Next-Level Triathlon Training

Yes, you’re only in the thing for about 10% of your race, but a tri-specific wetsuit is one of the sport’s big ticket items with the ability to make or break your race. An ill-fitting, poorly-chosen suit will leave you sinking in the aqua and with a red neck. When it comes to buying your triathlon wetsuit, our well-worn mantra is ‘try before you buy’; humans come in more than S, M, ML, L and XL sizes so naturally many wetsuits won’t fit your own body shape. Comfort is key so, if possible, find a tri retailer or wetsuit expo to try – or even better test in open water – the suits. If not, ensure the online seller has a decent returns policy, as you could be making a…

01 Swimwear For women, swimsuits are popular. A quality suit’s long enough to allow a full stretch, while the straps must be comfortable and not impede your stroke. For men, jammers are currently the swimwear of choice. You want a snug fit but not tourniquet tight. For both, a material that offers high levels of chlorine resistance is key. Zoggs’ Aqualast is a good example. 02 Pool tools Swimming’s awash with accessories designed to isolate and work on a component of your stroke for the ultimate goal of slashing your swim time. Some are more useful than others but we’d heartily recommend pull buoys for upper-body work; swim fins and a kickboard to focus on your kick; and a Tempo Trainer to improve pacing. 03 Goggles It’s worth paying a…

Put simply, Ironman race day can be one of the most emotional journeys of a lifetime. Your race course companion throughout all of this will be your tri-suit, with you from the starter’s horn to that finish line. So what should you look for when picking your long-course race suit? Think about which type of athlete you really are, from an age-grouper vying for marginal gains to a long-course newcomer looking for iron survival. Top-end age-groupers should assess their suit’s aero properties, but comfort is key for all levels of athlete. While we acknowledge budget, we believe that if you’re going to spend hundreds of pounds to enter an iron-distance race, cutting corners on a tri-suit that could potentially hinder your big race is a false economy. These suits were…

A wisely-chosen race helmet significantly slashes drag as the helmet is one of the first parts of your body, which accounts for 80% of drag when riding, to disrupt airflow. If kit cupboard space and financial outlay were limitless, we’d all own three bike helmets from each helmet genre, which are… The traditional road lid is the lightest of the three and features more venting channels for increased airflow, making it suitable for training and hillier, hotter races. Next up is the TT/tri-specific helmet. It’s long tailed with limited venting and maximum drag reduction, long proven to be the fastest in the wind tunnel but with a weight and comfort penalty. “The aero road lid is a hybrid of traditional and time-trial helmets” Finally we have the aero road lid.…

POC Ventral Spin £270 The 250g Spin has decent airflow, from its vast 13 vents, and comfortable straps, but it seriously underperformed in the wind tunnel for a helmet with a £270 price tag. The unique Poc style divides opinion but, for us, the masses of exposed white EPS foam and straps give it a cheap overall aesthetic. Best aero position Lower speeds in the low aero position at 0° yaw angle Least effective Higher speeds in the low aero position at 0° yaw angle Average 40km time 1:00:16 B’Twin Road R 500 £30 The Road R has modern racy looks and the 17 vents help keep you cool on hot days. The outer shell is in-moulded – even at the rear and around the bottom surface – which makes…

Anyone with a passing interest in the history of professional cycling will tell you that aerobars came to the fore following Greg LeMond’s 1989 Tour de France victory. The American was convinced by Boone Lennon of Scott USA to bolt on the company’s revolutionary DH aluminium aerobars, instead of just using cowhorn-style bars found on most time-trial bikes of the era. The result? LeMond was 50secs down on race leader Laurent Fignon going into the final stage, a 24km time trial finishing on the Champs-Élysées. With his new bars, teardrop-shaped aero helmet and a rear disc wheel paired with a shallower front, he pulled back a massive 58secs to win the general classification by the closest margin of victory in the race’s history. So how did Lennon manage to persuade…