What to wear...

I am thinking about doing my first triathlon in a month. I don't want to spend lots of money on new kit in case I never do it again! I already have all my running kit and a bike! What do you swim in? Do you get changed between events?

Thanks!

It depends on how long the event is.
Assuming that your first event isn't an Ironman, the transitionis likely to be open air and in public, with barely 2 foot of space allocated to you, your bike, and your kit.

If it's an indoor pool or heated outdoor pool, a wetsuit is frowned upon or banned. So you'll be piling out of the pool, running along a wet carpet to the bike, pulling on a top and number, hat, glasses and shoes.
Off the bike, swap the number to the front, go run.
Transition times count as part of the race, just like tyre changes at Formula One, and the best people practice them.

For your first one there's no need to buy kit because it's going to be a PB by default. So long as you have got a bike helmet with a CE mark (let's estimate that's one younger than 10 years old) and a roadworthy bike.
Don't get put off by the bling on display in the bike racks. The people with 6 grand bikes are almost certainly not 6 grand bikers. If they were they'd be sponsored.

I'm a noobie too, so I have an interest in the bottom end.

Lizzie

This guide on the PSOF website might be useful...

If you stick around, you'll need a new name... Sharpie? ThinLizzie?

In Short

Swim In a swimming costume if pool based, if open water you'll need a swimming westuit, these can be hired (cycle surgery, triuk.com amongst others)

....and yes wear a sports bra under your costume (common question )

Leave cycling shoes, cycle/tri shorts and top in transition and slip these on after swim (talc in shoes/socks to make easier to get on) - trisuits/two piece are preferable as you can use for everything but that means spending money... cheap good quality option on these is More Mile

Finish bike, take off cycle shoes and put on trainers... speed laces/elastic laces/lock laces are a cheap but good investment for quick and easy changes

Hope that makes some semblance of sense!

and welcome!

Gastank (PA to BaconLube CEO) wrote (see)

....and yes wear a sports bra under your costume (common question )

Gas always wears one under his costume.

Welcome to tri, Lizzie

... trade secrets T! behave....

Gastank (PA to BaconLube CEO) wrote (see)

 behave....

Not in my nature!

Lizzie, I got a tri suit on the start fitness site.  £23, Scott Plasma, very comfy to swim, bike and run in.  WIll let you know how it does in my first tri at the end of the month.

Rick22 wrote (see)

Guys, a related question: For men, can you wear just tri shorts for the swim (pool based sprint) and put on a shirt/top in transition for the cycle/run? Not sure if you need to have the top half of your body covered all the time or if you can swim and transition without a top???? First Tri this weekend!!

Yes you can. General rule is, no nudity in transition and no bare chests once you've left transition.

Thanks for asking that question Rick.

My OH is doing his first tri (pool based) in a few weeks, and he asked me the same question and I was a bit shocked to realise that despite completing several Tri's and probably chatting to blokes waiting pool side, I honestly can't remember whether any of them had tops on , clearly I was too destracted by the impending pain

For a budget trisuit, keep an eye out for Aldi - got mine for £15 there a couple of years back. Been great. Saves loads of time in transition as not trying to get a shirt over a wet body.

Good Luck for sunday !!

Thanks, just looking to get round in a reasonable time and enjoy it enough to want to keep doing it!!

Rick22 wrote (see)

Guys, a related question: For men, can you wear just tri shorts for the swim (pool based sprint) and put on a shirt/top in transition for the cycle/run? Not sure if you need to have the top half of your body covered all the time or if you can swim and transition without a top???? First Tri this weekend!!

Bear in mind though, that if you are putting on a tight top (like a tri top) the fact that you are soaking wet makes it blinking hard, even more so if you are trying to hurry! Same with socks. If it's a baggy t-shirt then I guess it shouldnt be so bad.

Best practice when you get out of the bath toinight!

Best thing - in a sprint race you have no time to waste, better to swim bike and run in the same gear. Personally I wear the same outfit whatever the distance, I am not a good enough swimmer to waste time trying to put on a top over a wet body. Incidentally, I am female, so for other lady beginners,  when I first started tri I wore a swimsuit a size too small and a pair of thigh length lycra running tights over it. Worked fine and I am NOT a 32A bra size!