An Equipment Overview for New Triathletes

Written by Jim Levesque, Head Coach at Grit Endurance. Learn more about Jim’s background here!

If you are a new triathlete, it’s easy to be overwhelmed by all the gear and gadgets available, especially with numerous companies hyping all the latest and greatest on a regular basis.  This article is meant to help simplify things for you so that you can focus on the items that will help you the most!  Every piece of equipment is given a rating of “Required”, “Strongly Recommend” or “Nice to Have”. Focus on the items listed as “Required” and “Strongly Recommend” first, then move into considering the items that are “Nice to Have”.

Triathlon Equipment

• GPS Watch (Strongly Recommend) – A good GPS watch can be used for swim, bike and run and should be one of your first purchases if you don’t already have one.  Garmin, Apple and Polar are the most popular GPS watch companies. The most important thing is multisport and GPS functionality, which most come with.

• Heart Rate Monitor (Strongly Recommend) – Wrist heart rate can often be inaccurate, so a heart rate strap like the Garmin HRM Pro or Polar Verity Sense is recommended.

• Triathlon kit (Strongly Recommend) - Triathlon kits are made to be able to execute all 3 sports consecutively in the same outfit, while being able to carry valuable nutrition items along with you. These generally come as a top and bottom or as a one-piece suit. The differences between those are minor, so it genearlly comes down to personal preference.

 Pool Swim Equipment

• Fins (Strongly Recommend) - Fins are a great tool to add variety into a swim workout, build core and leg strength, and improve ankle flexibility.  They also help encourage proper kick technique and make swimming easier, so they are a very valuable tool for beginners. 

• Snorkel (Strongly Recommend) - Allows athletes to isolate aspects of the stroke due to not needing to breathe and promotes breath control.  The snorkel allows the athlete to really focus and be mindful of their entire stroke without adding any potential issues caused by improper breathing technique.  By mastering using a snorkel, the athlete will be able to feel whether their stroke is as efficient as possible during swimming and breathing. 

• Stretch Cords (Strongly Recommend) – Develops strength, muscle memory and allows for a dryland warmup. See Coach Jason’s recent blog for more details! 

• Pully Buoy (Strongly Recommend) - The pull buoy removes the legs and allows an athlete to focus on core engagement and if each stroke is propelling them forward or causing any side-to-side motion while swimming.  Maintaining a streamlined body position is one of the main factors where swimmers can see drastic effects to their speed and technique. 

• Ankle Strap (Nice to Have) – The ankle strap forces the core to be more engaged because the athlete cannot “cheat” on pull sets by kicking.

• Kick Board (Nice to Have) – A kick board allows the athlete to focus on core tightness and proper kicking technique.  Please note that we will generally not recommend using a kickboard without a snorkel, because using a board with your head fully out of the water discourages proper form.

• FORM Goggles (Nice to Have) – FORM goggles are an amazing new tool that can help make swimming more fun, interactive and provide immediate feedback.  For more info, check out my recent blog about the benefits!

Open Water Swim Equipment

• Clear AND Tinted Goggles (Strongly Recommend) – Be prepared for different sun conditions, as there are not many things worse than trying to find a buoy while looking straight into the sunrise with clear goggles (pun intended)!

• Wetsuit (Strongly Recommend) – Increases warmth in cool and cold water, and provides a substantial amount of buoyancy, making beginner and intermediate swimmers much more efficient.

• Open Water Swim Buoy (Nice to Have) – These are great for making you more visible to boats, etc., but they can also be very helpful for resting as well as storing items inside to bring with you. 

Bike Equipment

• Bike (Required) – Kind of a no brainer, right?  Almost any bike will work for a Sprint or Olympic, but a road bike is recommended for a 70.3 or Full Ironman.  Time trial bikes are faster than road bikes but not needed for beginners!

• Helmet (Required) – Make sure to have a helmet for any riding you do outdoors.

• Clip-in Shoes & Pedals (Strongly Recommend) – While not critical to completing your first Sprint or Olympic triathlon, it is money well spent, especially if you have a road bike, and it will make your riding easier and more enjoyable!

• Aero Helmet (Nice to Have) – It’s an affordable option for intermediate and advanced cyclists to get a bit of “free speed”.

• Race Wheels (Nice to Have) – An expensive option for “free speed”, only recommended for intermediate and advanced cyclists with some extra cash to spend!

• Smart Trainer (Strongly Recommend) – While it is certainly not required, especially for beginners, it can make training on your bike during the colder months of winter, early spring and late fall more enjoyable, and can be a great option for when rain hits during the summer.  Using Training Peaks Virtual, Zwift, Trainer Road or another cycling app on your smart trainer can bring indoor training to life!

• Flat Tire Changing Kit (Strongly Recommend) – Make sure you have the tools to change a flat tire.  Not sure, where to start, talk to your local bike shop and read my blog from last year about how to change a flat tire!

• Body Glide or Chamois Cream (Strongly Recommend) – A cheap way to prevent chafing and irritation from long rides! 

Run Equipment

• Running Shoes (Required) – Kind of another no brainer, right?  Just make sure you have a good quality pair of running shoes, and a great starting point is going to your local running store for assistance in determining what type of shoes would be best for you.

• Treadmill Access (Strongly Recommend) – Treadmills can be a tremendous training tool, allowing for better quality and controlled training during bad conditions, as well as allowing for targeted hill training, which can have a ton of great benefits.  Check out my blog from last year about hill training!

• Hydration System (Strongly Recommend) – Ensuring you stay hydrated on longer runs is critical.  Check out my blog from last year about understanding hydration and electrolyte loss!

While it’s not meant to be completely comprehensive, hopefully this article has helped you start to prioritize which gear you want to pick up this season, and keep in mind, our coaches help our athletes work through these types of questions every day, so don’t hesitate to reach out if you are looking for professional asssitance!