Tri Shorts Reviews for Newbies

After completing two sprint triathlons last year I finally decided to buy some triathlon shorts for the upcoming season. I know you are thinking, what? You don't wear $2 bike shorts from Wal Mart to swim, bike and run in? Apparently not. From what I can tell at the races, triathlon apparel falls into three categories:

• The seasoned triathletes wear a one piece contraption that resembles a wrestling unitard. This is significantly better than the previous man-bikini (see left) that ruled in the 80's.

• The weekend warriors wear tri shorts and a tank

• The rest of us wear whatever we already own in our closet. This usually consists of a speedo one piece with a sports bra underneath and various ratty running clothes.

Triathlon shorts look a lot like cycling shorts, have a padded butt, and dry very quickly. They are also expensive at an average $50 per pair. It is rare to find a store that carry's a wide selection of these shorts so ordering them online is the way to go. Unfortunately, there are so many brands, lengths, and styles that it is difficult to guess what is going to fit your shape the best. I ended up having to order three different pairs before I found a pair that I liked and was comfortable. I thought I would write about my experience as I found it very difficult to find any good reviews when looking for tri shorts. I cannot comment to wear and tear as I have not used the shorts yet, just the fit and feel.

Just for comparison I am 5 foot 4 inches, size 6-8, 138 pounds and my measurements are around 35-29-40.

Note: Tri shorts don't actually look good on anyone that is over 110 pounds so forget about finding a pair that looks good. Comfort should be a top priority.

1st pair:

DeSoto Women's Carrera Tri Short Low Rise (~$50)

These were a really nice material, not too tight and the leg bands were not cutting off the blood flow. Their were two problems for me: one, the leg inseam was only 6 inches and the leg bands hit me mid thigh which created a very bad 'sausage effect' so I would prefer a longer length. The low rise option is usually nice in pants but in these shorts I couldn't bend down without my butt crack showing. I do have a longer torso so maybe that was the issue. Or maybe my ass is just too big.
Bottom line: These are great shorts at a great price if you have a shorter torso, and prefer the shorter inseam.

2nd Pair:

Pearl Izumi Women's Select Tri Short (~$55)

I ordered these shorts because I know the brand is good and they came in an 8 inch inseam. I honestly don't have much good to say about these except that maybe I ordered them in wrong size. I normally order medium and the Pearl Izumi size chart did list my measurements as a medium. When I put them on they were very constricting all over. They were tight in the crotch area and the leg bands were so tight above my knees that I looked like I was walking around on two Italian links (there's an image!). There was also a very bright beige sheen to these so it looked like you could see my skin underneath. They weren't actually see through but it was disconcerting. I did not re-order in a bigger size as I could not see a bigger size really being that much better. If you do order these, order a size up!

3rd Pair:

TYR Women's 8" Splice Short (~$40-$50)

I ordered these shorts in a large because I had seen a review where it said they ran small. I love these shorts. They are not too constricting, they have a drawstring in the waist so you can cinch them tighter during swims. The length hits me just above the knee and the leg bands are not too constricting but are snug. There are two little pockets on each hip (not zippered) in which I can put Gu or jelly beans (preferably after the swim portion :-). Hopefully, these hold up well in a race because I am not returning them!

Also, just to give credit to www.tri-zone.com because I ordered the TYR shorts from them and they discounted them $10 for me after I sent them the same pair priced lower on Amazon. I am always amazed and grateful when a retailer actually stands behind their policies. I will definitely be using them in the future.