Post by robreddy on Aug 30, 2011 13:25:20 GMT -5
Having been in triathlon for so long and remembering the days when there was almost NO real "tri Gear" - I mean like before there were wet suits, HR monitors and even tri bikes - I'm constantly amazed at all the STUFF that people think they need to participate in triathlon. At some level all you really need is a swimsuit, goggles, bike, helmet, cleats, shirt and running shoes.
But gear is fun and some is very value additive - but much of the stuff that I see people touting around is just a waste of $$ IMO - don’t get me wrong I love good quality stuff as much as anyone, but for me I'd much prefer to cut back on some gear and use that $$ to travel to races, as I far remember and value the experiences I have had at races all over the country far more than what I would get out of a new top of the line Garmin (or what ever latest, greatest, expensive gadget you want to cite).
To that end here are some thoughts on Tri Gear worth buying and stuff that is a waste of $$$
BUY - stuff you should plunk down good $$ for.......
1. Computrainer - quite expensive but since in Cleve we need to train for the bike indoors for many months the CT is WELL worth the $$. Learn to train with power and the indoor ridding is well worth it the time and effort - just spin on your trainer = BIG waste of time.
** the one caveat I would throw in here is if you are just going to ride the CT courses - then you are wasting your $$
2. Lower priced Garmin - unless you are a complete tech geek - all the bells and whistles of the high end Gamins are FAR more than you need. Buy the simplest unit (think it is the 110 now) - but a Garmin with the GPS is a fantastic tool.
** the one caveat is don't become a slave to your Garmin - take it off and run/bike without it some times.
3. good quality bike shorts - now I'm NOT talking the $300 shorts - but going cheap on bike and tri shorts will get you in the end - literally.
4. Tri Swimming – a shameless plus – but one of the BIGGEST mistakes triathletes make is not getting any swim technique coaching and then just getting in the pool and swimming straight for X minutes – complete WASTE of time – get some instruction and get on a swim program with intervals and T-paces.
5. Jointing a Tri Club and meeting training partners – probably the best investment you can make. The info you will gain is INVALUABLE and having people to train with is equally important. Being a PAID member of a tri club opens those doors.
6. Aero Helmet – without a doubt the most economical and cost effective way to buy speed.
7. Bike Fitting – it sucks to be uncomfortable on a bike – and no matter what you will for some amount of time be uncomfortable. Get a certified person to fit you on a bike – it will make ridding a FAR more enjoyable experience.
** HOWEVER I have seen far to many bike fitters do a crappy job – or really not be all that well qualified to fit you to a bike. And just because some one is an expert at fitting you to a road bike DOES NOT mean they are knowledgeable about fitting you to a tri bike. A fitting should take at least 1 hour – less and you are being ripped off.
8. Power tap – again if you are going to learn how to ride with power on the CT, the next thing to get is a power meter of some sort. Now prices for PTs are all over the board and technology is changing quickly. Wheel based, bottom bracket based or the new and not quite yet available cleat based systems range in price from $500 – many thousands. Consider what you need carefully as you can drop lots of $$ when all that is necessary is a basic unit for about $500-$700.
9. Headsweat skull cap you wear under your helmet – if you sweat even moderately there is nothing worse than ridding and having your eyes burn or your glasses get all crusty from the sweat drippin off your noodle. These skullcaps actually work quite well and are more than worth the $20 price tag. And if you wash them after every 4-6 rides they last for years.
NOT – crap to steer clear of…..
1. ANY goggles priced above $8 – I mean really who needs $30 goggles – complete rip off.
2. High End/Priced Sun Glasses – be honest you will break or loose your sunglasses – dropping $100+ is a complete waste. There are LOTS of good options for $20-$30 and you wont go home crying when you leave them on the roof of your car and run over them as you back out from the group ride.
