If you want to improve your triathlon times, you’ve just got to train harder and race faster – right? Well, yes. But you might also be leaving some performance out there if you’re yet to look at optimising your gear, as well as your training plan. Now that’s not to say you can just buy a new aero helmet, stick some calf sleeves on and not bother with the training. Aero gear and time saving accessories will only go so far. But if you’ve got the fundamentals nailed – that is, training consistently at the right intensities, balancing hard work with rest and fuelling appropriately. Upgrading your gear can help you to unlock that extra 1% of performance.
But where to start? Because while the PROs have sponsors to kit them out in every single bit of ‘nice to have’ gear going. As age-groupers, it’s important to pick our battles (or in this case, purchases) wisely. We take a look at the triathlon gear upgrades that are worth it if you’re an age-grouper looking to level up your performance.
Aero tri suit
Chances are you’re already racing in a tri suit. But if it’s been a while since you got your race suit, it could be time for an upgrade to a more aerodynamic tri suit. Because in recent years, the R&D that’s gone into optimising aerodynamics and reducing drag in tri suits has gone to a whole other level. Materials have been finely tuned to offer a second skin fit, without a restrictive feel. Specific fabrics with a variety of textures are used in different places to optimise airflow and help you move more efficiently through the air for less effort. And even things like pocket placement and design have been refined through multiple iterations to strike the perfect balance between practicality and aerodynamics.
Wind tunnel test results vary by brand and speed of rider, but upgrading to a more aerodynamic tri suit could save you anywhere between 2-8 watts on the bike on average. And once you step up to the Ironman distance that could take several minutes off your race day bike split without having to pedal any harder – we crunched the numbers here!
Calf sleeves
Once you’ve upgraded your tri suit, it’s time to start thinking about the rest of your race day outfit. Watch any PRO race these days, and you’ll notice that a vast proportion of the field chooses to wear calf sleeves on the bike – with some even taking the time to put them on in T1 if it’s been a non-wetsuit swim, such are the potential time savings.
A little bit like opting for a sleeved tri suit versus a sleeveless one, the basic premise of calf sleeves is that by using specialist materials designed to optimally manage air flow – the fabric on calf sleeves is more aerodynamic than bare skin. If you think about your position on the bike, you can tweak your cockpit set up to minimise how much drag your torso creates. But your legs are always going to be presenting quite a significant surface area to the wind. So by wearing calf sleeves, you can actually save a surprising number of watts.
The benefit of calf sleeves versus aero socks is that you can wear them underneath your wetsuit (you won’t be allowed to wear socks in the swim). So as long as your triathlon has a wetsuit-legal swim. You’ll only save time by wearing the calf sleeves because you won’t have to put them on in T1, and they can help you to ride faster on the bike.
There are a huge range of aero calf sleeves to choose from, but we’ve recently tested out the new VORTEX calf sleeves from TRI-FIT which are made from the same premium French ribbed aero fabric as their new VORTEX tri suit and they performed superbly on race day.
Waxed chain
Arguably less exciting than a new race kit, but switching to a waxed chain could actually make a significant difference to your bike time. PRO triathletes and cyclists alike all favour a waxed chain, and for good reason. Because not only does it make for a cleaner set up (say goodbye to the tell tale chain-shaped calf tattoos). It has a big impact on drivetrain efficiency. By that, we mean how much of the force you apply to the pedals actually makes it to your back wheel.
TRI247’s Jack Evans took a deep dive into the potential watt savings of a waxed chain versus using a traditional chain lube, along with expert tips on how to convert to a waxed chain, which you can read here. But needless to say, the potential time savings over an Ironman distance bike leg were pretty wild for such a simple switch. And it turns out a waxed chain can also save you money on components longer term too!
Switch from a road helmet to a TT lid
Okay, we’ll admit that aero TT helmets are getting a bit ridiculous. You’d be forgiven for thinking some of the overhead shots from this year’s Tour de France time trials were actually of hammerhead sharks who’ve miraculously learned to ride bikes, rather than human cyclists. But you don’t have to go all in on one of the new, ultra-bulbous designs.
We tested out the old Giro Aerohead (the non-hammerhead shark edition) compared to an aero road helmet using the Body Rocket ‘mobile wind tunnel’ technology. And even after taking the time to fully optimise body position. Switching to the Giro Aerohead helmet reduced drag to the extent that it would take an additional 3.5 minutes off an Ironman bike split. Check out the graph below to see the data!
