Now a good gear review is only as good as the objectiveness of the reviewer. In this case it is impossible to be objective because much of this gear, to be effective, must fit so specifically to one's body type. Therefore what I find good/bad about the gear, you may find differently. But hey...nothing like a good review right?
Swim Cap
In post 2 you read that I was given a Blue Seventy TTF (Toronto Triathlon Festival) swim cap from my uber Iron BIL. He gave it to me about a year ago (still not sure why, it was like "hey do you want this?" and I said "OK") and I LOVE it! First I love the colour but that has nothing to do with Blue Seventy. Orange is my new colour. Secondly, I love that it has not lost its shape in the months I've worn it. There is no annoying bulge at the back where my ponytail gets tucked into the cap, the edges are not stretched or distorted from months of stretching to put them on my fat head, and the seal is still good. So:
Pros
The colour - my friends can spot me in the pool when we meet for our workouts.
The shape - long lasting, not stretched
Durability - no annoying bulge.
Cons
Well, there aren't any :)
Trisuit
I went with the Blue Seventy trisuit after the success with the swim cap. I had a Nike Trisuit that I really enjoyed because it fit my unique body type. See, I'm a 6'0" female with a little waist but big hips and a booty to match that no amount of eating right, biking, running or, yes, swimming, seems to diminish. So instead of trying to rid myself of it, I own it. Anyway, as a result of my body type it is hard to find suits that fit properly. I bought the Blue Seventy trisuit from Swim Outlet (LOVE Swim Outlet) and judging by the size chart it was supposed to fit. I got it in the mail and tried it on immediately. There is no built in bra which was new to me but apparently my cup size did not require one. There are two pockets on the back. The chamois is pronounced which is good for the bike portion as it will help the Queen. There are, on the inside of each leg, Blue Seventy grippies that help your suit stay put. The zipper sucks in the girls - which I guess is why I don't need a bra?!? However, and not sure if this is a result of MY body type or a flaw in the suit, the back of the suit from the tailbone down is see through. I didn't notice when I tried it on and my poor biking partner had to tell me. She got a great view as I was out of my saddle trying to get up a particularly difficult hill. Weird thing, the front is NOT see through *shrugs shoulders*. Again, not sure why. I've read on the reviews that the material in this suit is super light weight which is great in the Georgia heat. Am I supposed to wear padded shorts under the suit? Is it just stretched thin due to my body type? I solved the problem by wearing bikini bottoms under my suit when I swim and padded shorts when I ride, but not sure how I would solve this problem if I was in an actual race. Wear shorts? So anyway:
Pros
2 pockets - great positioning for easy grabbing.
Light weight material
Chamois is much more prominent than in my other suits (and the Queen thanks you Blue Seventy)
Blue Seventy Leg Grippies - keeps the suit in place.
Cons
No built in bra - but I am getting used to the zipper sucking everything in and it seems OK actually.
See through bottom - again, might be my own damn fault for having curves that don't quit...and I've tried to get them to quit..anyway...
Reaction Wetsuit
In the half Iron relay last year, I was the only one without a wet suit. I honestly didn't even think about buying one for a single race. Talking to the other girls in my wave, they had gotten used wetsuits off of craigslist or from friends. So going into this season I decided to get a wetsuit off of craigslist. I found one, a 2009 Reaction wetsuit only worn four times. The problem was that I couldn't really try it on before I bought it. How do you try on a wet suit you are buying from a stranger in the Silver Comet parking lot? "Hey, I'm going to go in my car and try to get this huge mass of rubber on to my body while it is 96F outside, can you hold on a tick?" But the sizing guide said it should fit so I bought it. A few days later I decided to drive up to Lake Allatoona and give it a try. I spent many hours (ok - might have been days) figuring out how to put it on. When I got to the lake I was pretty proficient at getting that giant rubbery suit on my curvy body. It went all the way up in the legs and the arms and I trudged into the late. I felt fast, but also felt slow. My left shoulder got really tired quickly, but I am not sure if that was a result of the suit, me putting the suit on wrong, or just my shoulder got tired. But I managed 0.5 miles in about 20 minutes. So:
Pros
Really tight - which is what it is supposed to be so little water gets in
Does not choke - neck fits well but does not pull on the neck
No chaffing around the neck - even without the use of lube or gels
Cost - can't go wrong with $55. So if you are new to the Tri gig, get a used suit first.
Solid zipper - excellent for the amount of tugging I do to get it up
Cons
Some suits have a little place to tuck the zipper strap in to at the back - this one does not
Tired shoulder - again, not confident this was a result of the suit as the right one did not tire
Made for Men - due to my curvy figure, there is some space between the suit and the small of my back that fills with water. Just the nature of only fitting into a men's suit.
In the end, when buying any gear, do your research. I know my body pretty well (we've gotten to know each other as I've tried to lose weight) so I am confident when I buy something online but really, you should try something on before you buy it. That is why I like Swim Outlet - they allow really easy returns. Buying the wetsuit online was a gamble but so far so good. But either way, if you are dedicated to spending the money, make your money go as far as you can by buying something that fits properly.
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