3. A bike for more than $3000 – unless your crushing + 25 mph or winning a Kona slots there are great values in bikes in the $2k-$3k range. And buy a year or two back. Technology does not increase all that much from year to year. Look for those close out deals. And you can ride that bike for YEARS – I’m about to crack 35,000 miles on my tri bike – the new ones are no faster.
4. Any bike computer above $30 – basic is really all you need. Hell I’m not even sure you need a computer at all. And if you end up going the power tap route you need no bike computer at all.
5. Any wet suit above $200 – I wont go into the debate about needing a wet suit at all – but truth is you will want one. But those suits that cost $400, $500, hell even $750 are a complete rip off when you can grab a prior year model for WAY under $200 – take the $$ you save and pay for Tri Swimming (shameless plug #2) and you will be a FAR better swimmer for it.
6. Carbon water bottle cages – you are sh it ing me, right, $50+ for a water bottle cage?? What, to save like 20 g of weight??? Loose 5 lbs – nuff said.
7. Face mask type goggles (at any price) – your not deep sea diving Jacque Cousteau – ditch the mask.
8. Paying extra for a premium spot in transition – this actually sickens me that a RD would charge extra for transition spots. If you actually would consider paying for this, PLEASE come see me as I have LOTS of tri stuff and services to sell you.
9. Very expensive “Cooling” clothing. Look if its 90+ degrees and humid NO piece of clothing will cool you down enough to make ANY difference in the world. Buy a bag of ice and stuff it down your shorts and in your hat – that will cool you down.
10. And the BIGGEST waste of $$ of all – AERO WHEELS – there are very few folks that can crank enough speed to make a huge times savings from a $1500 - $3000 set of deep rim wheels. But go to any tri and you will see folks plunkin along at 16-24 mph on a very costly set of disks. At best the average person might save 45 sec over a 40k ride with aero wheels – think about it – that’s a cost of $45 a SECOND!!! At that price point an Oly tri that took you 2 hr 30 min to complete would costs $445,500 to enter!!!!!! Aero wheels are the biggest rip off in triathlon – but MORE triathletes drink that cool aid than any other gimmick. And honestly if you are training on your $2k aero set your not only a financial nincompoop but also a poser toolas well.
OK – I’d like to hear what other items folks think are WAY worth the $$ and what things are NOT!!
But gear is fun and some is very value additive - but much of the stuff that I see people touting around is just a waste of $$ IMO - don’t get me wrong I love good quality stuff as much as anyone, but for me I'd much prefer to cut back on some gear and use that $$ to travel to races, as I far remember and value the experiences I have had at races all over the country far more than what I would get out of a new top of the line Garmin (or what ever latest, greatest, expensive gadget you want to cite).
To that end here are some thoughts on Tri Gear worth buying and stuff that is a waste of $$$
BUY - stuff you should plunk down good $$ for.......
1. Computrainer - quite expensive but since in Cleve we need to train for the bike indoors for many months the CT is WELL worth the $$. Learn to train with power and the indoor ridding is well worth it the time and effort - just spin on your trainer = BIG waste of time.
** the one caveat I would throw in here is if you are just going to ride the CT courses - then you are wasting your $$
2. Lower priced Garmin - unless you are a complete tech geek - all the bells and whistles of the high end Gamins are FAR more than you need. Buy the simplest unit (think it is the 110 now) - but a Garmin with the GPS is a fantastic tool.
** the one caveat is don't become a slave to your Garmin - take it off and run/bike without it some times.
3. good quality bike shorts - now I'm NOT talking the $300 shorts - but going cheap on bike and tri shorts will get you in the end - literally.
4. Tri Swimming – a shameless plus – but one of the BIGGEST mistakes triathletes make is not getting any swim technique coaching and then just getting in the pool and swimming straight for X minutes – complete WASTE of time – get some instruction and get on a swim program with intervals and T-paces.
5. Jointing a Tri Club and meeting training partners – probably the best investment you can make. The info you will gain is INVALUABLE and having people to train with is equally important. Being a PAID member of a tri club opens those doors.
