Kit review: New dhb Performance Triathlon kit

Triathlon is one of the UK’s fastest growing sports but in terms of cost it’s not the cheapest sport to do. There are three disciplines that require three sets of sports kit and if you take to open water swimming and racing, the list of required equipment grows ever longer.

Even at its most basic level most triathletes require a few essential items of clothing and kit.

So it’s good to see one brand, dhb, has brought out a new range of reasonably priced clothing. The dhb Performance Triathlon kit range is aimed at enthusiasts and intermediate level athletes. The prices are very good, a shade over £21 for a pair of tri shorts and a trisuit for around £42, yet the clothing still looks to be well-designed and seems to be good quality.

I already own dhb cycle kit, which I really like. It’s great quality for very reasonable prices.

Within this new dhb Performance Triathlon kit range are men’s and women’s specific clothing. In particular are the women’s Tri Shorts, Tri Top and a Trisuit. These items are specifically for racing and I would imagine that most people would use them for a sprint or standard distant, and perhaps a half ironman (if you can cope with less padding on a long bike ride).

dhb Performance tri shorts

Features include:

• CyTech Super-Tri S pad designed for a perfect fit in an aero position
• Elastic leg gripper with silicone print for comfortable grip
• Ergonomic mesh back pocket for fast access to nutrition (gels)
• Flat locked stitching for strength and comfort
• VITA fabric “created and developed for the toughest and most demanding athletes”. It is chlorine and sunscreen resistant and offers 50+ UV protection.

If you have never worn tri shorts or a trisuit you might be surprised to discover how little padding there is in the butt area when compared to normal cycle shorts. This is because the padding needs to cope with being saturated in a pool. The last thing you want is a water-logged padded insert when you then jump on to the bike.

So tri shorts and trisuits are a compromise. They offer a little padding where you need it for the bike section of a race. The padding is fairly minimalist but it does give some comfort to your nether regions when bent over forwards and flat out on a racer bike or time trial bike.

The shorts I tried are a size Small. I am normally a UK10 and they offered a good fit. They stayed put while swimming and didn’t cause any drag. They combined well with the tri top, which is long enough to reach over the top of the shorts.

Another plus point with the shorts is a wide waistband. This offers comfort, especially when cycling. Personally I would choose a trisuit for racing because I do not like the waistband digging into my waist area but the tri shorts are a good compromise if you worry that you might need to stop for a pee!

Once you are in a trisuit it is difficult to get out without baring your top half, while shorts and a vest top offer easier-access toilet breaks.

The soft, wider waistband is comfortable, as are the leg grippers. The leg grips keep the leg fabric in place while cycling, so that the fabric does not ride up.

There is also a back mesh pocket for energy gels but I don’t think you would fit much into the shorts pocket. It’s tiny! Perhaps you could slot the bottom of a tube of gel in there and hope it stays in!

The overall design of he shorts, combined with the flat lock seams and stretch fabric is really good. I have not tested the shorts for race after race so I can’t say if they are long lasting but I imagine they would serve you well for a year or two of a busy racing calendar.

Dhb women’s performance tri shorts cost £21.85 at Wiggle

dhb Women’s Performance Tri Top

Also priced at £21.85 at Wiggle is the dhb Performance Tri top.

Features include:

• Body-zone mesh panels for heat management
• Ergonomic mesh back pockets for fast access to your nutrition
• Flat locked stitching for strength and comfort
• VITA fabric (same as above)

The Small fits me very neatly. (I am a UK10.) I guess it needs to be neat fitting to prevent drag in the pool and for good support while cycling and running. It would have been good to see a bra insert support in the vest but at this price I don’t think you can everything. Most women wear a bra under their trisuit or vest top for racing, in any case.

The armhole area does feel a bit neat so if you are a UK10 to UK12 I would suggest going up to a medium.

Again, the fabric and design makes the top feel great on. It is perfectly suited to the purpose of triathlon racing. While I would normally wear a trisuit if you prefer the shorts and top combo this would make a good match to the shorts.

The longer torso length means it overlaps the top of the shorts nicely, which is especially important while swimming and while when bent over on a bike.

The mesh pockets are slightly deeper than in the shorts and located to each lower side of the back of the vest. I could imagine you might be able to fit in a couple of small gels but I think most people would not bother. Instead you can carry gels on your bike and in a race belt while running.

There is a black and grey version or a black and pink, depending on what you prefer.

The price is very good for what seems to be a good quality tri suit top. See Wiggle.

dhb Women’s Performance Trisuit

I wear a trisuit for all my swimming sessions because I prefer the fit and look of it compared to a swimming costume. (I have never found a neat fitting swimming costume that does not end up riding up my bum!)

A trisuit needs to fit neatly and you sometimes feel like you are being “squished” into it. But this aids swimming sleekness (I think so anyway!) and it means that everything is supported and kept in check when cycling and running in only the suit.

The dhb Women’s Performance Trisuit does not have a built-in bra but it does feature:

• CyTech Super-Tri S pad
• YKK front lock zip
• Zip protection panel (at the top of the zip) to eliminate chaffing
• Elastic leg gripper with silicone print for a secure grip
• Body-zone mesh panels for heat management
• Ergonomic mesh back pockets for fast access to your nutrition
• Flat locked stitching for strength and comfort
• VITA fabric (as above)

The trisuit is a very neat fit for me (I am a tall-ish UK10). But once in and zipped up it feels pretty good. I prefer my trisuit to be neat than loose so I was happy with how it felt.

In the swimming pool it feels even better. The smooth fabric gave me the impression I might swim faster. I doubt I did (very little helps me to swim faster!) but I had a “sleek as a seal” notion in my mind as I swam!

The suit didn’t rub at all and has been very comfortable to swim in. I also noticed that it dries quickly once out of the water.

The padding is sufficient for cycling in a triathlon event. I have taken part in a standard distance triathlon in a suit that has less padding than this and it is amazing what you can put up with during a race. I have a comfortable women’s bike seat, too, which takes away the need for a big cycle short pad.

Running in the suit is super comfy. Everything feels sucked in and supported (you don’t need to worry too much about other people clocking all those wobbly bits because they stay mostly sucked in!).

It hasn’t been warm enough for me to check the body-zone mesh panels for heat management and I haven’t bothered with gels in the back pockets. As I said above, I would probably have gels already attached to my bike and another in my race belt if I bothered at all.

The dhb women’s performance trisuit is £42.75 from Wiggle, which I think is a very good price. You can buy it in black and grey. There are men’s versions, too.