Gear & Brands | Some I Actually Use

Cold-water suits built for the conditions PNW triathletes actually race in — and they warehouse out of Shoreline, WA. You can visit in person, which is genuinely useful when you're trying to figure out which wetsuit fits.

Good range from entry-level to high-end without a lot of noise — and their cold-water models are a natural fit for PNW lake temps.

Rotate a lot of ideas through their lineup — worth a look if standard suits do not fit you right.

Athlete-owned brand with a full lineup from entry to elite — serious enough for podium finishers, priced for the rest of us. USA Triathlon's official wetsuit partner and increasingly common in PNW transition areas.

German engineering, tri-specific DNA, and a wetsuit lineup built around speed in cold water. Less common in PNW transition areas than the big names — which is exactly what makes it worth a look.

If one-piece never quite fits, De Soto is the "make it fit" answer — functional and genuinely comfortable.

Easy to find, decent value, huge size run — you'll see 2XU everywhere at big regional races.

Race-cut gear that is legitimately fast in the wind tunnel and still usable in the real world.

Big dealer network in the PNW and a long-standing tri presence, plus easy service support.

Aggressive spec for the money if you are comfortable doing more of the setup yourself.

Portland-built, direct-to-consumer, and made for this region. The price-to-frame-quality ratio is worth a hard look before you default to the import brands.

Felt has legit tri DNA (IA/"B" heritage) and still builds bikes that are all-in on aero + fit — the kind of platform you actually see at races, not just in catalog photos.

Tri-specific geometry and details (storage, bosses, etc.) built around actual racing.

Deep fit adjustability in a stiff, race-ready platform — popular with athletes who need to get their position exactly right and don't want to buy a new frame every time they tweak it.

Not cheap, but extremely sorted front-ends and integration if you want full superbike vibes.

The Aerium is a wind-tunnel/CFD-driven speed weapon with smart storage/hydration options — big-engineering vibes without automatically pricing you into the stratosphere.

The Plasma line is built around pure speed: modern aero shaping, serious integration, and lots of position range — basically "go fast, don't overthink it" in carbon form.

Built from the ground up for triathlon — not a road bike with aerobars tacked on. Integrated storage, clean cockpit, and direct-to-consumer pricing make it a legitimate alternative to the big names.

Boutique tri-specific brand that punches above its weight — wind-tunnel developed tube construction, full Triad Elite builds from $4,189 to $8k, plus framesets if you want to roll your own. Less common in PNW transition areas than the big names, which is exactly the point.

Deep section wheels that are still rideable in gusty conditions; a staple at PNW races.

If you care about ride feel as much as speed, their hoops are hard to beat.

Bulletproof hubs and raceable wheel options that still make sense for daily training.

Makes sense if you are already on Specialized; clean aero integration and good support.

Solid mid-range carbon wheels that punch above their price; great for training and local races.

Bang-for-buck aero wheels that show up constantly at age-group races; solid entry point.

Swiss aero brainpower — built for speed, not vibes.

The brand serious age-groupers and pros have been quietly running for years. Made in Connecticut, raced at pursuit world championships and Kona. The Mach 7580 is a proper tri/TT speed weapon.

Giant's carbon wheel brand — real wind-tunnel engineering, not just a badge swap. The 65 Ultra TLR Disc is showing up at serious age-group and pro tri races, and you can actually get support and spare parts through a Giant dealer.

The Corsa Speed is consistently at the top of rolling resistance charts. Supple, fast, and the go-to for pure race-day gains.

The Pro One TT is one of the fastest tubeless tires on rolling resistance charts and handles PNW road grit better than most fragile race tires. A staple at serious age-group level.

The P Zero Race TLR is now a top-5 tire on every major rolling resistance test — supple casing, low CRR, and the kind of puncture resistance that survives the chip-seal shoulders common on PNW race courses.

The default tubeless sealant for most setups — widely available, works with virtually any tire, and seals small punctures mid-race without you touching a thing. If you're running tubeless and haven't picked a sealant yet, start here.

Seals faster and in larger holes than most sealants — the Endurance formula stays liquid longer, which matters on a warm race day. Noticeably better performance at the cost of a few extra dollars per bottle.

The fastest roadside flat fix for tubeless: insert a plug in under 30 seconds, re-inflate with CO2, and keep racing. Standard kit in serious tri and TT race bags — once you've used one mid-race you won't ride without it.

The most common CO2 inflator brand in PNW transition areas — reliable, widely available at local bike shops, and their Ultraflate Plus lets you control the inflation rate so you don't over-inflate a cold tire on race morning.

Easy-to-find cockpit parts and extensions when you are dialing in fit or upgrading a stock bike.

Common OEM spec on a ton of tri bikes; plenty of options if you like integrated setups.

More niche, but great if you are chasing very specific fit and pad/extension shapes.

Full-send aero-nerd cockpit: clean, integrated bar built around drag reduction and forearm support so you can actually hold your position without suffering. Bolts onto most tri/TT bikes — no full front-end rebuild required.

The "you can actually source parts" option: Vision has a deep menu of clip-ons, base bars, and extensions—from simple setups to full integrated systems—so you can upgrade in stages instead of doing a whole new front end at once.

Purpose-built for the high-hands aero position — EVO bolt-on extensions and arm cups that let you stay low on a long-course bike split without spending the run in a crouch. If your current setup has you fighting to hold your position, this is the fix.

Aero nerd gear without the boutique rabbit hole — wheels + front-end stuff that's clean, fast, and race-ready.

Marginal-gains nerd heaven: real aero testing, practical race bits, and a bunch of published aero/CRR data you can actually use.

UK aero specialists who publish real testing data and build practical accessories around it — less "pro wind tunnel consultancy," more stuff you can actually buy and race with.

The ultimate "budget disc" hack. Their precision-fit covers turn a standard deep-section wheel into a disc for a fraction of the cost. The aero data is surprisingly competitive with dedicated disc wheels.

UK aero-nerd workshop energy: wheels plus "why does this exist?" components that are built around reducing drag in the real world. If you like gear that feels engineered (not marketed), Evolve is a fun rabbit hole.

UK shop that curates actual race-tested aero accessories — a good shortcut if you want marginal gains without spending 10 hours in cycling forums.

Makes the small aero bits that tidy up a race build — the kind of details that don't show up in power files but matter anyway.

Those weird graphite cubes are actually legit. For hot PNW race days or dry summer courses, evaporative cooling at the forehead keeps core temp in check — which turns out to matter more than you'd expect.

The rare shop built specifically for triathletes — FIST-certified bike fits, race wheel rentals so you can race carbons without buying carbons, wetsuit rentals, and staff who actually do the sport. In Enumclaw, 45 minutes from Seattle. Worth the drive.

A warehouse store with actual tri inventory across swim, bike, and run — not just the brands that paid for shelf space. Price matching, a loyalty program, and you can touch the wetsuit before committing. Near the PDX airport (I-205 exit 23B). Mon–Sat.

Boise's dedicated endurance shop — tri bikes, aerobars, components, and coaching under one roof. Professional bike fits, custom builds, and staff who understand the difference between a race position and a comfortable one. 1510 N 13th St, Boise.

A scuba shop that went all-in on open-water and tri. Vancouver's only dedicated wetsuit and tri-apparel retail location — Orca, Huub, Aqua Sphere — plus wetsuit rentals. If you're racing Victoria, Penticton, or anywhere in BC and need a fit or a last-minute kit, this is it. 1731 West 4th Ave, Vancouver.