Sleeves or sleeveless trisuit or two pieces

Suits with sleeves (to right above the elbow) were just launched a couple of years back, it is said to be slightly more aero, maybe it can save you 2 seconds per hour on the bike if you are fast. For normal people I think it makes no difference.
More important is the fit. It needs to be snug so it does not create unnecessary drag when you swim, but not too tight so it is uncomfortable or creates chafing when running. Check the chamois, some prefer thin some prefer thick.

I use an elastic bib belt which has "loops" to put up to six gels so I don't really need the pockets in the tri suit. They are very cheap and very handy.

One or two piece is also not that big of an issue for normal people. Time wise you save a couple of seconds in transition by not having to put on the top. On the other hand you would lose maybe 20 seconds if you need to stop for the toilet if you are wearing a 1 piece. In other words, it doesn't make much of a difference in my opinion, unless you are chasing seconds. And given that you are considering carrying food I assume you are not aiming for a podium finish where 20 seconds might mean a lot. More important is to find something that you feel comfortable in.

I love my sleeved 2XU trisuit. Always raced sleeveless in the past, but I actually stay cooler with the sleeved one.

2 XU makes some good models in both sleeved and sleeveless. They seem to last a long time and come in a good size range; albeit kind of boring color schemes. One reason you might consider a sleeved suit (besides being a bit more aerodynamic on the bike) is for sun protection, particularly if you tend to race in very exposed conditions (such as beside an ocean or other body of water) and/or burn easily. I usually race in the tropics; I have pretty dark skin and most of me doesn't burn easily, but my shoulders often do in longer events.

As for bathroom stops in a one vs. two piece, I really don't find the difference that dramatic. It is not hard to get into/out of a one-piece suit with a front zipper. In my case, I think it's faster than tri shorts as I have a lot of trouble finding a good fit on those (small waist relative to the rest of me, apparently). I usually have to get shorts with a drawstring and then tie it tightly. In the time it takes to undo that, I could easily be out of a one-piece. Really just a matter of fit and personal preference.

One caveat about fit--I think it's harder to find a well-fitting one piece than a top and shorts, particularly if you're tall or long-waisted. Adding sleeves makes it even harder--if they're too loose, they'll flap around and make you less aero and hydro-dynamic; too tight and they will be uncomfortable on the swim.

No thoughts on going with a swim skin over the tri suit?

Compresses body circumference for better water profile.

Covers pockets so they don't catch water.

You can get a wide variety on ebay for $20.

Best purchase I made for non-wetsuit legal races. Easy to get off in T1.

I went through this last year.
I wanted sleeves, because I can't reach the should blade area that's exposed to the sun with sunblock. And while I appreciate the sunscreeners you find at lots of races, they won't be thorough enough. Not their fault. I'm pale blue, anything short of filling the tub and dipping myself in it is inadequate.

I was deadsett against a "suit" because of the ease of.....you know....'going'.

But, finding a separate top that met all my needs/wants was difficult.
sleeves, something I can wear the whole race, lighter colors but not tons of white, not too garish, some "storage" if possible, comfortable, doesn't make me look foolish

There's some cheap imports you might find. But, caveat emptor.

I ended up going with a full suit. Forza, I think. To be fair, it was the attached shorts that won me over, but I liked everything else. The shorts were comfy.
It has an "easy access" panel for certain 'standup' body functions, but not others. Let's face, if I have to get complete access...to sit down...the extra two minutes to slide out of the top and slide the thing all the way down isn't gonna make a difference.

The side pockets (in the shorts, not the back...I assume for swim benefit) are unobtrusive, handy, and more 'generous' than I thought. Fairly narrow, but deep. Probably wouldn't hold a cell phone, but gels certainly. I can get a king size Pay Day, a stick of chews, a gel or three...or 4, and some baby wipes in there no problem. Just makes my quads look a little bigger than they are.


Edited by jhaack39 2018-06-11 4:30 PM

If there is a half sleeve version of it I would recommend that.
Since when you are swimming the gaps on the sleeve will affect your performance and the same goes for cycling. The affect might not seem like a lot but when you want to improve your time in the distance tri then you will have to factor in all these things.
One or two piece is just a matter of your personal preference.

If it were me I would stay with the current trinsuit if you like it

And tape a few held to my top tube

How much nutrition are you using on your Olympic races?

I'm huge on sleeves.
I sunburn like crazy. And as wonderful as the sunscreeners are when it's offered....I'm still going to wind up with patches on my back in a tank style. If I try myself, even with a spray.....no dice. Same thing.

I went through this last year.
Gotta have sleeves. Gotta not look like someone vomited a zillion colors all over me. Gotta be lighter colors. I wanted pockets too....like a cycling jersey. I wanted 2 pieces.

In the end, the sleeved version tops with pockets are a little more scarce. I wound up with a De Soto one piece. It has an easy access flap for #1. For #2, if I gotta.....a few extra minutes nearly disrobing to use the porta potty isn't gonna make a difference. I like it.

But, it didn't have pockets in the back. Two narrow and deep pockets in the shorts. Plenty of room for a couple gels, chew sticks, flushable wipes (yah, I heard some of the longer races run out of TP on the run).....and yes...I know what the bulgy wad on the sides of my leg were in my race pictures, but nobody else does. It's tremendously good at wicking. Like, almost too good on a cool morning.

In the end, it's the bottom part I love the most. For me, extremely comfy on the bike.

I also use a De Soto Forza Trisuit, but sleeveless. I love this suit. I sometimes consider sleeping in it... I have been using it for all of my olympic and sprint races this year. The Skincooler material is AWESOME in the heat!

For my 70.3 races in the fall, I am not sure if I will wear the suit or a sleeved top and bottom (also De Soto, they make great gear) From my experience, the longer the race is, the less important the couple of seconds lost in transition actually matter. So I think both are viable options. It will probably depend on what the weather is going to be like that day, but I am very comfortable with both options.