Home Chat General Chat

number belts

No you will need a number belt if youre in a tri suit. Quite a lot of people put it on a shirt and then wack that on in T1, or for my first tri as I didnt have a number belt, I made one out of a piece of string! Took a bit longer to do up and didnt look as good but worked a treat!

Comments

  • meakiemeakie Posts: 124
    Hi



    do you get given number belts at races or do you have to buy one? and no doubt you dont wear your paper numbers on the swim part, but then what do you ? get stick ons for your arms



    also.. we dont have to spend time faffing with safety pins do we for T1?



    just wonderd, stupid question but I dont know the answer so had to ask!





    ( this is for my first tri so I aint a clue til the day else!)



    cheers

    Shell
  • meakiemeakie Posts: 124
    thanks!

    but what if I am just slipping shorts on and running in my swimsuit.. whats best to do then?

    still buy a belt?



    cheers for replying :-)
  • JulesJules Posts: 987
    For the swim they will write your number on your arm and leg with a waterproof marker.



    You won't get given a number belt, you may get given safety pins. If you're biking in what you swam in ie a tri suit you will want a number belt as the quickest way of putting your paper number on in T1. If you're putting on a t shirt or any other top after swimming you can get away with safety pinning the number on that in advance if you want.



    If you use a number belt you can have the number on your back for the bike then spin it to the front at T2 for the run. Check the rules of your race though, they may insist you have two numbers visible front and back during the bike and run. This would stop you using one number belt and spinning it round in T2. You could use 2 belts or pin the second number to the belt to get round this.
  • meakiemeakie Posts: 124
    cheers for the info jules :-)
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    You have to get a number belt. They're part of the uniform!
  • What if you are doing an openwater swim in a wetsuit ?



    I've got my first Tri coming up as well in a few months.



    Good luck [;)]
  • MowfMowf Posts: 272
    alucardxiii wrote:


    What if you are doing an openwater swim in a wetsuit ?



    I've got my first Tri coming up as well in a few months.



    Good luck [;)]



    Two options:



    1 - you hang your race belt over your bike.

    2 - you wear it under your wetsuit.



    I go for option 2 personally. One less thing to forget in T1.
  • moonshinemoonshine Posts: 335
    [quote]1 - you hang your race belt over your bike.

    2 - you wear it under your wetsuit.



    I go for option 2 personally.



    does it not get soggy or do tri wetsuits not let in as much water a diving ones?





  • meakiemeakie Posts: 124
    re the ebay item. cheers for that :-)



    hey, how do the no sheets fix on?



    ??? [8|]
  • meakiemeakie Posts: 124
    wouldnt know the answer to "do they let more water in than diving suits" but what I do know is tri wetsuits are more like a second skin and fit far more snug than a regular diving suit, hence making them easier to swim in. I got mine last yr for open water swimming and I love it!

    - pass on the number thing tho.. just thought I would add my 2penneth in re how much I love my suit [:)]
  • GGBGGB Posts: 482
    I am undecided on the number belt thing ... I bought one for my first duathlon but there were plenty of people that just safety pinned them on. The number belts tend to make your number flip over or flap around - and in some events could cause confusion to the marshalls if they can't read your number.





  • BritspinBritspin Posts: 1,655
    Strategy....you get 2 numbers, take a roll of double sided sticky tape (available from our stationery cupboard), stick both numbers back to back, top & bottom, slide number belt thru et voila! less flappy, more rigid, less likely to turn over & if it does guess what is on the other side.
  • gingertrigingertri Posts: 277
    For my 1st tri pinned it to my tri top (sorry prefer the "tank top" and shorts to the all in one!) then got someone to help with the wet-suit zip so it didnt trap it and had no probs! got a race belt which seems fine - just turn it round for the run/bike. But i suppose it depends on how strict they are about number on both sides? surely on the bike you're tucked up so they cant see your front anyway!?
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    hey, how do the no sheets fix on?


    Looks like the string bit goes through the holes in the number with the toggle keeping it in place.
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    but Britspins way does sound better!



    Thanks.



    41 days until my first sprint...
  • BopomofoBopomofo Posts: 980
    @GGB : You don't need a number belt for Duathlon, as there is no requirement to put your number on on transition. You can have your number(s) pinned on front and back all through the race.



