What Happens If You Give A Regular Triathlete The Fanciest Gear?

In our last print issue, we asked, “How little can you spend to get from couch to finish line in a tri?” We gave one first-time triathlete a budget of $600 to get everything he needed from square one: goggles, a wetsuit, a bike, a helmet, run shoes, the entry fee, and more. With only six weeks of training, he was able to not only finish his first sprint triathlon, but he’s hooked on the sport. (Read more on that story later this week.)

But in triathlon’s spirit of pushing everything to the highest possible level, this season we’re also going to be outfitting one of our members, an experienced, midpack age-group triathlete, with the best that money can buy. While our budget triathlete couldn’t get any assistance from anyone (aside from what he sourced himself), our “Regular Joe to Let’s Go” triathlete will get unlimited help from the full range of Triathlete’s resources: everything from unlimited one-on-one gear advice from me—the resident gear editor and former pro triathlete—to an expert in-person bike fit from one of the top fitters in the U.S. to the best gear that money can buy, and more.

Along the way, we’re going to be bringing readers updates on how the process is going: how we’re shopping for the perfect gear to target his “A” race, how his fit is being optimized, how his training is going, and his unfiltered thoughts on his new gear. In fact, some of the special access we’re giving to our Regular Joe will become available to all members in a new program we’ll be debuting very very soon!

But first, let’s meet our Regular Joe—Bryant F., from Rockland County, New York:

Bryant is a 52-year-old triathlete who has been competing in the sport since 2016, but has been running for longer. Like many, he raced a few sprint- and Olympic-distance events before eventually finishing his first half and full iron-distance events in 2019.

His key race in 2022 is the 70.3 Gulf Coast in May, but he’ll also potentially be competing in the Cocoa Beach Triathlon in April, 70.3 Chattanooga in May, and the New York City Tri in July. We’ll be working on tailoring his equipment choices to succeed specifically at his key race at 70.3 Gulf Coast.

While Bryant’s current equipment setup isn’t exactly shabby, it could use some specificity, and he’s admittedly struggled with fitting and some gear-related issues (more on that soon). Right now, he’s using:

Check back soon as we consult with Bryant to find his sweet spot between familiarity, fit, and speed!