Winter Tri advice needed

You have some good ideas and are correct that the bike wind chill may be a bit cool to start but after 20 minutes, should be fine. I find that my pain tolerance for temps in races, is that I can handle usually about 10 degrees colder with the same gear/covering due to the heat generated at 'race pace'. Early season races in Georgia, this is what I would add or consider:


Leave toe covers on my tri shoes (not full booties).
Consider throwing on thin running socks which is <10 seconds in T1.
If sub-50, cheap gardening gloves 1-2 sizes big, easy to slip on for wind chill and pitch at the first or second bottle drop zone, if they have one.

My background is Norwegian so I'm probably not the best person to reply. At 50 degrees I'd just go, "Ugh, it's cold" and wear a single layer long sleeve jersey.

Where I live the temperature extremes are pretty high. It's amazing to think that between 60 and 120 degrees I don't have to make any changes to what I wear.

50 - 60 I usually have to have long sleeves.

40 - 50 I have to have a second layer and gloves.

32 - 40 I will probably not ride, but if I do I have two layers plus a wind breaker and something to cover my legs. Gloves obviously and it's nice to have shoe covers.

On rare occasion below 32 I wear my ski clothes.

We had a triathlon once where it was 31 degrees and slight snow. I came out of the pool. I did not get the message that you could change indoors. I think it was the fastest T1 I've ever had.

Similar temps at IM Calgary 70.3 this past summer. I had put a long-sleeved shirt at my T1 spot (actually a surf shirt with a partial front zipper--I like it for cool races and rides since it goes on well when I'm wet, fits snugly, has sun protection fabric, and I can pull down the zip and push up the sleeves when I get warm), but I was in a nice warm sunbeam in T1 and decided I didn't need it. It was 51 at the time according to my Garmin. I'm skinny and live most of the year in the tropics; you'd have to look hard to find someone wimpier about cold than I am. I was shivering for probably the first 12-15 miles of the bike (into a cold headwind) and cursing that decision! But I did survive and in fact did my best bike split, despite it being a hilly course at altitude with a net elevation gain. So, layers not strictly necessary above 50, if you don't mind a little shivering. Otherwise, I'd guess you'd be fine with just the arm warmers, unless it's super windy. But be forewarned that they can be hard to get on when you are wet. If the water is cold, that can affect your dexterity. Even with water in the low 60's, my hands are pretty much useless when I come out of the water (thank goodness they had wetsuit strippers at Calgary). I find the surf shirt a lot easier to handle.

Ugh--yep, 43 is a different animal, especially coming out of cold water. And 43 and raining just sucks. Have done the latter, but I have to admit that I switched to the du for that one. I had tried to do a practice swim and transition the day before in similar conditions, but it (really) took me 23 minutes to get out of the wetsuit (no strippers there) and onto the bike, and I still was shivering so hard I wasn't sure I could handle the bike safely. I would definitely go for the extra layers with temps in the 40's. In the mid to high 40's, I'd go with a merino wool pullover with a partial zip. Any lower and it would be an insulated jersey. One trick I found helps--keep your swim cap on till the last moment in transition (when you put on your helmet). Especially if you have a neoprene cap under your race cap for the swim, that will help keep you feeling warmer while you get the wetsuit off and bike stuff on.