Posted in Triathlon

Taking part in a triathlon is tough. Pushing yourself to your limits and aiming to achieve the best result you can, across three disciplines, takes some serious commitment. That is why for triathletes, kit choice is crucial.

When developing their new range of tri-suits, dhb used their experience in developing performance focussed cycling kit, to engineer a collection that delivers on all the stages of your triathlon. Evolving dhb's award-winning beginner's trisuit, with added features and technology, this new collection echoes the performance and design of dhb's popular Blok and Classic cycle collections.

Great performance and great reviews

Triathlete Ryan modelled both suits and liked the dhb Classic Short Sleeve Tri Suit so much, he now competes in it, regularly putting it through its paces.

"The suit gives enough flexibility to achieve a high shoulder in the stroke. It’s also easy enough to pull up and over the shoulders when in T1 (switching from swim to bike), especially having tired shoulders from the swim."

Fabric choices for long-lasting comfort and performance

Both the Blok and Classic suit ranges feature quality technical fabric, Xtra Life™ Lycra. This makes them highly resistant to chlorine and sun creams or oils. This allows the suit to retain a 50+ SPF UV protection for longer, even when used in pool swimming.

dhb has specifically chosen quick-drying fabrics, which as Ryan explains, means that "it dries very quickly on the bike."

The top half of the suits use Vita fabric, excellent for stretch and shape retention. This makes the suits extremely comfortable to wear whilst also being durable, long-lasting, and super soft next to the skin. The warp knit mesh panels in selected areas give you greater breathability at the areas where it’s really needed. The bottom half uses Revolutional™ fabrics. With higher compression properties, this light and breathable fabric aids oxygen flow to the thighs to maintain performance, meaning you can focus more on your session.

When it comes to your ride, a great chamois is important. Team Wiggle Triathlete Martin has used the dhb Blok Short Sleeve Tri Suit - JAZZ for both training and racing, and was particularly pleased with the tri-specific Elastic Interface pad used in the suit:

"The chamois is one of the stand-out features, light enough to not fill with water in the swim but comfortable enough to prevent chaffing on mid to long distance races."

Performance fit

The fit of the new dhb trisuits has been refined to enhance performance, which can lead to serious gains.

For Ryan, "With the bike being the most important leg because the most time can be saved, the suit clings to you like a body suit. Maximising aero gains, still being flexible in the tt position and incredibly breathable. The legs are tight fitting but not restrictive in the sense that when your legs fill with blood, you still feel supported and not constricted, which is the goal of compression."

"It's a race cut but not overly compressive like some of the top end suits out there" Martin noted. "This makes it much more accessible for everyday triathletes or for those not built like a pro racer."

Made to Race

The fabrics used in the suit were also selected to help minimise the risks of chaffing. "The biggest worry for me was the potential chafing on the underarms from the sleeves rubbing and there was none!" Ryan said. "I was so stoked. As much of a triathlon run will be done closer to midday, the sleeves do an excellent job at protecting the shoulders from sunburn."

Moving into competitive triathlon events can be a challenging move but having kit you can rely on can make it that little bit easier. The new dhb Blok and Classic tri suits, combine premium quality fabrics, a focus on fit, and an industry-renowned pad, to give you the support, compression, comfort and protection needed to take on each stage in confidence. We agree with Ryan, "If you feel fast you're bound to race like it".