Upgrade to a disc wheel or consider a disc wheel cover
Assuming you’ve already bitten the bullet and upgraded from a road bike to a time trial bike (though if not, you can check out our guide to making your road bike more aero here). Switching to disc wheel can also further reduce drag, optimise aero and improve efficiency on the bike. This is because by doing away with a traditional spoked wheel, airflow is less turbulent. And where there is a slight cross-tailwind (yaw angle) the disc can also act like a sail to propel you forward. A rear disc wheel also has the benefit of actually improving how the bike handles in a crosswind, according to the experts at Parcours: “A deeper rear wheel will actually improve handling stability in crosswinds. This is because it moves the centre of pressure further back on the bike, away from the front wheel – which causes twitchiness.”
A full disc wheel is, however, an expensive investment. But if dropping a four-figure sum on a new wheel isn’t feasible (which let’s face it, applies to a lot of us!) you can also explore using a disc wheel cover. There are several options out there, but the range from EZ Gains has been extensively wind tunnel tested (and they share a huge amount of data on their website, too) demonstrating very similar watt savings to a full disc. And because they’re safety tested, they’re also legal for Ironman and World Triathlon-sanctioned events.
Course profile will have an impact on the extent to which a disc wheel (or cover) is beneficial, as it will add some extra weight to your bike. So if it’s significantly hilly course, and you struggle up the hills anyway. The costs could outweigh the benefits.
Tyres
Another one for the ‘not that exciting but surprisingly important’ column is your tyre choice. Because if your tyres are unnecessarily heavy, or creating extra rolling resistance – they’re going to undo a lot of the hard work you’re pushing through the pedals.
For triathlon, tyre choice comes down to a careful balancing act of reduced rolling resistance, aerodynamics and weight versus puncture resistance and grip. An all-out aggressive TT tyre might be the fastest on paper, but if it leaves you vulnerable to costly punctures or worse – taking a spill every time you take a corner. It’ll be a time-waster in practice. Take a look at our guide to triathlon tyres for more insights on how to choose the best set up depending on the road surface and weather conditions at your next triathlon.
Aero water bottles and hydration systems
If you’re still using large, round water bottles on your frame – it’s time for an upgrade. Because water bottle choice and placement can have an impact on how much drag your bike set up creates – and clever placement can actually help to make you faster.
World Triathlon and IRONMAN have implemented new rules recently limiting how much fluid you can carry and where on the frame you can carry it. But in our deep dive into the most aero ways to carry water on a triathlon bike, the consensus was to avoid the down tube (or use aero bottles instead of round ones). Consider switching to a rear bottle cage. And carrying water between your arms can actually be faster than not carrying any at all! You can read the full article here, but just keep in mind that a super-fast set up on paper needs to be practical in a real life race scenario. If you’re struggling to actually get to your water bottles, or your aero cages are likely to send your bottles flying at the first hint of a bump in the road – it could end up costing you time, either in littering penalties or reduced performance due to sub-optimal fuelling and hydration.
Elastic laces
If you’ve already switched to super shoes, one other shoe-related consideration is your laces. Elastic laces allow you to slip your running shoes on in T2, without having to take time to do traditional laces up. Helping you to get out on the run course faster. Not only will they help to take 20s-30s or so off your transition (which might not sound significant, but could easily be the difference between a podium finish or a World Championship slot!) but they also ensure that you won’t have to stop and re-tie your laces at any point during the run leg.
Typically elastic laces feed through your shoes in the normal way, and then you secure them with a stopper of sorts. But this can create pressure points over the top of your foot. New brand, Suspense have recently launched a new type of elastic lace which solves this issue – with individual elastic laces in a variety of lengths so you can get a custom fit. A fast transition, plus a comfortable fit and a locked in feel could all add up to a decent chunk of time taken off your triathlon run split!
That might all sound like it’s just a few seconds here, and a few minutes there. But add it all up, and you’ve potentially got a pretty significant chunk of time taken off your triathlon finish time – without having to actually put in any extra effort. Chances are, you’re already training smart and racing hard. So optimising your gear just means you’re making the most of all your hard work come race day and unlocking that extra 1% of performance that could be the thing standing between you and your next personal best.
Racing to keep up: Is social media making us train harder?
