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Pros of the Pearl Izumi Men’s ELITE Pursuit Tri Octane Suit
-Snug, skintight fit eliminates chafing/sore spots
-Chamois is light enough for the run, but protective enough for the ride
-Quick dry material leaves you ready for the ride after the swim
Cons of the Pearl Izumi Men’s ELITE Pursuit Tri Octane Suit
-Low neckline can leave some weird tan lines
-Sleeves may be a bit too long
-Green color stained with body marker after the swim, and never came out
The Pearl Izumi Men’s ELITE Pursuit Tri Octane Suit
Triathlon is an uncomfortable sport – so what you wear shouldn’t be. Take a look above at this year’s ELITE offering from Pearl Izumi. It’s got a construction that’s great for racing fast, yet comfortable enough to go the distance on your next 140.6 endeavor. It’s made for both long and short course events, so you can wear it for your entire racing season – I know I did. I put it through it’s paces on a few tune up short distance events, and as you can see I wore it for this year’s Boulder Ironman 70.3 event. It was a great choice for the event, as the long sleeves eliminated chafing under the arms during the run (a common problem in singlets) and offered additional protection from the sun (this year’s event was brutal). It felt great in shorter courses as well, being a solid choice for events of any distance. I even took it out for a few training rides prior to my tune up races just to get a feel for how it felt. I really liked how it felt on the bike; it never caught any wind or added any drag, being skin tight. It also dried super quickly, which is really important for getting out of the water. Dragging a bunch of water on the bike not only slows you down, but also cause irritation and chafing in a hurry. No worries with that, here.
I really like the choice of Tri Suit over singlet/shorts, and I understand this is personal preference. But, for those used to racing in the singlet/short combo, I did have to strip this off in a hurry for a port-o-potty visit when I first started the run. I really had no problems skinning this off quickly, and felt no adverse affects from the loss of speed or irritation from taking it off quickly. I like the comfort it affords, so I typically will choose a tri suit such as the Pearl Izumi Men’s ELITE Pursuit Tri Octane Suite. Off the bike and into the run, the Tri Suit performed excellently – certain offerings can have too think a chamois, which causes major chafing issues when attempting to even walk any distance. I was comfortable for the entire half marathon, and also stayed cool in the heat as well. Pearl Izumi used an excellent blend of materials in their In-R-Cool lineup, which helps it breathe in even the hottest conditions. You would expect a tri suit of black material to heat up quickly in direct sunlight, but I actually found it cool for the bulk of the race.
Look no further than the Pearl Izumi Men’s ELITE Pursuit Tri Octane Suit for your racing season. I’ve now worn it several times in training for testing and to a handful of races. The fit has been excellent time and time again, and it washes/wears really well. The pricepoint of $170 may feel high to beginner triathletes, but it’s well worth the investment considering how well it performs. Currently, it’s only offered in one color, but don’t let that deter you – it’s guaranteed to be a hit. Check it out at Pearl Izumi’s website. Cheers.
View Comments (1)
As for sizing, what do you recommend for me, I'm 5'10 about 170. I currently have the sleeveless model of this suit in large but after 3 years I feel it may have stretched a little and that may be why it's a little looser than perfect. So not sure if I should go with medium or large?