Splurge-Worthy Endurance Tri Gear for Beginners

Triathlon is an expensive sport, but it doesn’t have to break the bank. Read our top recommendations on splurge-worthy endurance tri gear for beginners.

I am cheap a minimalist in many ways. I don’t like to have a lot of things, including workout gear. That being said, I ran my first triathlon two years ago in a swimsuit and capri yoga pants on a hybrid bike. I’m not going to lie, it wasn’t the most comfortable experience. The not-so “rolling” hills proved quite the challenge on my heavy bike, and there were points during that ride that I tried to calculate the speed differences of getting off and pushing my bike up a hill instead of laboriously pedaling. However, overall the race proved exciting and rewarding. I left with the feeling that it was the first of many races. I also vowed to myself that I would not attempt another race of that distance without a proper road bike.

When I decided to do a half ironman in April 2013, I extensively researched the necessary gear required for an entry level participant. The articles I found were either too basic or too extensive. Triathletes are notorious for being gear geeks (which is one of many reasons why JZ is perfect for this sport), but I wanted to keep our purchases within budget – we spent about $2500 a piece on gear, including bikes. My philosophy on triathlon purchases is that at my current level, training makes more of a speed difference than a crazy looking bike helmet, and until/if I am at the place where 30 seconds makes a big difference I am not shelling out the money. However there are some more pricey items that I feel are necessary for your first few endurance triathlons.

Splurge Worthy Gear:

Running Shoes $110-$140

A foot injury can set you back a lot while training, and it is crucial to find shoes that will complement your feet and gait. John and I both ended up in boots last year for several weeks due to running in ill fitting shoes. Get fitted for shoes at a running-focused store (not a general sporting goods warehouse). I love my Mizuno Waves because they are lightweight but also have a good amount of ankle support. JZ prefers his super lightweight and streamlined Karhu running shoes.

Triathlon Top and Shorts $50-80 per piece

I thought buying such specific clothing was wasteful at first (my thought process being: I have a swim suit, biking shorts, and running clothes, why can’t I just mix and match?). I could not have been more wrong. Triathlon clothes are engineered to get through a swim, bike, and run with maximum comfort and dryness. I love my Sugoi tri shorts and tops. Some people prefer to wear a triathlon singlet to avoid waistband pressure, and prevent lower back sunburn if your shirt rides up during the long bike. At the minimum, have two complete sets of of triathlon specific clothing.

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to train in your race day clothes for a triathlon. This is something I knew about and generally followed for running races, but I never trained on a long brick day in the exact clothing I planned to wear for the half ironman race. As a result, I experienced some awful chaffing issues due to a last minute race day decision. I spare you the details, but I will say that I still have scars on my inner thighs.

Indoor Bike Trainer $300- $450

There will be freezing early mornings, rainy days, or blistering hot afternoons during your training where you don’t want to brave the elements and ride outside. While you should be training in an environment similar to race day, sometimes it is safer and easy to rid inside. This is only possible with an indoor bike trainer. We bought two different versions of Cycle Ops trainers. I have the Super Magneto Pro, which I love for it’s quietness and adjustable resistance levels. John got the Fluid2 model, which most reviews claim to be the quieter of the two, but the vibration of his wood floors actually makes it a little louder.

Heavy Duty Bike Tires $40-$80

The entry level tires that came with our bikes did not last long on the city streets (just over 200 miles). We try to avoid debris and gravel, but bike lanes inevitably accumulate vicious rocks and glass between sweepings. John shredded his tire on a particularly frigid 5:30am ride a month into training,  and suffice to say, it only took one morning trying to warm up our hands enough to fix a flat before we were ready to upgrade. We went with the folding-bead Continental GatorSkin Hardshell tires, and with roughly 1,000 miles of riding, they are still going strong. Hang on to those cheap tires though because trainers create more heat and friction, shortening the life of your tire.  As an added perk, all the practice swapping tires for trainer rides made me confident I could handle a flat on race day.

Lastly, one barely splurge that I wish we had purchased:

Triathlon Race Belt – After spending $70 on a tri top, it really sucks to have a hole ripped in it from your bib number when you could have prevented it with a $15 belt.

That ends my list of the essential tri gear for beginners. Obviously as you race more and gain speed, there will be more reasons to acquire gear. However, as you are starting out (and balking at the cost of the sport), remember that you don’t need the fancy bike helmets or a $800 wet suit to comfortably complete your first few races.