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Avoiding Overspending on Equipment...

Saturday, 14 May 2016 00:10

ATTENTION: Favorites prevail at frosty Oakdale Du. Photos and coverage tomorrow. RESULTS.

By Dr. Steve Jonas (usatriathlon.org)

Well, spring is here (in most parts of the country), and the tri/duathlete’s thoughts turn to a variety of things: the race schedule for the upcoming season, the training program that will get you ready for the races that you are planning to do, and yes, equipment. Race schedules and training programs are constants from season-to-season, of course. Thoughts on equipment vary, depending how long you have been in the sport, how much equipment you already have, what kind of shape it is in, and so on and so forth. This column is primarily aimed more at those who are new or relatively new to the sport, but there are a few words of advice that might help out some of the more experienced types as well....

The most important principle, whether you are a beginner or have been doing it for quite some time, is don’t overbuy. It is obvious that equipment is a very important element of multisport racing. In fact, compared with, say, road racing, it is an equipment-centered sport. And not just in what you need to do it, but (except for city races for those who live in cities) either you or one of your racing buddies will need a car just to get to the events. But, it is easy to way overdo it, spend money that you don’t need to, and have equipment that you can’t possibly take advantage of.

If you are not a really good swimmer already, having one of those super-slippery wetsuits is not going to make you into one. What you really want is a) a suit that is comfortable, b) a suit that provides good buoyancy and c) a suit that is relatively easy to get into and out of. As for the bike, a tri bike will help you to go faster only if you can get up to at least 20 miles an hour on it. You also have to think about whether or not the potential discomfort of the bent-over riding position and the possible problems with maintaining your balance in that position are worth it, for you, to pick up a bit more speed. I do have to say that I come at this one from the perspective of one who has tried a tri bike a couple of times, but never stayed with it, for the stated reasons.