wetsuit swim in cycle shorts

jimmy augustine

My first IM will be FL this year. This week, I had the chance to get out there and swim in the ocean and bike a bit.

I am thinking that it would be nice to do the bike in cycle shorts or bibs with better padding. So yesterday I tried wearing them under my wetsuit for a swim/bike to see what t1 would be like. It didn't have any problems in the water or on the ride.

I would still have to change into running shorts in t2 but that does not seem like that big a time drag.

Any one else do this?

Al Truscott

I've done 22 IM bike legs (6 hours +/- 30 min) in tri suits or bibs NOT cycle shorts with the thick pads. The thin pads of tri shorts/bib/suits are specifically designed to be MORE comfortable during swim/bike/run than wearing thick pad traditional cycle clothing.

• When you're in the aero position (and you WILL be in the aero position for 99% of IM FL, right?), the majority of your weight is on your elbows/hands/feet, not your butt, unlike when riding in the more upright traditional road bike positions.
• Also in the aero position, those thick cycle pads tend to chafe along your inner thighs. The thin pads don't
• The pads are made of quick drying material, so wering under a wet suit is what they are designed for.
• Then, when running, again the thin pad does not produce any discomfort or chafing.

DeSoto, Zoot, and many other manufacturers have spent decades designing tri-specific clothing which has been worn by 100,000s of IM participants. Must be a reason we all do it? Of course, Body Glide or Aquaphor or something similar is mandatory in all the areas which get rubbed.

It makes as much sense to wear thick cycle pads during an IM as it does to hammer up hills and coast down them. Seems counter-intuitive, but ...

jimmy augustine

Sounds good Al.

I might need to find a diff pair of tri shorts. The ones that I have are desoto forza low cut and there is not pad at all to speak of. The are great to run i though.I used the forza tri suit for a couple of 70.3's and was ok in it. I usee the desoto one piece w/o pockets (ITU suit) for non wetsuit olys and the pad in that one is much more substantial. I guess cuz it was built for the non draft folks.

99% of the pad on my bike shorts is unused in aero but that 1% still makes a huge difference. I can go padless fine for an oly but I dont think that I could go 6 hrs in the tri shorts that I currently have.

At the same time, I have done long rides in aero in my bike shorts and bibs and was comfortable.

At the end of the day, I guess that this is what the race rehearsals are for. And maybe after 12 weeks or so of the long saturday/sunday rides I will be tougher where it counts.

jimmy augustine

another way might be to get a little more pad on the nose of my ISM race...

GMAN 19030

x1000 on what Al said. It seems counter-intuitive that tri shorts are more comfortable than cycling shorts but that's definitely the case on a tri bike.

Try the DeSoto Riviera shorts. Similar to the Forzas with a thicker pad but nowhere near as thick as the pad in cycling shorts.

jimmy augustine

Bob - would you run a marathon in the rivieras or change into running shorts? I have the riviera pad in a desoto tri suit. you are right. more substantial and comfortable. Will give the shorts a tri (couldn't resist...)

Greg Lewis

Jimmy,

I've only done a few IM's and I have worn full pad cycling shorts under my wetsuit and on the bike in each one and I haven't experienced any chafing problems. I'm in aero 97%-99% of the time and for me they are very comfortable with the ISM saddle I use. I then change into running shorts for the run.

I wear tri shorts for half-IM's but couldn't imagine wearing them for any longer than that. 

 As you say, your race rehearsals should determine what works best for you. Try em both. 

 

robin sarner

I have worn the desoto tribibs or shorts with the bigger pad for at least four irons. Stay on the whole race. Drop the bib straps if you want for the run.

jimmy augustine

Did a pretty hard effort 56mi in aero in bike bibs yesterday. No problem and for sure more comfortable than my tri shorts.

But, it occurs to me that nature breaks on the bike would be messier with bike shorts and the large pad that would retain fluids if you know what I mean. One nice thing about the forza's lack of padding is that they drained quickly.

It might all come down to what I want to run in. It seems to me that the tri shorts carry less padding in part because they are a compromise between what you would bike in and what you would run in. As a result, they end up being decent at both and not really ideal at either. If I decide that I want to wear my favorite marathon shorts for the run (some old nike shorts that have seen me across a number of finish lines) then all I will be concerned about will be what is most comfortable on the bike.

GMAN 19030

Posted By jimmy augustine on 06 Jul 2013 04:31 PM


Bob - would you run a marathon in the rivieras or change into running shorts? I have the riviera pad in a desoto tri suit. you are right. more substantial and comfortable. Will give the shorts a tri (couldn't resist...)

I did the whole thing in the Rivieras.  I can't run real long distance in running shorts.  Running shorts chafe the hell out of me.

Scott Alexander

I do the whole IM in forzas, less moving parts that way.

I do ALL my workouts in tri shorts, including swim, bike (except pure roadie riding, that's done with bibs), running, PT, weights, xfit or whatever else I may get myself into.

Coach Rich

Posted By Scott Alexander on 09 Jul 2013 09:21 AM


I do the whole IM in forzas, less moving parts that way.



I do ALL my workouts in tri shorts, including swim, bike (except pure roadie riding, that's done with bibs), running, PT, weights, xfit or whatever else I may get myself into.

So Scott is "that guy" at the gym in the tri shorts...nice to know! 

Dino Sarti

^^^

Scott Alexander

When I'm not actually doing SBR stuff, even at the gym, I do actually have a loose pair of gym shorts OVER the tri shorts. Truth.

So I'm only PARTIALLY that guy.