Kit Guide

The amount of kit needed for triathlons can be a bit overwhelming at first but don't worry - here's a little guide on what to wear/bring.

Swimming

Swimming costume/trunks
Goggles
Towel
Drinks bottle
Swim hat if you have one (good for keeping hair out your face)

Swim caps are a good but inessential piece of kit

Cycling (turbos)

Bike with road or hybrid tyres
Cycling shoes if you have clipless pedals (ironically named as these are pedals for cycling that you clip your shoes into)
Drinks bottle
The turbo trainers and skewers are provided by the club. Even in cold weather turbo training gets very warm, so it’s advisable to have shorts and t-shirt on under all your winter layers!

Cycling (road)
If you are new to road cycling and want to come along and try out our novice rides, this is the minimum equipment you will need:

Bike with road or hybrid tyres
Cycling shoes if you have clipless pedals
Helmet
Drinks bottle
Snack eg. cereal bar, flapjack
Waterproof layer

If the weather is cold and/or windy then consider extra layers of clothing and gloves. Novice rides will not take place in the dark or in extreme bad weather. See the Winter Cycling Kit section below for more advice on appropriate winter clothing and equipment. Cycle shorts/leggings are not compulsory but their padded bum will make your rides (and turbos) infinitely more comfortable!

If you become a regular road cyclist, you should also bring the following on club rides:

Spare inner tube
Hand pump
Snacks/energy gels appropriate to the length of the ride
Lights and reflective clothing if appropriate for the time of day or weather conditions

Running

Shoes that you can run in safely
Weather-appropriate clothing
Drinks bottle
Warm layers for before/after the session

If you are unsure about any of the above or would like some advice, please don’t hesitate to ask at training or get in touch with a committee member.

Duathlon races
To compete in a duathlon, all you need is a safe bike, helmet and either a tri-suit or sports kit that you are comfortable running and cycling in. Elastic laces (so that you can put your shoes on faster) and race belts, which help speed up your transitions, are useful things to have to save some time during duathlons and triathlons.

Triathlon races
For triathlons, you will need to wear something that you can swim in as well. If you don’t have a tri-suit, this can be swimming trunks/a costume that you then put a t-shirt over the top of for the bike and run sections. For Varsity and BUCS Standard Distance Triathlon, you will need a wetsuit to swim in as the swim sections of these races are open water. The swim in BUCS Sprint Triathlon is in a pool so a wetsuit is not required for this event.

OUTriC tri-suits and other race kit can be purchased through the club, but you do not have to wear club kit to race. Information about ordering this will be sent out to the members' mailing list.

Winter cycling kit

There's nothing worse than going on a bike ride and being freezing cold and wet –not only is it highly uncomfortable, it’s also dangerous. So it's worthwhile investing a bit to keep warm over the winter months. Below are some recommendations for some winter essentials to make your rides safer and more enjoyable:

Overshoes: These are like big, thick socks that go over your cycling shoes and keep your feet/toes dry and toasty warm in cold weather.If you've been getting cold feet whilst out riding these will probably change your life. Generally there's lots of good stuff on Wiggle.

Gloves: A good pair of waterproof, windproof gloves is pretty essential for riding in the cold and wet. Your hands are very exposed whilst riding and numb fingers are not only horribly uncomfortable but also dangerous because you can lose the ability to use your brakes/change gear/control your bike properly. Sealskinz have a good selection of winter gloves. (They also have awesome socks and other things.)

Waterproof layer: Wet = cold = miserable and dangerous. It's definitely not essential to have a cycling specific waterproof jacket... just something that will keep you dry if it rains. Wiggle is probably a good place to look if you don't already have something suitable.

Head & neck warmth: Headbands, caps, hats and buffs are all useful things to have at your disposal for winter riding. You can get thin hats that allow your helmet to fit properly over the top, or if you have long hair you might find a headband easier

Lights: In winter, it's good practice to ride with lights (especially a rear red one) at all times, including "daylight" hours, because fog/mist/rain/dark/general winter grey-ness can kick in at any point and reduce visibility for drivers. Those flimsy clip on things that do the job round town won't do much for you out on the country roads either, so it's worth investing in some good quality lights.

General cycling clothes: For winter rides, a good pair of fleece-lined cycling leggings (with a padded bum) and a fleece-lined jersey is essential. Arm warmers and leg warmers are also useful, particularly for those awkward temperatures where you may be warm on the flats but cold in the wind/hills. Thermal undershirts are good for layering up too. All of these items of kit can be found from any local or online cycling/triathlon retailer (again, Wiggle is always a good shout for discounted items!).

Club kit

As mentioned above, most training and racing specific club kit, such as tri-suits, cycling jerseys and cycling shorts, has to be ordered through the club and is available to members only. The kit order is normally placed once or twice a year, so make sure you don't miss out!

More casual items of club kit, such as sweatshirts, t-shirts or trackies, can be purchased throughout the year from the kitlocker shop and can be personalised!