Everything You Need to Do Your First Triathlon triathlon with gear already in your—or your buddy's—garage. "Keep it simple for your first race," advises coach Tim Crowley, "then you can always upgrade when you improve or become more passionate about the sport." Here are eight pieces of necessary gear, with one general option for those just checking out the sport and a specific suggestion for those ready to invest some money.
WETSUIT
GET BY Look into renting a suit (about $40 at wetsuitrentals.com or your local running or cycling store) at least two weeks before your race and make sure you swim in it before race day.
GO BUY The Blue Seventy Fusion is an entry-level suit with far-from-basic details—highly flexible elbows and knees, and a buoyant bottom half that actually helps your legs stay afloat. ($250; blueseventy.com)
GOGGLES
GET BY Just about any pair of goggles will work as long as they don't leak, don't fog up, and have blue or smoky lenses.
GO BUY The oversized lenses in Aqua Sphere's Kayenne will give you an unimpeded, leak-free view of race buoys, and they fit more like comfortable sunglasses than eyeball-sucking goggles. ($25; aquasphereswim.com)
BIKE SHOES
GET BY You can ride on simple flat pedals or with toe clips and straps, but clipless pedals and cycling shoes with cleats will provide more power per stroke.
GO BUY Pearl Izumi's low-profile Tri Fly III shoes offer an easy-in, easy-out two-Velcro closure and a stiff sole so your power transfers to the pedal more efficiently. ($125; pearlizumi.com)
BIKE
GET BY Get your hands on the lightest bike you can find and make sure the frame fits you well.
GO BUY The Cervelo S1 is a pro bike at a proletariat price, and it features internal cable routing and an aero-frame design that delivers a fast yet comfortable ride. Plus, you can easily make it over into a tri bike. ($2,200; cervelo.com)
RACING APPAREL
GET BY Tight-fitting bike shorts work well because they fit under a wetsuit. Women can start with a tank or sports bra, and men can even be bare-chested under the wetsuit for the swim before putting on a top in transition one.
GO BUY The Sugoi Blast (women's, shown) and Turbo (men's) Tri Shorts and Tanks have back pockets, strategically placed seams (read: no chafing), and a supersleek cut. The shorts also have a quick-drying chamois that's thin (like most tri shorts), so you don't feel like you're wearing a diaper after it gets wet. (shorts $ 50; tanks $55; sugoi.com)
HELMET
GET BY Any helmet that fits your head well—slide your thumb along the sides, back, and front to be sure there are no gaps—will work.
GO BUY Offering maximum A/C through 22 vents and a fit that's easy to customize, Bell's Lumen helmet will keep your noggin protected and cool. ($65; bellbikehelmets.com)
RUNNING SHOES
GET BY Running in the Cold.
GO BUY The heel and tongue rings on the Zoot Ultra Tempo+ 3.0 let you slip on the seamless shoe (sans socks), tighten the quick-pull laces, and take off running in seconds. ($140; zootsports.com)
SUNGLASSES
GET BY A Fast Transition.
GO BUY The shatterproof lenses on Oakley's Forsake (women's, top) and Jawbone (men's) can take whatever the road dishes out. ($130 and $220; oakley.com)
