Spend enough time hanging out with off-road triathletes or even mountain bike riders and there is a high probability in finding yourself in a discussion some call The Cold War of the Cycling Kit:
Should road triathletes convert to baggy shorts and nondescript jersey, rather than riding their road kit when racing in an Xterra or mountain bike race?
There seems to be very distinct views on the two types of garb. We’ve heard the mountain bike side say that road kits are a joke and shouldn’t be ridden or raced on the dirt. The other side of that “dirt” coin says that wearing a road kit just makes more sense in Xterra races. The primary point being that one will have to wear the mountain biking gear under the wetsuit unless one wants to waste precious time in T1.
Let’s take this a cut deeper. There is a bit of divide in the mountain bike world too. We’ve found that mountain bike racers and off-road triathletes at the elite and pro level don’t bother with the baggy shorts. It would be just as easy for their sponsors to create a branded pair of shorts, but the racers simply go with a traditional road cycling kit. One of the benefits stated the most is lack of restriction. In a road kit, the body is not restricted in its movement. Additionally, there is less fabric that has the potential to snag on trees and rocks.
It seems that our recreational dirt brethren are alone in this ongoing discussion about using road kits on the dirt. The pros prefer them, as to age groupers competing in Xterra.
The good news is that it’s all good because it boils down to one’s own personal preference. It’s as simple as that. Sure there are pros and cons, but at the end of the day we are all bike riders out there doing for the love of camaraderie, sport and fitness. At least that’s our take on it here at Triathlon Training Series.
So, next time you get sucked into this discussion with your off-road triathlon buddies or mountain bike riding co-workers, don’t let it frazzle you. Just “roll” with it and invite them on a training ride and gift them a copy of one of our great triathlon DVDs.