Most speed for your money
If you are not prepared on selling everything you own in order to get the latest Tour de France gear, you don’t necessarily have to be in the back of the peloton. Below I will give you a few pointers on what you could call “more speed for your money” meaning receiving the biggest benefits while keeping cost down.
Swimming
The swim at a longdistance-triathlon is quite different from ordinary swimming. Out in the open water there is no line on the bottom or rope to guide you in the right direction. You have to keep your bearings by lifting your head up and out of the water all the time. The water is almost always cold so very often, to most people’s satisfaction, you will have to use a wetsuit.
A wetsuit does not have to cost a great deal, however it will have to cover the basic requirements: buoyancy/water balance, flexibility/fit and hydrodynamics.
You can get buoyancy in a surfer wetsuit for around 800,- but the water balance lies in the difference in the thickness of the neoprene panels have that the suit is made of. However flexibility and the hydrodynamic usually follows the neoprene quality. This means a suit shall fullfil all requirements in regards to super slide, fit, water balance and with a maximum freedom of movement. The cost for a suit like that is around 2000,- to 3000,-
Tip: Remember a swimming mask for ocean swimming. Better outlook, better flow, and more confidence in the competition.
Cycling
Here lies the biggest possibilities of blowing all of your savings, that being on either carbon thingies or titanium screws. The question is whether it is all necessary in order to get faster.The cycling part is definitely where the technology has a clear advantage. The financial input can be seen in the outcome, however it is still sensible to look at the cost/benefits.
Aerodynamic is the most important word talked about here which often is referred to as “drag”. This is due to it actually being a resistance you drag with you and not a resistance that you push in front of you.
The biggest resistance is the rider and their position. That is why a powerful, comfortable aerodynamic position on the bike is extremely important, it can make up to 3-4 km/t in difference when sitting in an upright position.
On a Time Trial bike, an aero-position that is both powerful and comfortable can be reached best if it has the right angles, the right tube profiles, and of course the right shifters fitted at the ends of the handlebar.
The Time Trial bike is always the fastest on all other courses but the mountain course, and that’s why it is the preferred bike to use for training everyday.
The next big aerodynamic challenge is the wheels. The wheels face a huge amount of resistance as they rotate with a much higher speed in the direction of travel than the rest of the bike.
In addition to this it is also here a big part of the roll resistance lies. The hub, tyres, and inner tubes all together make a huge impact. That’s why you should always choose your wheels with a high profile on the rims and flat spokes.
If your budget is around 12 – 20000,- then buying a bike with a carbon frame is the first thing that should dropped. Carbon is a great, light and hard material for bike frames, but it is always very expensive. If you change to aluminium you will be able to save up to half without loosing out on the most important things: stiffness and aerodynamic.
It is possible to get a super fast Time Trial bike for 12000,- with the only differences to the more expensive types will be the weight and wheel quality. The weight is relatively insignificant for the speed unless the course is mostly uphill. Wheels however are important and can be bought separately at around 8000,- and up
Tip: Your old/new regular race bike can be modernised to look like a Time Trial. All it takes is a few tricks from an expert, and the cost is around 1500,-
Run
The run is not so equipment dependant as the two other disciplines, but that does not mean you cannot optimise.
Running shoes can be divided into three main catagories: Strong training shoes, light training shoes and race shoes.
Strong shoes are usually for bigger runners or for long stretches. Light shoes are for all types of runners, but for longer stretches they also benefit lighter runners. Race shoes are for races and intervals, and can with great advantage be used on all distances when the speed is under 4.15/km.
If it takes you 4 hours to run the marathon part on the Iron-distance then there is no reason to invest in a pair of race shoes, the light training shoes however would be a better alternative. Remember elastic shoelaces for a quicker change.
Tip: Never buy shoes without a running test in running shops.
Gear that you cannot save on:
Helmet: Safety and comfort is everything. Choose a light and safe helmet that feels comfortable to wear for 5-9 hours.
Sun Glasses: Sun glasses are important – especially on the bike. Insects and stone impacts are just some of the dangers you will face along the road. Apart from that a good pair of glasses can make your eyes relax in strong sunshine.
Cycling shoes: Comfort and stiffness is very important. You spend a lot of hours wearing them.
Running shoes: The weight on your legs while running is around 3-5 times higher than your normal bodyweight. That’s why the injury level is substantially higher than in other sports.
This article is just a guideline when buying your equipment. All questions are welcome in the shop or by
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Now we have the equipment in place – All there is left now is the training…
Jonas, Endurance Sport
