First time what to wear question...

Wear what you feel comfortable wearing....

If it is a USAT race... a top is now required for the bike and run... but, the RD may choose to ignore this rule (you might ask).

Tri-brief for swim works fine... the problem with putting on a shirt after the swim is that it is usually difficult to get on a wet body (specially if you wear a cotton shirt - I would avoid cotton). A singlet is easier to get on but it is still a bit of nuisance to get on...

It's ALL about functionality IMO... No one will really care what your wear... but, testing out your choice before the race is the best approach to find out what is functional for you... this is specially true if you plan to wear a speedo on the bike.

Good Luck on your race.

FWIW Joe Moya



Edited by Joe M 2006-03-15 10:16 PM

No one else really cares what you are wearing. You want to wear the most comfortable, most efficient clothing for you. Probably the most common thing you will find is tri shorts and a tri shirt or a trisuit (this elevates having to mess with clothing in the transition area). Next would probably be tri shorts with a singlet. Many men don't wear shirts (see link below). You could swim in a tri brief and the put a singlet on if that is what you are most comfortable with. Practice in whatever your going to wear a few times to get yourself comfortable and to make sure you can swim and transition into the bike easily. After your first tri you will have a better idea of what will work for you.

http://www.usatriathlon.com/News_Info/news_archives_frames.htm

I read all the posts last summer about the difficulty of putting on a shirt over a wet suit - and I went ahead and attempted it anyhow.  What a mistake!  I think I spent 5+ minutes in T1 fighting with a shirt until someone took pity on me and helped me.  And I did my second race with my shorts on backwards.  DOH!  This year I will have "real" tri clothes - and I will practice my transitions with my tri gear before the race.  So wear what you are comfortable in - but test it out first! 

"...shirt over a wet suit ..." ??????????

Did I read that right? As, in neoprene wetsuit...

Joe

OK... I did a double take... you mean a wet swim suit... I hope... if not... then... yes, I can undestand the "pity" part of post...

Edited by Joe M 2006-03-15 11:28 PM

You don't want to waste time (especially in a sprint) on putting clothes on. Spend your time putting on a race belt and socks/shoes.

What you wear in the water should carry you through the bike and run as well. It's the easiest.

Best of luck!

The race belt is a great idea too. You don't want to be trying to pin on a bib number in T1. Handle sharp objects when you have the time to do it right. Then, during the race, you can just buckle the belt and go.

In a sprint tri, especially your first, keep it simple and keep it comfortable.