Apparel Questions

You will need to make sure the water temp is cold enough for a wet suit. Most races specify that the water must be below a certain temp in order to wear a wet suit.

As for the padding, yes is makes a difference. If you are used to cycling with padded shorts, I would recommend the padding in the tri suit or wet suit. Also, if you are using aero bars, padding definitely helps in the general area, since you are leaning more forward.

As for the long arms and legs, that depends on the water temp, (here in TX, we never have to worry about that), and you want something that is easy to transition in and out of!!!

Tri suits do have pads that are smaller than the pads in bike shorts and padding can be your friend.

Just another free bit of information, if you take a pair of bike shorts and a pair of tri shorts and look at them from the side, you will notice that the legs on the tri shorts are straight while on the bike shorts the legs are at a forward angle. The bike shorts are made for biking and are designed for that specific motion. The tri shorts are made to run in also so they have a different design that is more conducive to running.

As far as your question on wetsuits, I don't have a wetsuit. I did attend a swim clinic in May and the same question was asked. The instructor said that anytime rules allowed you to wear a wetsuit, then you should wear one. His opinion was that if the wetsuit was comfortable and had sleeves then you should use the longer sleeves. His argument was that the longer sleeves would make the body travel through the water in a sleeker and more efficient manner.

Still tri'n
Michael