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All the gear.....any idea !!

I'm not sure if I am just becoming cynical in my old age (32) but I'm getting a tiny bit wound up with the amount of over-priced gear that is being forced down our throats as triathletes.....

Don't get me wrong I love the sport and I live it at least 5 days a week.....



But looking at a previous thread on this forum regarding tri-suits, does it make you faster ? of course not ! Only hard training and good discipline will make you faster. Surely a pair of cycling shorts and a vest which you can pick up for £40 total, is better than paying £120 for an all in one (the cheapest I've seen)....



No wonder the residents of the UK are billions of pounds in debt when you pick up a magazine which can sell you a bike (on finance of course) for £3000, with the promise of making you as fast as the Adonis character featured in the adverts...the reality being that you will probably end up with back-ache and sell the thing on e-bay 6 months later, unless of course you part with vast amounts of cash for an expert to sit you in his laboratory and tell you exactly how you should be sitting on the bike...



I bought a tri-wet-suit a few months ago for £150, much to the disappointment of the sales guy who was trying to convince me to spend £300 on one which had air-pockets in the body of it to keep you buoyant (surely thats cheating !!, like giving a poker player x-rays specs), and special rough texture on the inner arms to grip the water better !! This will probably save you 0.34 seconds which you probably lost anyway slipping on the reeds getting out of the water anyway, damn should have bought special mega-friction socks to prevent slipping !! (ok I made that one up).



Anyway, rant over, am I the only one thinking we are having our wallets milked by these companies....?



Cheers

Comments

  • JasonBJasonB Posts: 303
    I totally and utterly agree.



    I am looking at buying a bike and some new trainers. All the magazines keep harping on about are top range shimano, or top range sacony/asics. Which cost a bomb.

    Culture is being easily led marketing jokes. Further to that the bloody governemnt are to blame for making imports of kit so expensive. Maybe we should start a UK company specializing in Tri kit at a cheaper rate, but then again it's catch 22. Who would buy it as the bigger names are better (So they say).

  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    Meh!



    I have to agree that kit over here is staggeringly expensive, I nearly 'had an accident' when I found out how much the trisuit I was trying on cost (obviously I didn't as that would have not only been an expensive accident but embarassing to boot). I subsequently bought as much of the kit as I could once the sales came round.



    It is interesting to note that although much is mentioned of the UK gov slapping silly prices on this stuff, that come sale time prices drop exponentially. How can they afford to do this I wonder if the gov is adding so much, I get the impression that the old notion of treasure island is still not dead and once again we find ourselves being taken advantage of by not only the manufatcurers but retailers as well. A good example of this is on the Wiggle site at the moment, a £1400 pound bike reduced by the best part of £550 or something (Quintana Roo Tequilo '05 I mentioned it in another thread where someone was looking for a bike).
  • JasonBJasonB Posts: 303
    When is sales season then for triathlon?
  • BonusBBonusB Posts: 279
    Good point, not entirely sure, I assume the largest one is end oy year as all the nice shiny kit comes out so they want to get shot of the old stuff fairly shrapish. That and just keep your eyes open for deals during the year and hope you dont have any unexpected emergency purchases to make...
  • loonytoonloonytoon Posts: 673
    That was really the thinking behind my question on the "how fast..." thread.



    At somepoint in my tri-career I may reach the my peak in terms of fitness but I doubt this and then I will need to look at technology.



    My swim technique is such that a 300 orca suit won't help me at all.



    My fitness is such that even even a brand new bike (mine is currently a ebay purchase for £72) won't help much... I have even opted against adding a bigger chainrings and a more sporty cassette because I really don't think that even the 70 quid i spend on that will help me..I doubt I can turn a 52/11 top gear...



    Trainers are different as they tend to protect your feet (motion control / cushioning) but even then there are decent pairs on the market for not alot.



    There is of course the confidence I feel like an athelete part 2 it but that is really done to the head game of the sport which really you can't put a price on but I am sure it isn't that expensive ;)

  • pacrfishpacrfish Posts: 266
    I've just picked up Sugoi (if thats how you spell it) kit on the internet for half-price, and trainers for £25 from another site. You just need to keep trawling, and buy when you see something. My bike was 50% off in a sale in November.
  • RobRob Posts: 209
    Kit can be expensive, but nobody is forcing anybody to buy it! I pick up all my kit in the sales, some website or another has a bargain on the thing that you want. I don't think I've paid full price for any of my kit.



    You've got to remember why you're doing it. If you're a pro, top notch stuff probably makes a difference. At my (our?) level, it's not gonna make a ha'puth of difference. I just do it as a great way to keep fit, have fun & meet some great people.
  • jojojojo Posts: 76
    hi guys



    just thought I'd pop in as I've got some time to spare before my tri swimming club at 7



    but I sooo agree about the cost. This is my first year as a Triathlete and I have to say I really have spent probably well over £2k which makes me feel a bit sick just typing it.



    Needless to say that hopefully and I will be really disappointed in myself if I don't carry this on for at least another couple of years and another 5 or so races now I've got all the stuff.



    But .... the most important thing is that it's fun and keeps us all fit and healthy and I'd rather have spent the money on this then however many burgers I could get for that (i hope my swimming tonight is better than my maths!)



    Jojo
  • guv001guv001 Posts: 227
    I again agree with the above. That is what ebay is for and also I bought an all in one tri suit for £36 from www.startfitness.co.uk that is way cheaper than the higly inflated prices I've seen in my local bike shops for cycling shorts/ tops. I must admit though I enjoy spending money on my new fads.
  • madnursemadnurse Posts: 782
    I couldnt agree more ...... although I spent £50 on a club trisuit it does what it says on the tin looks the part and is as good a quality as a £135 for an orca killa (mad but not yet senile). At the end of the day is about balance if it as mine does helps reduce transition time (less changing) & saves all that pre race wardrobe delima ....... that will clash with my new bike shoes & that one is my lucky suit and this ......



    at the end of the day its what works for you ....
  • DOtriHarderDOtriHarder Posts: 307
    Guv £36 sounds good for a Trisuit, Strtfitness now seem only to have small sizes of the 205 Orca stuff - shame.



    I agree that some of the kit seems very expensive but Orca for instance do at least 3 levels of Tri suit from £60 upto £135 how fast can you afford to be!



    I bought a Sugoi suit for £60 and am very happy with it, i prefer it to swimming in trunks and i ran a 10k last weekend in it and felt good. My first Tri was helped by not having to worry about slipping shorts or changes of clothes. the only thing i'm not happy with is that the colour wasn't my first choice!

    David
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