6. Aero Helmet – without a doubt the most economical and cost effective way to buy speed.
7. Bike Fitting – it sucks to be uncomfortable on a bike – and no matter what you will for some amount of time be uncomfortable. Get a certified person to fit you on a bike – it will make ridding a FAR more enjoyable experience.
** HOWEVER I have seen far to many bike fitters do a crappy job – or really not be all that well qualified to fit you to a bike. And just because some one is an expert at fitting you to a road bike DOES NOT mean they are knowledgeable about fitting you to a tri bike. A fitting should take at least 1 hour – less and you are being ripped off.
8. Power tap – again if you are going to learn how to ride with power on the CT, the next thing to get is a power meter of some sort. Now prices for PTs are all over the board and technology is changing quickly. Wheel based, bottom bracket based or the new and not quite yet available cleat based systems range in price from $500 – many thousands. Consider what you need carefully as you can drop lots of $$ when all that is necessary is a basic unit for about $500-$700.
9. Headsweat skull cap you wear under your helmet – if you sweat even moderately there is nothing worse than ridding and having your eyes burn or your glasses get all crusty from the sweat drippin off your noodle. These skullcaps actually work quite well and are more than worth the $20 price tag. And if you wash them after every 4-6 rides they last for years.
NOT – crap to steer clear of…..
1. ANY goggles priced above $8 – I mean really who needs $30 goggles – complete rip off.
2. High End/Priced Sun Glasses – be honest you will break or loose your sunglasses – dropping $100+ is a complete waste. There are LOTS of good options for $20-$30 and you wont go home crying when you leave them on the roof of your car and run over them as you back out from the group ride.
3. A bike for more than $3000 – unless your crushing + 25 mph or winning a Kona slots there are great values in bikes in the $2k-$3k range. And buy a year or two back. Technology does not increase all that much from year to year. Look for those close out deals. And you can ride that bike for YEARS – I’m about to crack 35,000 miles on my tri bike – the new ones are no faster.
4. Any bike computer above $30 – basic is really all you need. Hell I’m not even sure you need a computer at all. And if you end up going the power tap route you need no bike computer at all.
5. Any wet suit above $200 – I wont go into the debate about needing a wet suit at all – but truth is you will want one. But those suits that cost $400, $500, hell even $750 are a complete rip off when you can grab a prior year model for WAY under $200 – take the $$ you save and pay for Tri Swimming (shameless plug #2) and you will be a FAR better swimmer for it.
6. Carbon water bottle cages – you are sh it ing me, right, $50+ for a water bottle cage?? What, to save like 20 g of weight??? Loose 5 lbs – nuff said.
7. Face mask type goggles (at any price) – your not deep sea diving Jacque Cousteau – ditch the mask.
8. Paying extra for a premium spot in transition – this actually sickens me that a RD would charge extra for transition spots. If you actually would consider paying for this, PLEASE come see me as I have LOTS of tri stuff and services to sell you.
9. Very expensive “Cooling” clothing. Look if its 90+ degrees and humid NO piece of clothing will cool you down enough to make ANY difference in the world. Buy a bag of ice and stuff it down your shorts and in your hat – that will cool you down.
10. And the BIGGEST waste of $$ of all – AERO WHEELS – there are very few folks that can crank enough speed to make a huge times savings from a $1500 - $3000 set of deep rim wheels. But go to any tri and you will see folks plunkin along at 16-24 mph on a very costly set of disks. At best the average person might save 45 sec over a 40k ride with aero wheels – think about it – that’s a cost of $45 a SECOND!!! At that price point an Oly tri that took you 2 hr 30 min to complete would costs $445,500 to enter!!!!!! Aero wheels are the biggest rip off in triathlon – but MORE triathletes drink that cool aid than any other gimmick. And honestly if you are training on your $2k aero set your not only a financial nincompoop but also a poser toolas well.
OK – I’d like to hear what other items folks think are WAY worth the $$ and what things are NOT!!
