By O.N.
from New York City on 09/30/2009
Pros:
Breathable, Comfortable, Good Padding
Cons:
Color Bleed, Irregular Fit
Best Uses:
Road Biking, Road Racing, Warm Weather
Describe Yourself:
Avid Cyclist
Length:
Feels true to length
Bottom Line:
Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
SUMMARY
Great:
* Comfortable even when wet
* Padding
Not so great:
* Color bleed
* Design (a little too girly for me, long clashing color ironman logo on thigh)
* Side pockets on side kind of small not sure what I would put in them. Wish pocket was in the back like other bike tops. Not sure if items in side pockets will interfere with arm movements during the run / swim segments.
DETAILS
Bought the Women's Ironman trisuit to compete in my first triathlon a few weeks away. Not a fan of the flowery design and full clashing blue Ironman logo down the thigh, however, this Ironman tri-suit was the most reviewed and highest rated tri-suit from the purchasers online. So with the great sale price, I decided I wasn't going to let a few daisies get in the way.
Per the online reviews, I bought the trisuit a size bigger to accommodate for the tight thigh band. Glad I did, it was absolutely necessary, especially for women with bigger thighs. After deciding to keep the suit, I removed the price tags and washed it with gentle soap and hung on a line to dry before wearing it to work out. While drying the black from the bottom of the suit started to bleed into the the white top. I guess for the first wash, either tumble dry low or hang in such a manner that everything drips down from shoulder towards shorts.
Wanting to give the suit another chance, I wore it under a wetsuit over a sports bra, and tried it out at the local gym. I felt comfortable in the suit as I transitioned from swim, to bike to run, and didn't feel like I was wearing a pad while biking or running. The swim was for about an hour, the bike and run were only for about 5 min each.
If it wasn't for the overly girly design, and color bleed issue i would definitely say its a great suit. The thigh band can be a little tight, resulting in a muffin top for those who still have a little jiggle to their wiggle but I didn't even notice it after a while. As far as the pockets at the side, not sure what I would put in them, or if the items in them would get in the way of my arms during a run / swim.
As I am a beginner triathlete who has yet to compete in a race, I cannot comment as to whether the suit is built adequately for sprint vs. full ironman distances. Lastly, this suit does not provide any bust support and a sports bra is needed.
