What Do I Need
After finishing my 1st super sprint triathlon at
Blenheim Palace in June 2013 I knew I wanted to do more triathlons and that I
would need some new equipment. Firstly I would need a better trisuit that didn’t
pull and bulge in all the wrong places. Secondly I would need my own swimming
wetsuit as I had rented the one I just used and had returned it. Thirdly I would
need a different bike. My 15 year old mountain bike would not cut it and some
sort of road bike was needed. Sounds simple but there are two factors you have
to take into account. I am 6 foot 6 inches (or 2 meters) tall and I had a maximum budget of £500 for
everything!
Trisuit
The trisuit I used from for my first race came from Aldi and
cost £15. It was ok but was made of very stretchy lycra which pulled and bulged
in all the wrong places. I slowed my T2 down to put running short on at the
race to cover my modesty more effectively. After looking at some big brand
trisuits on-line and deciding they would blow the budget and resorted to eBay.
I found an XXL suit with good reviews for £35 with free delivery. When it arrived
it was a snug fit but did work better than the Aldi suit. It got used during my
2nd and 3rd races (I still used shorts on the run as it
was slightly to short in the body). If was fine in my 2nd race (another
super sprint) but in my 3rd race (a sprint) I felt cut in half by
the end. Luckily there was a stall selling end of range tri clothing at the
race. I picked up a pair of shorts and a vest for £25. I was able to try them
on to make sure of the fit. The 1st time I trained in them the vest
rode up revealing my stomach (while its smaller than it used to be nobody really
wants to see that). I solved the problem by running a lace through the bottom seam in the vest so I could tie it
up and stop it riding up. I have trained both bike and run with this arrangement
and it work great. I am much more comfortable and everything is contained
without being on show. The proof will be in the pudding as my new 2 piece has
its 1st race outing in a couple of weeks.
Total spend on new triathlon race clothing over the last 2
years £75
Wetsuit
The fit for the wetsuit wasn’t going to be a big a problem.
The suit I had rented had been fine if a bit short on the arms and legs. I
figured any suit I was to buy would suffer from this issue. All I wanted was a
basic swimming wetsuit. I started by getting a price from the company I had
rented from who came back with a price of £150. Not bad but every extra pound
spent on the wetsuit was a pound off my bike spend. It was time to hit the
internet. I started with Amazon and eBay but there wasn’t much on them and they
weren’t cheaper than the price I already had. Next I searched for specialist triathlon
retailers who had online shops. Again I couldn’t find any better value
wetsuits. I happened across the suit I ended up with when I was looking for
bikes on Wiggle. I hadn’t realised they sold everything a triathlete could
need. I came across the Orca TRN Thremo Full Sleeve Wetsuit. A swimming wetsuit
exclusive to wiggle that they did in a large size with free delivery for £99.
It even had some good reviews I was amazed. I bought it straight away and
received it within a couple of days. It was a great fit and did exactly what it
needed to during my 1st test open water swim. It’s a good entry
level suit I have seen others using since. I have done 2 races in it and will
be continuing to use it for the foreseeable future. It is currently £88 on
wiggle http://www.wiggle.co.uk/orca-trn-thermo-full-sleeve-wetsuit-2014/ and I would recommend it any novice triathlete looking to
buy a wetsuit.
Total spend on a new wetsuit over last 2 years £99.
 |
| Orca TRN Thermo Full Sleeve Wetsuit |
Bike
After struggling to find a tri suit to fit and a wetsuit for
the right price I thought the bike purchase would be easy. I only had £350 to
£400 to spend but my younger brother (who is 6 foot 2 inches tall so 4 inches
less than me) had got a great deal on a road bike in this price range in the
Halfords sale only weeks earlier. I asked him what frame size he had got and he
said the biggest they had but it was only just big enough. This worried me I
looked into the frame size I would need and found I might get away with a 60cm
but a 63/64cm would be better. When I looked for a 63/64cm road bike the
minimum price was around £1000. So I
started looking a 60cm frames and even then lowest price I could find was £500.
I was resigned to paying more than I could really afford. I took a trip to a
local bike shop to have a look at some road bikes. I explained to the owner
what I wanted and why. He took one look at me and said you need a 63/64cm frame
you won’t be comfortable on a 60cm one. Next he said have you considered a
hybrid? They have the same wheel size as a road bike, no suspension, flat
handle bars rather than dropped and they make them in bigger sizes in lower
price ranges. He had been to a few triathlons and seen taller riders using them
with slick tyres and clip on aero bars. I didn’t buy a bike from him but I did
buy a Hybrid and it was a good decision. My search was re focused on hybrids.
At the time I was looking none of the major retailers had any good deals on so
I started looking at independent bike shops. I stumbled across Cycle Gear in
Halifax (who trade on line as www.ukbikedepot.co.uk).
They were local and had a Ridgeback Velocity SE reduced from £400 to £300 in
the 64cm frame. The bike had slightly better equipment on it than other at the
price and it was a nice looking bike. I called in and had a look at the bike
and had a chat about it. They were very helpful and confirmed much of what the
other bike shop had said about hybrids. I bought the bike and haven’t looked
back since. I have added the slicker tyres and clip on aero bars as recommended.
It may not look a bit funny and not as good as other bikes in the races but it
does the job for me. The 2014 version of
the bike is currently on sale a cycle gear for £279.99 http://www.ukbikesdepot.com/m18b187s18p11690/2014_RIDGEBACK_Velocity_SE_Mens_Hybrid_Bike a bargain if you as me.
Yes I would like a full road bike but when I get one I will be spending at
least £1000.
Total spend on new bike over the last 2 years £400
 |
| Ridgeback Velocity SE Mens Hybrid Bike |
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