question about tri tops.
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fpugsley posted 17 weeks ago.
Yes, you swim in them. It is next to impossible to get them on when you are wet.
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olivestri posted 17 weeks ago.
well - i was the one who asked the question, so all you have is my learn by mistakes method, but here's what i've gathered.
a lot of tri tops are for swimming, hence the name tri top, you wear it the whole time, but as answered in the other thread, it is probably possible to buy a tri top that is too loose the drag is not worth it.
speaking of drag, no not that kind, i'd like mine tri top to have pockets, but that seems like a huge drag. thoughts?
the tri tops that are probably best for swimming would be comparable to the top part of a tri suit. in other words almost a swimsuit top. too bad for me, cuz i don't look like the people modeling these things i was hoping for something looser.
i might still buy the loose fitting tri top and swim without it. putting a tri top or t-shirt or bike shirt on in transistion, is not that big a deal, just roll it up and leave it in your transition area. when you go to put it on wet, you mostly just have to stick your head through (don't put your helmet on first - which i did) and it falls down around your body - eventually.
4483
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1634 days
kylie posted 17 weeks ago.
A well-designed and fitting tri top fits very tight and the back pockets are tiny, flat, and/or non-existent. So then you swim in it -- as mentioned above, putting a top on wet is HARD! But not impossible -- I did it for a non-wetsuit IM when I wanted the pockets already set and no extra drag at all for that long of a swim.
If it is a wetsuit swim, the fit of the tri top is less important since it won't be creating drag, and then you always just swim in it.
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xc800runner posted 17 weeks ago.
I have 2 Spiuk tri suits, one standard in blue and one non-friction in black. The standard one has a pocket in the back, but with mesh at the bottom to expel water. I swam sub-20 for an olympic in it with nobody to draft off. Didn't notice any drag caused by the pocket. The non-friction one is slightly faster in the water (about 15-20 sec), but doesn't have a pocket, so I use that for shorter races (sprint/oly) where I don't need to carry gels on the run or when I want to feel stealth. The blue one matches my bike, shoes, helmet, sunglasses, etc.
Just remember that whatever you get, it should be snug. If there is room for a wrinkle of fold in it, it's too big.
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m2tall2 posted 17 weeks ago.
I had been wondering the same thing about the fit or if they are just designed to be worn under a wet suit. I bought a tri-top/tri-bottom combo last year online from my favorite swim gear manufacturer (swimming was my first passion) and when I tried it out in the water I was very disappointed in how flowy the top was. And then when I saw people at races, I realized there was something wrong. I think I just ended up buying the wrong size tri-top. Which is unfortunate because I measured (and spent hours agonizing over the perfect one). I had originally really wanted a tri-suit but was afraid ordering one of those since I am so tall and I wasn't sure if it would stretch enough.
Now I use the top just for doing "dryland" activities. I won't buy another unless I try it on in person.
In any case, I've been wearing my tri shorts under a regular swim suit until I can cough up the cash for a new outfit.
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1634 days
kylie posted 17 weeks ago.
I can even feel the "flowy" feeling in my tri tops that are tight. I don't think many are perfect.
If you are swimming in a pool be careful wearing the tri shorts under your suit since chlorine kills 'em pretty fast.
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715 days
TriOnLife posted 17 weeks ago.
If you don't want to swim in a tri top you can wear whatever top you want for the bike/run. Some people do put on a cycling jersey and just leave it at that. At least it gives you pockets to stuff. If you go that route get one that zips all the way down and leave the zipper open so you can get it on easily and then zip it up.
- A 21st Century Mom who is tri-ing to get better instead of just getting older
www.breakingthetape.com/21stcenturymom
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fpugsley posted 17 weeks ago.
olivestri wrote:
speaking of drag, no not that kind, i'd like mine tri top to have pockets, but that seems like a huge drag. thoughts?
I think as long as you aren't doing backstroke, a pocket on your back will not slow you down.
4483
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1634 days
kylie posted 17 weeks ago.
I disagree -- a pocket on your back can be a cause of drag. At least it feels that way to me. But the tri ones are usually made to minimize that since yes, you often want them on the bike. Although on the bike you could also just have a bento box filled and ready to go, saving you pocket-stuffing time in transition. Aerodynamically a bento box isn't bad to have anyways.
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312 days
olivestri posted 17 weeks ago.
hmmm. i was not planning on having sushi during the bike portion, i'm gonna need a pocket for the chopsticks.
har har - just could not resist. i know it was kind of lame.
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theShiba posted 16 weeks ago.
olivestri wrote:
hmmm. i was not planning on having sushi during the bike portion, i'm gonna need a pocket for the chopsticks.har har - just could not resist. i know it was kind of lame.
Just don't confuse the wasabi tube with the chamois buttr....
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Jetskr posted 16 weeks ago.
theShiba wrote:
Just don't confuse the wasabi tube with the chamois buttr....
OUCH!
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214 days
majorm posted 15 weeks ago.
Is there some advantage to a tri top? Why even use one at all?
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1143 days
deepbluex posted 15 weeks ago.
A lot of races actually require wearing a top (even by men!). I've seen a lot of people disregard this rule and race bare-chested but I saw the verbiage. I wonder if it's a USAT rule.
wow, sorry bout all the recent threads and posts but there's so much stuff..when i decided to do a tri, i thought it was just..swim, bike, and run. and you are done!
but seriously, this question was raised in another thread and i was unclear on the answer. Are tri tops good to swim in, or would it be better to wait till after the swim to put it on?