17 Hours Triathlon Suit Review

I was lucky enough to be the first person to test out the new line of triathlon race suits from 17 Hours Triathlon Clothing. I have written a review on the “Elite Triathlon Suit.” It's a one piece long sleeve suit that allows the top to fully unzip. I wrote this about 2 weeks after racing in it at the Hell of the West Triathlon in Goondiwindi earlier this year.

I’ve broken up the review into swim, bike and run segments to give you a rundown on how it felt throughout each of the legs.

Swim

During the Race I have an Xterra Speed Suit which I love and would wear over any triathlon suit so I can’t give too much of a review on how the suit went during the swim. I had the sleeves pulled down and tucked around my stomach inside my speed suit (see image below). Transition was 200m from the swim which gave me plenty of time to put my arms into the wet sleeves and zip my tri suit up before needing my hands for T1.

During the Warm Up Before the race I warmed up for 600m in the local pool (river was closed because it was dark still). I was able to test out the suit here because I didn’t want to wear my xterra speed suit in the chlorine. I didn’t find my shoulders restricted from any movement nor did I get any rubbing under the arms. I couldn’t feel any differences with drag in the water compared to other tri suits I’d swam in before.

Bike

The suit felt skin tight which meant no crinkles or bunching around the shoulders letting the air flow cleanly and uninterrupted. I was extremely happy with the aerodynamics of the suit. What I was happiest about was having a raw cut leg band (See image below). I have had issues in the past with sizing because my leg circumference is usually one size larger than what the rest of my body fits. The band fit softly but snug around my quad which meant no restriction to circulation for my quads… yay!

Chamois I was a little worried because I didn’t do any bike training in my suit before the race so the chamois had NOT been ridden in yet. I was comfortable and was able to stay on the aero bars the entire 80km. No chaffing! That being said you have the choice of a cloth chamois used regularly in ITU suits or the minimally padded long course chamois which I opted for.

Run

This suit is ideal for warm races because of how lightweight and breathable the material is. I found that it held just the right amount of water to keep you slightly damp to keep you cool but it didn’t carry too much excess water where the suit felt heavy. I didn’t hesitate about throwing water and ice down the suit. I didn’t feel that the colour being black added any extra heat. Chafing I only ended up with a small mark from where the chamois ended on my backside. I didn’t even know it was there during the race until I got into the shower after the race. I didn’t have chafing anywhere else though not even under the arms or between the legs. To prevent chafing in the location I got it is easily fixed with some anti-chafe cream in that area. Like I said though I didn't even know it was there until after the race.

Sizing

I wore a size small for Hell of the West. I am usually a size 8/10 AUS women's in normal clothing. I felt that if I needed too, I could have worn an XS because the suit stretches a little when it’s wet.

Pockets

There are two rear pockets located on the lower back. I stored 3 gels in these pockets for the run and was able to easily access them while running and put the empty packets back in. The bottom of the pockets aren't stitched onto the suit. I'm not sure the purpose of this... maybe to decrease drag in the water?

Summary

I found this suit to be skin tight and crinkle free on the bike and very lightweight and breathable on the run. The material was like a second skin and it looked awesome. I would rate this suit 5 out of 5 stars.

To get in contact with 17 hours Triathlon Clothing click on the link below:

Cheers, Ashleigh Hunter