- studmose15, NorCal

As far as apparel and materials, you’re going to want something that you can wear throughout the race, so it’s going to have to fit under a wetsuit, dry quickly after the swim, have COPIOUS crotch padding for the cycling, and be chafe-free for the run. Because of that, synthetic material is key; as is something form-fitting with a ton of stretch, so you’re looking at a nylon/elastane blend, like Pearl Izumi’s Select Tri Suit ($100). This’ll do well in the summer as well, since the nylon won’t retain sweat and the mesh vents and front zip will let out excess heat. Zoot, Sugoi, and Tyr also make some good gear.

For shoes, I’d go with Zoot’s Ultra TT 7.0 ($140) - they’ve got comfortable soft interiors with fast-drying lining,which means you can wear them without socks (I’d only recommend that for shorter triathlons), which, combined with the shoes’ speed laces, makes for a faster transition off the bike. 

Favorite tech would be Magellan’s Switch-Up GPS watch ($250) - it tracks time, pace, location, etc, AND the watch body detaches from the wrist strap, so you can mount it directly onto a handlebar mount. It’s a watch and bike computer all in one. Super convenient.

For training purposes, I’m a huge fan of JayBird’s Bluebuds X headphones ($170). They connect to your phone via bluetooth, so you don’t have to screw with any wires (I HATE dealing with wires when I train), and their “Securefit” earbud wings make sure they stay in your ears when you run.

Good luck this summer!