Bike Shorts vs. Tri Shorts

People have put on shorts over a suit in T1. It's a little bit slower and more of a pain, especially since you might be a little bit off-balance coming out of the water. I think the general consensus is that it's best to wear the same thing for the whole tri. You'll have enough stuff to think about in T1.

The difference isn't really the length between bike/tri shorts. It's that tri shorts have a thinner chamois padding that is made to dry quickly and be comfortable to run in (bike shorts = soggy diaper when running).

Whatever you do, it would be good to practice it ahead of your tri to find what will work best.

I would just wear tri shorts.  I also don't recommend wearing anything underneath your bike or tri shorts either.  I think that might be uncomfortable.  And like was already stated the main difference in tri and bike shorts is the amount of padding.  Good luck with your first tri!

Experienced cyclist but tri newb.  I had the same question.  Bike short pad is generally thicker & will absorb water (not good).  Dedicated tri short has thinner quick-drying pad which you can easily swim/bike/run in (with appropriate top, of course).  I've only done 2 tris (both sprints) & found the tri short was fine for the bike.  I bought a mid-level Louis Garneau tri short ($30 on sale) which has been great.  BUT- Do not do regular pool swims with tri shorts (unless maker specifically says it's OK) because chlorine can attack the fabrics.

In the 2 tris I've done there was no provision for changing clothes at T1.  I'll leave it to female athletes to comment further, but my guess is that you would want to test the "tri short over swimsuit" idea before doing it in a real event (it may cause irritation/chafing during the bike leg).

Good luck on your 1st tri.  Plenty of great advice on this site to help you have a blast!!!!

Since this is your first tri and I assume you don't have tri shorts already, you can hold off on that purchase until after the race to see how you feel about the sport before you spend $ on the tri-specific gear.  I did my first few (4) tri's in swim jammers and was fine.  Whatever you decide to do, test it out before the race!

Thanks for your input, I figured biker shorts would = soogy diaper feeling ;D

I just wanted to double check with a real person first, not just the advertisments I have been reading.  I definitely have enough time to order a pair and try them out in the water a few times.

Thanks for your help!

Any time you can save in transition is all FREE time you don't have to work for

FWIW, I prefer to ride in my Tri-shorts compared to my bike shorts all the time - even on long (2-3 hour) rides.  I have good, well fitting bike shorts but the tri shorts just feel more comfortable to me.

I was about to post the same thing.  I bought a pair of tri shorts and a pair of bike shorts and my tri shorts are much more comfortable.

I have only done two sprint tris but I wore tri shorts over my suit for the entire race.  For my next race I am probably going to race in a tri top and tri shorts and not wear a one-piece suit and shorts but that is because I think two separate peices would be more convenient and not do to comfort issues.  In my first race, I finished in first place for beginners only because I had faster transition times than the two racers behind me.  I passed several people because they were struggling to put on shorts and shirts in T1 while they were wet from the swim.  After my first race, I made a list of things I noticed that worked and did not work for other racers so I can be more prepared next time.  Just get out there and have fun.  Best of luck.