Triathlon equipment

[1] Normally a trisuit is a single item of clothing; however, two-piece versions exist with separate shorts and top.

A triathlete may also utilize a heart rate monitor, either on the wrist or across the chest, to help maintain a sustainable pace with maximum energy efficiency without "bonking" or "hitting the wall" (becoming too fatigued to continue).

Usually though triathlon swims are done in open water (lakes, rivers, or oceans), therefore extra considerations must be made about equipment.

Due to the reduced visibility of participants in open water bright coloured swimming caps are almost exclusively used to allow swimmers to be seen for both safety and spectators.

This slick surface helps to reduce water friction and allow a faster swim, but it would be easily destroyed by contact with a sandy surfboard.

[13] However after a change to the ITUs official rule set specifically banning snorkels most national federation have also disallowed.

Since in most triathlons, cyclists do not draft as in many other forms of road racing, triathletes can gain a significant advantage by riding a bicycle which reduces wind resistance.

In addition, many components of a triathlon bicycle are designed with an aerodynamic profile: frame tubes have an oval or teardrop (instead of circular) cross-section; handlebars may be flat instead of round; wheels may have fewer spokes, or even be carbon fiber tri-spokes or discs rather than conventional spoked wheels.

Tri bikes generally have a very "aggressive" geometry, meaning steep (close to vertical) tube angles and a low stem and handlebars relative to the saddle.

This position helps to improve aerodynamics by lowering the cyclist's torso and creating a smaller overall "drag profile".

In 1989, Empfield designed the Quintana Roo Superform, a triathlon specific bicycle "built from the aerobars back" which provided an aerodynamic advantage as well as more power when in the "aero" position.

[citation needed] In very hilly races where a lot of time is spent in slow uphills, a low-weight traditional road bicycle might be preferred.

[citation needed] Aerobars, also commonly referred to as "tri-bars," are handlebars designed to reduce the cyclist's wind profile.

Tri shoes are often optimised for this approach: they may be padded to allow comfortable use without socks, have holes to allow water from the swim to drain easily, and have only one or two velcro straps for ease of fastening rather than the three straps, laces, or ratcheting buckles found on modern road racing shoes.

Many competitive triathletes choose to leave their shoes clipped onto the pedals for the entire duration of the race in order to save time during transitions.

However, a recent wind-tunnel study by Triathlete Magazine discovered that this approach is actually counterproductive because it interrupts the laminar flow of air down the athlete's curved back.

A 2003, wind tunnel study by Dan Empfield found that the best configuration was a single water bottle on the bike's downtube (it smoothed airflow to the seat tube and rear wheel).

Recent developments in technology have given rise to disc wheels with a dimpled surface like a golf ball, also in the name of aerodynamics.

Disc wheels are not permitted at the Ironman World Championships in Kona Hawaii, as large crosswinds are not uncommon and present an unsafe situation to athletes.

A potential drawback is that the smaller diameter means a higher curvature at the tire's contact patch, which increases rolling resistance.

As a result, the triathlon industry has developed a whole host of components which improve myriad characteristics of the bicycle.

Examples include chainrings which have no holes or gaps (increasing aerodynamics a minuscule amount at the cost of a few grams of weight), brake and shifter cables which run inside the bicycle frame, and components of all sorts made from carbon fiber composite rather than steel or aluminum, in order to save weight.

[18] This saves a time during the bike to run transition, in fact most athletes find that their finger dexterity is reduced due to tiredness meaning lacing shoes takes longer than expected.

On the long course races most athletes will wear socks, especially for the run, as the comfort provided is seen to outweigh the time lost.

As its name suggests, athletes often attach race numbers to this belt, so they can quickly clip it on during the transition before the run.

Talcum powder is placed in both sets of shoes to in an extra attempt to absorb any excess moisture and keep the foot dry[19]