    A number belt is simply the quickest way to put your number(s) on after the swim.



    @somebody else: If your numbers are waterproof enough then there's nothing to stop you wearing them under your wetsuit. If that is the case then you don't really need a belt: you could pin them front and back.



    Or maybe you were only supplied with one number, so the belt helps you flip it around from back to front in T2.



    Or maybe you could go to the local print shop and ask them to make 2 copies of your race number in waterproof ink onto plasticised paper.
  • meakiemeakie Posts: 124
    willtri wrote:


    41 days until my first sprint...



    same for me! which one u doing?? I am doing wilmslow
  • willtriwilltri Posts: 436
    same for me! which one u doing?? I am doing wilmslow


    I'm at Stratford-on-avon.



    Hope the training's goings well...Good luck!!
  • gomiboygomiboy Posts: 59
    meakie wrote:


    wouldnt know the answer to "do they let more water in than diving suits" but what I do know is tri wetsuits are more like a second skin and fit far more snug than a regular diving suit, hence making them easier to swim in. I got mine last yr for open water swimming and I love it!

    - pass on the number thing tho.. just thought I would add my 2penneth in re how much I love my suit [:)]



    I just have to jump in to correct this one - a tri wetsuit is vastly different than a diving wet suit and it's not much to do with the fit as with a lot of other things.



    First - all wetsuits should be tight fitting. A wet suit works by trapping a layer of water between your skin and the suit; the water warms up with your body heat, and thus keeps you more comfortable. The neoprene in the wet suit helps keep this warm water insulated and the tightness keeps the water in. If the suit is too loose, then it won't retain the warm water and will be constantly filling with cold water and do nothing for you. Also, wet suit material (neoprene) is naturally bouyant. More about this in a minute.



    A diving wetsuit is designed for warmth, not movement. It's generally a uniform thickness all over - i.e. 3.5mm or 5mm or even 9 or 10mm for really cold water. A diving suit is designed for minimal movements while underwater as the idea in diving is to move as little as possible thus conserving your air. Even a 'shorty' wet suit (short arms and legs) will restrict your shoulder movements pretty drastically and slow you up a lot when you're trying to swim - stretching your arms over your head is a lot harder in a diving suit. For an example - I did the London Tri Olympic in a tri wet suit and completed the swim in 26 minutes. I did it in a shorty diving wet suit and it took me 35 minutes and was much harder work as I was 'fighting' the wet suit as much as I was swimming forward. The natural bouyancy of the diving wetsuit is counter-acted with weights and equipment - the idea with SCUBA is to be neutrally bouyant (neither sinking nor rising without intentionally doing so).



    A tri wetsuit is designed to allow you to move. It's got varied thickness, going from .5mm to 1.5mm usually. Underarms / shoulders / inside legs are generally thinner, whilst the outer legs, chest, etc... are thicker. It is designed to provide some warmth but not much - your swimming body will provide most of the warmth and a more common risk with a wetsuit is actually overheating rather than being too cold. The bouyancy here is not counteracted - a tri wet suit's natural bouyancy will help you stay flat on top of the water and lend efficiency to your swimming. Don't think a tri wet suit will mean less swim training, though - everyone has the same advantage.



    As for the numbers, a lot of people wear whatever they will swim and run in under their suits, and that includes the number. This usually means tri suits. I wouldn't recommend wearing a full padded pair of cycling shorts under a wetsuit - that would be a lot like wearing a soggy diaper for all of the swim and a lot of the bike until it dries, and may cause unwanted chafing in very sensitive locations. [:D]



    Final tip - try to swim with your wet suit on in training at least a couple times. Yes, you'll look like a nob wearing a wet suit in your local swimming pool, and you'll have to rinse it out really well to get rid of the chlorine, but swimming in a tri suit is different than swimming free. It will take a bit of getting used to, although it's not all that different.
  • pacman2102pacman2102 Posts: 247
    I would go for the number belts as pin tend to rub and cause pain. Look at the london marathon how many blood stained tops you see. Also Putting on the number belt in transction is the best and pretty quick rahter than under a wet suit as they may come off in transition.



    Two belts is best
Sign In or Register to comment.