Goggles

The key here is finding goggles that are comfortable and don’t leak. Cosy, clear vision during training and racing is vital. There are many quality goggles out there – Maru and Speedo, to name but two. Aqua Sphere and Zoggs offer tri-specific, scuba-mask style goggles that come into their own in open water – which will be down the line in your tri racing career.

Bicycle

You don’t need one of those expensive space-age bikes you see in shop windows to train for or complete a triathlon. Your own mountain or road bike will probably be good enough, depending on the nature of the bike course at the race. The bike’s fit and your training matter more than the bike itself.

Bike Helmet

Fit is crucial. Place your hands on either side of the helmet and try to slide it backwards and forwards on your head. If you’re able to move the helmet in either direction so that the back or front of your head is exposed, then the helmet is too loose.

Bike Shoes

You have two choices: running shoes with toe-clip pedals or clipless cycling shoes. We strongly suggest the latter. You’ll cycle with more power and fluidity, and it’s easier to clip out of the clipless shoe-pedal combination than to pull your foot out of toe clips. Look for comfortable cycling shoes with a stiff sole, and have an experienced bicycle expert set your cleats.

Cycling Shorts

Bike shorts or bib longs (pictured) include padding that’ll stop rubbing on sensitive areas – so don’t scrimp on quality. Besides being less comfy, a cheap pair will wear quickly, exposing your backside to those behind you. Look for cycling shorts that have an eight-panel design, chamois padding and are made with antibacterial fabric.

Tri-Suit

Basically, they’re one outfit that you can wear for all three disciplines. We recommend using a tri-suit as no changes between swim, bike and run makes for speedy and easy transition. They come in one and two piece, and contain features like padded chamois, pockets and leg grippers. Simply great

Heart Rate Moniter

A heart rate monitor is vital. Little will do more to boost your exercise results than calculating your ideal training zones and sticking to appropriate heart rates during your workouts. All you need is a monitor that displays a continuous heart rate. However, if you fall in love with training by numbers, you can upgrade to one that has bells, whistles and PC downloadable options.

Tool Kit

A basic tool kit includes a spare tube, tyre levers to remove your tyre, a patch kit and a pump – simply everything you need for basic repairs on the road or trails. It’s also handy to purchase a set of Allen keys – Halfords supply a good variety of these – for any basic jobs, like raising or lowering your saddle. A good-quality multitool (pictured) is also a wise choice for multisport.

Running Shoes

The bottom line with running shoes is this: get the ones that work best for you. Go to a running store, have them observe your running style and then get their recommendations. We all run differently, which could present problems. Thankfully, run manufacturers have taken this into account, so somewhere out there, there’s a run shoe for you.

Triathlon on a budget:

Bank notes don’t have to be seeping out of every pore for you to make waves in tri. The most economical way is to pull together the triathlon gear from friends and family. This accomplishes two objectives:

1. You get the gear for nothing!

2. By getting the ones you love involved, you build a support network. If you discover you’ll stay with the sport – and that’s pretty much certain – then go ahead and invest in your own gear.

Orca Equip - £45.00

Nothing screams triathlete more than a tri-suit. Donning a tri-suit on race day will not only make your triathlon experience a lot easier, it will also make your competition nervous as you go into the race looking like a pro and feeling confident. The Orca Equip is water resistant so water will roll off the fabric as you run to the bike transition and the micro-fleece chamois is non-absorbent, so you won’t be leaking water on the bike leg, but still have the benefit of some padding. The material is also breathable so you won’t get hot and sweaty during the bike and run. All in all a very comfortable tri-suit.

Positive: The good price makes this a good option for the beginner racer with triathlete ambitions.

Negative: Sizing of tri-suits is a bit deceptive, so try before you buy.

Overall score: 9

Contact Orca www.orca.com

Zoggs Odyssey Max £14.99

The Zoggs Odyssey Max is a great choice for triathletes training in the pool and racing in open water. The Odyssey Max are slightly larger than standard pool goggles, meaning that they not only give great visibility but also feel far securer in open water than smaller goggles.

With good suction and fit, they don’t need to be done up too tightly to avoid leaking, and feature Zoggs’ new ‘Ratchet Quick-fit’ adjustment mechanism for faster fitting, which is great in a race.

Zoggs’ CLT (curved lens technology) means the Odyssey Max goggles have wide peripheral vision, and their Fogbuster technology will stop the lenses from misting up, even during swims over longer distances.

Positive: Great for pool swimming and open-water racing in terms of visibility and fit

Negative: Scraping the barrel, we’d say there’s plenty of stiff competition in this price bracket

Overall score: 9

Contact Zoggs 01276 486500 www.zoggs.com

Outland Tri-Bar £39.99

Nothing beats a tri-bar for adding speed to your riding, and we haven’t seen a ‘proper’ tri-bar as cheap as this one. Rather than the usual, heavy, single-piece bent pipe, with two bar-sliding clamps and lumps of foam for your elbows, these bars are genuinely multi-adjustable units.

