Living

There are some significant barriers to entry in a triathlon. Physical fitness is one thing. What about all that gear? People routinely drop thousands of dollars to get outfitted for the race. The investment—maybe even more than the 1500-meter swim—is enough to scare most people away. But doesn't have to be like that. In a new department called The Outfit, we're going to show you how to put together a totally respectable, complete, not-at-all-crappy set of gear. The first installment is a triathlon outfit, including the bike, the wetsuit, and everything else, all for under a thousand bucks. I talked to a host of coaches, trainers, and seasoned triathletes for recommendations, read reviews, then called in and tested a ton of items. First, I ran a sprint triathlon. That was followed by the Olympic-length NYC Triathlon. For both races, I used our chosen gear, and everything I'm recommending performed excellently. Tri Suit: Pearl Izumi SELECT This is your base-layer, and you...

There are some significant barriers to entry in a triathlon. Physical fitness is one thing. What about all that gear? People routinely drop thousands of dollars to get outfitted for the race. The investment—maybe even more than the 1500-meter swim—is enough to scare most people away. But doesn't have to be like that. In a new department called The Outfit, we're going to show you how to put together a totally respectable, complete, not-at-all-crappy set of gear. The first installment is a triathlon outfit, including the bike, the wetsuit, and everything else, all for under a thousand bucks. I talked to a host of coaches, trainers, and seasoned triathletes for recommendations, read reviews, then called in and tested a ton of items. First, I ran a sprint triathlon. That was followed by the Olympic-length NYC Triathlon. For both races, I used our chosen gear, and everything I'm recommending performed excellently. Tri Suit: Pearl Izumi SELECT This is your base-layer, and you...