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Long course age group triathlete Jenny Lucas-Hill puts the TRI-FIT EVO 2.3 to the ultimate test – wearing it for not one, but two, full Ironman distance races. Find out how the EVO 2.3 fared over 2 rounds of 140.6 miles of swimming, cycling and running.
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After wearing the TRI-FIT GEO women’s tri suit for Singapore T100 and Challenge The Championship, I was incredibly impressed. Even in the face of heat and humidity, it was ridiculously comfortable. But with two full Ironman distance races to tick off, I wanted something with a few more pockets for all that race day nutrition.
I actually left the decision to upgrade to the TRI-FIT EVO 2.3 until way too late in the game to actually test it out properly before race day. Which says a lot about how much trust the GEO had given me in the brand, and could have been disastrous. Thankfully, the EVO 2.3 (which comes locked and loaded with six pockets, and an IceDrip cooling pocket) didn’t let me down. After racing two full Ironman distances in the space of 7 weeks in the suit (promise I washed it in between!) read on to find out why I’ve now unofficially dubbed this the ultimate tri suit for long distance triathlon…
Summary
The TRI-FIT EVO 2.3 really does feel like a step up from the TRI-FIT GEO – and that’s no mean feat given how well the GEO women’s tri suit has performed. For long distance racing, the EVO 2.3 solved the few niggles I had with the GEO. 6 pockets make it easy to carry more energy gels than needed. The sleeves are snug, and aero, without the slight bit of tightness I noted on the GEO. And, as seems to be a recurring theme with TRI-FIT’s triathlon gear, the chamois pad was super comfortable from start to finish over the full 140.6 mile triathlon distance. Not a saddle sore or chafe mark in sight.
Honestly? Other than the fact that women currently only have the one design on offer for the EVO 2.3, I’m struggling to find much I don’t like about this tri suit.
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Initial impressions
The reason I’d stuck with TRI-FIT for my last minute change of race suit just before Challenge Roth was because I’d assumed the chamois pad on the EVO 2.3 would be the same as the GEO – which had already proven itself to be crazy comfortable on the bike and the run. You can imagine my alarm, then, when I got the EVO 2.3 out of the box and discovered the chamois pad was actually pretty different.
Thankfully my concerns were soon alleviated, after a quick taper week bike and run session proved the chamois on the EVO 2.3 was just as comfortable as that on the GEO. TRI-FIT have developed their own pad for the GEO, which is unusually plush (but not bulky). The EVO 2.3 chamois pad actually uses an Italian Elastic Interface pad which is more akin to your classic lightweight tri suit chamois pad. But that didn’t mean a compromise on comfort – and this tri suit ended up matching the GEO for undercarriage comfort levels.
The fabric on the EVO 2.3 women’s tri suit feels luxuriously soft – a major plus point when you’ve got to wear it for 140.6 miles worth of swim-bike-run. The upper body features AeroWaffle fabric, which I noticed is slightly more flexible than the hexagonal aero fabric on the GEO and means the slightly tight fit around the biceps isn’t an issue with the EVO 2.3.
Comfort-factor aside, I was mainly here for the pockets. And this tri suit has them in abundance. Two rear side access pockets, a pocket just behind each hip and two pockets on the inside of the front of the suit. For both Challenge Roth and Ironman Tallinn, I was able to quickly load up my pockets with all the nutrition I needed and carry it all with ease.
FIT
Much like the TRI-FIT GEO, the size small fit like a glove (for reference, I’m 5ft 4” and a UK size 6-8) so the sizing is consistent across styles – always handy.
In fact, the slightly more stretchy fabric in the upper body made this tri suit feel as though it were almost made to measure. Where the GEO is an all-in-one design, the upper body of the EVO 2.3 unzips like a cycling jersey which should give more wiggle room for those of you who are taller. And the mesh underarms give you next level freedom of movement, which makes for an unrestricted feeling wearing this tri suit under a wetsuit during the swim.
Just like the GEO, the shorts are compressive and stay put – without creating sausage legs at the gripper. And where the sleeves on the GEO were on the cusp of being a touch too snug around the biceps (should I ever grow any) the EVO 2.3 doesn’t suffer the same issue – sitting close enough to be aero, without any squeeze.
Comfort & PERFORMANCE
Both races in this suit featured a wetsuit swim, and I had no issues with restriction through the shoulders during the swim. Challenge Roth has a few rolling climbs, which means a few opportunities to get out of the aero bars and stand up out of the saddle. The chamois pad was perfectly comfortable throughout, but it really held it’s own at Ironman Tallinn which is pan flat and super windy, meaning you pretty much never move from your aero position. It’s probably the comfiest I’ve been on the bike during an Ironman triathlon. At both Roth and Tallinn, the sun came out on the run and the tri suit did a great job of keeping me cool. The breathable fabric really came into its own here, as did the IceDrip pocket at the back of the neck, helping to keep my core temperature down. And miraculously, despite drenching myself with water at every aid station, I crossed the finish line with absolutely NO chafe. That never happens in a full distance race!
Two rounds of 140.6 miles of swim-bike-run later, and the TRI-FIT EVO 2.3 had well and truly passed the long distance triathlon test.
DURability
There’s probably no other occasion where you would spend a decent chunk of money on a piece of clothing, only to dunk it in a canal/the sea, sweat in it for several hours, dowse it in energy gels and whatever else you’ve got your paws on at an aid station. And then leave it scrunched up at the bottom of your after-race drawstring bag to fester for at least 24hrs until you get the energy to deal with your race kit. But that’s what we task our tri suits with, and the TRI-FIT EVO 2.3 proved it’s up to the job. The light colourway hasn’t held on to any stains, and there’s no sign of premature wear.
VERDICT
Having put the EVO 2.3 to the test over the full 140.6 mile distance not once but twice, I can say from a comfort, performance and practicality perspective this women’s tri suit ticks every single box for long distance triathlon racing. It was comfortable throughout all three disciplines. I was able to carry all my nutrition, without feeling like any of the pockets were bulging at the seams. And I didn’t have a hint of any painful post-race chafe to deal with.
Really, the only thing I can pick fault with here is the fact there’s only one design on offer for women. The men’s version comes in a choice of blue or black/white and I’d like to see that choice expanded for us women, too. TRI-FIT have some pretty cool, colourful designs available across the GEO and EVO NEXT GEN tri suit ranges, so hopefully they might treat us all to a new EVO 2.3 design. It would also be good to see the size curve extended to be a little more inclusive – currently it only goes up to an XL.
Other than that, this tri suit has outperformed my (already high) expectations and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it for long distance racing.