The two separate extensions clamp under the bar, which keeps the elbow pads low – very useful considering most cheaper bikes have a tall cockpit that needs the lowest tri-bars possible. It does mean that there’s no climbing grip close into the bars, but the long, raked, upwards section of the extensions offers the option of a relatively high hand position.

The armrests can be shifted backwards and forwards and in and out about 1.5cm, while the plain arm pads absorb road shock fairly well. The forged clamps keep weight low (528g) and shims are provided to fit most bars. One final positive: extension ‘tidemarks’ and bolt torque ratings are laser etched for easy set-up.

Positive: Adjustable tri bars with a universal fit at a great price

Negative: Limited hand positions and single bolt fixings that need regular checking

Overall score: 8

Contact Raleigh 01773 532600 www.raleigh.co.uk

Aquasphere Mako Wetsuit £114.99

The Mako represents outstanding value at a little over a hundred quid. The suit comprises varying thicknesses of neoprene, from 5mm to 1.5mm: 5mm on the body’s front and thighs for buoyancy; 1.5mm and 2mm under the arms and around the
neck to limit fatigue while swimming. The neck of the suit is low cut and didn’t
leave any chafing marks.

Our only concern was the sizing. We had a large to test, which should have been fine. However, the suit felt incredibly tight and it took a helluva long time to get on. As with many wetsuits, a longer zip would also help but, overall, a fine suit for newcomers.

Positive: Excellent value for money; well constructed; good neckline

Negative: Not designed for the bulkier athlete; a longer zip would help in transition

Overall score: 8

Contact Aqua Sphere UK 01254 278873 www.aquasphere.co.uk

New Balance 902 £75.00

These days, it’s nigh on impossible to get a pair of run shoes for under
£80, so the 902 was on solid footing from the off – a positive feeling that was heightened during testing… Immediately, you’ll notice the sock-like fit and seamless interior – a must for barefoot comfort. (Note: many triathletes choose to run without socks to save time in transition.) The midsole of the shoe is as light as a feather. However, NB still manage to provide different densities of foam that, in turn, contribute to an excellent, comfortable ride. All in all the 902 is a fast shoe for racing and training.

Positive: A reassuring shoe that lives up to the ‘look-at-me’ colourway

Negative: The lacing system is secure but not the quickest during transitions

Overall score: 9

Contact New Balance 0800 389105 www.newbalance.co.uk

Lake CX 110 £64.99

These entry-level Lake tri shoes are great value for money. The foot moulds really well, with no ripples or ridges under the broad single strap. There’s no obvious ‘lift’ at the toe or on the well-padded heel either, although fit is on the long and narrow side.

The single reverse strap has a big rubber end, which ‘stands up’ on your foot for really easy grabbing when whipping it off in second transition, although it looks less aero than other shoes. Despite a lack of vents, it dries fast and the lack of draughts is a definite bonus on cold, winter days.

The nylon sole feels stiff enough underfoot and has drillings and plates for all popular pedal systems. Lake shoes last forever, too.

Positive: Solid fit and tough construction makes this a great-value shoe

Negative: No drain holes (but no draughts either); suits long thin feet better than fatties

Overall score: 8

Contact Moore Large 01332 274200 www.moorelarge.co.uk

Giro Stylus £39.99

The Stylus is sleek, compact and weighs only 275g. It has plenty of vents – 24 to be precise, which is plenty enough to offer great airflow channelling and a cool head even on the warmest of days.

It uses Giro’s Roc-Loc 4 retention system, which employs separate tension and positioning adjustments, both vertically and horizontally, for a comfy and secure fit. It has an ‘imolded’ shell, so the hard-wearing plastic outer is bonded directly to the impact-absorbing polystyrene inner. Inside are sweat-mopping Coolmax pads that can be removed and washed.

Positive: Good looks; well ventilated; cosy; great value; comes in five colours, three sizes

Negative: Doesn’t provide the heavyweight protection of top-end models

Overall score: 9

Contact Madison www.ultimatepursuits.co.uk

Ciclosport CP16 £49.99

The slim-line CP16 is a simple monitor with enough features to get you by for basic training across all three sporting disciplines. It has an easy-to-adjust strap with quick release for swift removal. There are just two buttons: one takes you through each of the modes while the other simply sets each mode as you require, making it an extremely straightforward operation.

There’s a bar-graph heart-rate (HR) display as well as the usual number display, so you can see by the colour of the blocks where you are as your HR increases, and an independent stopwatch. The chest strap is bulky but didn’t cause any problems during
our test. It’s also equipped with a bike handlebar mount.

Positive: Good value for money; easy to use; will suit smaller wrists

Negative: Only covers the basics ; limited accuracy due to whole second timing

Overall score: 8

Contact Jim Walker 0870 752 8777 www.jimwalker.co.uk