelines.

There are currently two businesses offering a service which will put your name on your kit; Blade Printing Services which is run by Howard Vine, and Name on Kit which is run by Richard Stannard. We have had garments printed up by both and the results are equally as good. Blade do this as a full-time business and can also offer embroidery, we've had fleeces done as well, plus additional stuff like vehicle graphics. Name on Kit is being developed by an elite athlete as a sideline business and specialises in doing what the name suggests; short run graphics.

Get that bike checked

The final item on the list is to get your race bike fully checked over in preparation for some hard work this summer. We know that the trade is already starting to get busy with new bike builds which means that workshop time is getting scarce - book early would be our advice. Alternatively, there are mobile mechanics out there who will come to you so it's always worth checking local Yellow Pages or asking around. If you are in London you could try Kevin at Cycle Doctor, he has a repair unit near Canary Wharf.