General Discussion Triathlon Talk » Tri suit sizing help! Rss Feed  
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2019-01-09 10:32 AM


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Subject: Tri suit sizing help!
So I am 5'8 and will be racing around 170-175lbs.

My waist is 30 inches and my chest is 41.

Because of my height I keep getting told a medium (waist as well) but all of the chest measurements are very small.

I could cut the suit a bit if it started chaffing too bad I guess, I'm just brainstorming.

Any ideas?

Thank you for any help!


2019-01-09 12:29 PM
in reply to: 0

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Cypress, Texas
Subject: RE: Tri suit sizing help!

I am 170lb, 40 chest size, 30" waist.  I wear a large.  I am 6'0". 

Tri suits tend to be made of materials with little bit a stretch to them. I don't know how close you need to get to the recommended sizes for them to be a good fit.  I think a medium would fit you.  The lengths seems to be more crucial to the fit than the chest/waist sizees but I can't speak for any of the sizing information, variations in size/fit from one brand to another or one model to another, or for personal preferences in fit.    



Edited by BlueBoy26 2019-01-09 12:30 PM
2019-01-09 1:38 PM
in reply to: BlueBoy26

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Subject: RE: Tri suit sizing help!

If you find what you want order it in 2 or even 3 sizes and try it on..  Your height and weight may not matter at all relative to the size that you want to race in.  I know of 2 guys who wear small sized suits and are over 6'4" and about 165 lbs, but both raced at elite levels and were used to VERY tight swim gear from club swimming.

The rule we used is to buy a new suit one size smaller than the one that feels good when you try it on (especially if you have no experience with race suits)......that's the suit to race in when it gets wet.

2019-01-09 8:17 PM
in reply to: JACKEDjames123

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Subject: RE: Tri suit sizing help!
Female here so I can't be much help with your sizing choice, but DON'T cut the suit. It will self-destruct. They're meant to be worn as-is. I have had to get rid of some bike and tri gear that got ripped (because of bike crashes, snagging on things, and, in one nasty case, getting clawed by a competitor's fingernails) and then proceeded to unravel/fall apart in stages. If you cut a tight-fitting lycra type suit, It will gradually come undone and leave you vulnerable to "wardrobe malfunction".

I also am between sizes in the (one-piece) suits I own. For the last suit I bought, it had me as extra-small for one measurement, small for another, and medium for a third. I went with small and it was fine. I also have a medium suit in that particular brand (2XU). It's on the big side--okay for wetsuit-legal swims but I notice a bit of drag in the legs without a wetsuit or speed suit over it on the swim.

As I recall, I went with chest size to order the suit, because that seemed a bigger issue in terms of comfort and performance than waist or hips. If your breathing feels constricted, that really sucks, in all three legs of triathlon. If you think the chest will be very constricting, I'd order a medium and a large (if the company has a good return policy) and then see if it's a tightness you can live with or not. As others have said, a tri suit feels a lot more confining dry than wet. Unless possibly racing in the desert, you will probably be wet throughout most races between water, sweat, pouring water over head, sponges, etc. The suit should feel tight (though not agonizingly so) and maybe a bit "indecent" when dry, and will look tight when wet, but you shouldn't be noticing any constriction of movement or breathing then.
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