Cost/Benefit Analysis of Equipment Purchases

Personally, I'd do this....

clipless pedals
aero bars
wet suit

in that order.

But that's from your short list. If you need new running shoes, that's a safety/injury prevention thing and that should come first. Again, depending on your vision, I might put presciption goggles in the same category.

The reasons I put the short list in that order: Clipless pedlas let you get more oomph from each pedal stroke. You won't get more tired and you will be able to go further and faster. Everybody wins I really could be convinced to put aero bars first -so if everyone else thinks that's where they should go, I'll concede. They're pretty much for speed -which in my little world comes well after endurance as a goal. But, I do have aero bars and do use them -even though my speeds only rival Lance Armistrong's great-grandmother rather than Lance himself. I see some benefit to your arms and shoulders to being able to change position occasionally -safely and comfortably. In the water temps you mentioned, a wet suit probably isn't necessary. It may well BECOME necessary, but it can safely go third. That's my thinking, anyway.

ANdrea

My personal order of importance would be to put clipless pedals/shoes first. I don't have any of the three you've mentioned yet, and that has been placed high on my list, for all the reason that Andrea sited. Efficiency of pedal stroke=stronger, faster cyclist.

Secondly, I would put the aero-bars next, primarily because you spend twice the amount of time on the bike that you do on the swim. A wetsuit gives you a humongous benefit, but I figure, that I'm more likely to experience significant improvement faster in the bike, and comfort for a longer period of time would be better.

I think the benefits of a wetsuit are considerable, but the water temp where I race is endurable--so the primary benefits would be bouyancy (which also will reduce drag, which will improve speed). And really I have a greater hope of improving my bike leg!! (o:

You sound just like me, though!! I'm lining up b-day and x-mas presents for the next 3 years!!

Dana

Number one on any list should be the tri shorts because they save a good deal of time in the transition. But, you already have those so:

Clipless pedals first because they will give you more power per stroke on the bike which, in sprint triathlons especially, will reduce your time tremendously.

Aero bars come second because you can adopt an aero tuck with drop bars for the first few triathlons. Although not as comfortable as tucking in aero bars, your first few triathlons will probably be sprints which are not long rides.

And the wetsuit is third because you probably won't need it until next spring so you can put that one on your Christmas wish list.

I have to agree with the pedals. I just feel so much smoother with them.

It is a toss up for me on the areo bars and Wetsuit. If the swim is more then 1.5km I think the wet suit. You won't get a huge time benefit on shorter courses, because you need to get the darn thing off. Aerobars are nice, but I still spend most of my time in the drops. I am still getting used to having no breaks and less control with the aerobars. They do seem to help when I use them.