Beginner Series 3 - Gear and Equipment

In part 3 of the Beginner Series, we discuss all things gear and equipment. What gear do you need early on, what is nice to have but not essential, and what gear should you delay getting until you have a acquired some more triathlon experience?
HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS:
• Essential swim, bike, run and race day gear for beginner triathletes
• Nice-to-have but non-essential gear in the aforementioned categories
• Upgrades for later on: gear and equipment to hold off on for a little bit, until you know you want to commit to triathlon
• Common mistakes related to gear and equipment
• The importance of correct sizing and fit of wetsuits, bikes and running shoes.
• How to save money (or avoid wasting money) on triathlon gear
DETAILED EPISODE SHOWNOTES:
• We have detailed shownotes for all of our episodes. The shownotes are basically the podcast episode in written form, that you can read in 5-10 minutes. They are not transcriptions, but they are also not just surface-level overviews. They provide detailed insights and timestamps for each episode, and are great especially for later review, after you've already listened to an episode.
• The shownotes for today's episode can be found at www.scientifictriathlon.com/beginner3/ (scientifictriathlon.com/beginner3)
LINKS AND RESOURCES:
• NA
WHAT SHOULD I LISTEN TO NEXT?
If you enjoyed this episode and have missed any of the previous installments of this series, be sure to give them a listen:
• Beginner Series 1 – Introduction to Triathlon (scientifictriathlon.com/beginner1)
• Beginner Series 2 – Selecting your first triathlon (scientifictriathlon.com/beginner2)
You can find our full episode archiveshere (scientifictriathlon.com/podcast-archives), where you can filter for categories such as Training, Racing, Science & Physiology, Swimming, Cycling, Running etc.
You can also find separate archives for specific series of episodes I've done, specificallyQ&A episodes (scientifictriathlon.com/qa),TTS Thursday episodes (scientifictriathlon.com/ttst), andBeginner Tips episodes (scientifictriathlon.com/beginner-tips).
LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON:
• TheScientific Triathlon website (scientifictriathlon.com) is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
• Contact us through ourcontact form (scientifictriathlon.com/contact) or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
• Subscribe to ourNewsletter (scientifictriathlon.com/newsletter)
• Follow us onInstagram (instagram.com/scientifictriathlonhq)
• Learn more about ourscientifictriathlon.com/coaching/,training plans (scientifictriathlon.com/plans), andtraining camps (scientifictriathlon.com/training-camp-mallorca). We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals.
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)?
I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time.
• Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.
• Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far!
• Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).
• Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack.
SPONSORS:
• Precision Fuel & Hydration (visit.pfandh.com/thattriathlonshow) help athletes personalise their hydration and fueling strategies for training and racing. Use the freeFuel & Hydration Planner (visit.pfandh.com/thattriathlonshowplanner) to get personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event. That Triathlon Show listeners get 15% off their first order of fuel and electrolyte products. Simply usethis link (visit.pfandh.com/thattriathlonshow) and the discount will be auto-applied at the checkout.

SPONSORS:
• Precision Fuel & Hydration (sweattest.precisionhydration.com/discount/TTS2…) produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner (precisionhydration.com/planner/?code=TTS2026&a…) to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout.

• Rouvy (rouvy.com/triathlon?utm_source=thattriathlonsh…) is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com/triathlon?utm_source=thattriathlonsh… and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial.

• Effortless Swimming (shop.effortlessswimming.com/?utm_source=podcas…) produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com/?utm_source=podcas… and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON:
• TheScientific Triathlon website (scientifictriathlon.com) is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we do
• Contact us through ourcontact form (scientifictriathlon.com/contact) or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)
• Subscribe to ourNewsletter (scientifictriathlon.com/newsletter)
• Follow us onInstagram (instagram.com/scientifictriathlonhq)
• Learn more about ourscientifictriathlon.com/coaching/,training plans (scientifictriathlon.com/plans), andtraining camps (scientifictriathlon.com/training-camp-mallorca). We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals.
HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)?
I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time.
• Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.
• Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far!
• Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).
• Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or …