clipless pedals OR wetsuit?
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akyooper
Posts: 22 Member
Hi everyone-
My name is Christy, and I have been doing sprint distance tris for a few years now (my first one was 10 weeks postpartum!) Living in Alaska, most triathlons hold the swim in a pool, but this summer I am going to do my first 70.3 distance, and the swim is in Lake Huron. Wet suits are not required, so I wasn't planning on getting one, but recently have beed advised otherwise. I was planning on upgrading to clipless pedals on my new bike, but I don't think I can afford to invest in both pedals and a wetsuit right now. Any advice or opinions? For what it's worth, I usually finish the swim near the middle of the pack, pass a few folks on the bike, who then proceed to zip by me on the run....
Thanks for your thoughts!
My name is Christy, and I have been doing sprint distance tris for a few years now (my first one was 10 weeks postpartum!) Living in Alaska, most triathlons hold the swim in a pool, but this summer I am going to do my first 70.3 distance, and the swim is in Lake Huron. Wet suits are not required, so I wasn't planning on getting one, but recently have beed advised otherwise. I was planning on upgrading to clipless pedals on my new bike, but I don't think I can afford to invest in both pedals and a wetsuit right now. Any advice or opinions? For what it's worth, I usually finish the swim near the middle of the pack, pass a few folks on the bike, who then proceed to zip by me on the run....
Thanks for your thoughts!
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Replies
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Buy clipless pedals and rent a wetsuit?0
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What is your budget? I got clip-less pedals (one side) and flat (on other side) for $110. And that wasn't discounted...usually you can get them cheaper at shows or online...I wanted them right away, lol. You can get half decent wet suits that are made to be more flexible for swimming as low as $200.
Personally, I say pick based on the following:
1. What is the average temp of the lake each year on the day of the race?
If it is over 70 F, and you can handle the initial chill shock if around 70 F, then you can get away with no wet suit and maybe a swim top (similar to a compression top) for some added warmth.
If it is well under 70 F, then usually you can get away with sleeveless (which is a lot cheaper) down to about 60 F, but you may want to look into warmer sleeves at that point. Anything less you need a full wetsuit.
2. If you don't need the wetsuit, then GET clip-less pedals. They make cycling world's better and easier.
But that is my opinion and I am still a complete newby in the Tri arena.0 -
Shimano 105 road pedals are $59 at Nashbar.com
Wetsuit rental from Xterra is like $100 or so, and it can be applied to a purchase if you decide to keep the suit.0 -
Shimano 105 road pedals are $59 at Nashbar.com
Wetsuit rental from Xterra is like $100 or so, and it can be applied to a purchase if you decide to keep the suit.
I didn't realize you could rent from the website. Thanks!0 -
You also need to factor shoes into the equation. Shoes + pedals + cleats (if they aren't already includes) and rent a wetsuit. Or buy one from xterras, which has a deal through beginner triathlete (and banner adds all over the place) for less than $200 for a wetsuit.
Personally, I'm surprised you haven't upgraded to clipless pedals yet - the firmness they add to the pedal stroke makes cycling so much better, it's almost night and day.0 -
Also, there is the question of what pedal system you plan on using.
SPD is nice, but typically used for mountain bikes and off-road. Dual-sided entry is a nice feature, and it's hard to miss cleating in.
Look is pretty standard, but since they normally hang vertical, it can sometimes be a bit tricky to cleat in right.
SPD-SL is so similar to Look that they are basically the same.
Crank Brothers have four-sided entry, but some durability issues, which probably aren't a problem for the road bike.
Speedplay is great, with dual entry and lots of adjustability, but can be a bit difficult at first to cleat into.
Personally, my wife uses SPD on her road bike, since they are easier and work back and forth with spin class. I use Look on my road bike and SPD on my cross bike. If I were to buy a new set today, I would go with Speedplay.0 -
Shimano 105 road pedals are $59 at Nashbar.com
Wetsuit rental from Xterra is like $100 or so, and it can be applied to a purchase if you decide to keep the suit.
The entry level wetsuit is $150 (it says $300 on the website but if you search coupon codes, there are 50% off ones). I bought one when they were $99 and have no issues with it. I've used for 2 years now.
Their sizing is pretty true based on my experience and a few others I knew.
I just checked the site and with coupon code bt the suit is $127.50 plus tax and shipping.0 -
BTW there really is a big difference in budget wetsuits and ones in the several hundred dollar range. That said if you are only going to race in it once every now and again a budget one will do.0
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BTW there really is a big difference in budget wetsuits and ones in the several hundred dollar range. That said if you are only going to race in it once every now and again a budget one will do.
Yeah, I make it to maybe 2-3 sprints (i keep threatening to do an oly) per year and am at the level where I am not competitive yet (getting faster every year). My next suit will be an investment since I seem to be sticking around and I have bigger goals.0 -
If you have the time, patience, and persistence, you can find great deals on used rental wetsuits. (You also have to have a limited sense of "ew...", I think, knowing you're buying something else lots of other people wore. But then again if you're renting wetsuits to begin with, that shouldn't be too big of a factor.) Rental places are always looking to replace older models with newer ones. I snagged a $600 Q-Roo for $125 this way. And it's the best fitting wetsuit I've tried on. It's a great way to get high quality at a low price.
As far as pedals and shoes go, yeah online always has the best prices. I'm a little hesitant to buy shoes I haven't tried on, and there's no way in hell I'd offend a tri shop owner by trying on his shoes then ordering my pair online. So my shoes come from a store.
Personally, I like the idea of pedal/shoes now, then rent a suit later. I definitely think pedals/shoes will give you your best return on investment.
And good luck at your 70.3!!! They're a spectacular and fun distance. You'll be hooked by the finish line.0 -
Ebay! I had never used it before last fall. Now I abuse it. You can find amazing deals. Also, try the classifieds on both slowtwitch and beginnertriathlete.
I've never done an OWS without a wetsuit, nor ridden without clipless pedals, but I can definitely say that a wetsuit is a lifesaver. If you go to beginnertriathlete.com and click on sponsors there is a link there for 57% off an xterra wetsuit. They're good quality. Their entry level vortex got me through 2 Ironmans and countless shorter distance.
Also, there is currently a used set of 105 pedals with cleats that someone is selling for $40 on BT0 -
Just an update....I got new pedals and shoes--went with SPD since that is what I had used in the past. I wound up borrowing a wetsuit, which actually fit me really well! Did several OWSwims with the wetsuit. Didn't notice feeling much faster (I'm not super fast to start with...). My 70.3 was in July in lower Michigan. The swim was in Lake Huron, in a bay, and although they called the temp. wetsuit legal, it felt really warm to me, so I opted to not use the wetsuit. I figured the few minutes it might gain me, would be lost in transition anyway. So, without giving a detailed race report, I survived my race and made all the time cutoffs. The temperature was around 100' that day, and about 9/13 of the run was on soft sand (!), but I crossed the finish line upright, so it's a win in my book! I had said I didn't know if I would want to do another race of that distance, but now I think that I have to, just because now I know what I would do differently! One thing would be to pick a later summer/early fall race. If anyone has suggestions for 70.3 distance races that fall in August-October, feel free to let me know! Thanks!0
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Congratulations.......I don't think I'll ever be looking at a half-iron for myself, maybe an Olympic next year......0
