Women’s Triathlon Kit Tips by Hayley

This weeks kit tips by Hayley, the club secretary and women’s officer for ITC! Her helpful tips include how to choose the most appropriate cycling seat, sports bra and swimming hat for women 

Bike Seats

Ladies are very individual with regards to seating requirements and without going into too much detail it is imperative that you are not squashing parts of your anatomy whilst riding. However good the quality of the padding in your cycle shorts/trousers/tri-suit, if the seat doesn’t suit you, you will never be truly comfortable. This won’t matter so much if you only intend to do short rides but if you intend to go long, then choose your seat wisely. Try out different shapes and sizes until you find the one that suits you. This could be a woman specific seat, or a unisex seat with a gap in the middle, or a seat with an open “nose”

Sports Bras

Always ensure that you give yourself adequate support with a good quality sports bra. Running causes excessive movement of breasts and without a proper sports bra to protect you, there is a good chance that you could end up with torn ligaments and permanent stretching. There are some great, quick drying, sports bras available that can be worn under your tri-suit.

Swim Hats

Swim hats come in various materials but some are more damaging to hair than others. If you want to avoid hair breakage, chose a hat made from silicone, or neoprene. It also helps to spray a little hair oil inside the hat before wearing it, although it’s advisable not to use too much oil as this could pollute the water.