What is Triathlon? What's the big deal with all this Tri-Gear anyway?
Years ago when I started training and racing in triathlons I didn't really know all the little details about the triathlon and what was involved. I knew you had to swim, then bike, and then run, that was about it. The more I learned about the triathlon, the more I realized that yes, the swim, was just that, but you had to learn and train doing lots of laps in a pool. You couldn't be just a leisurely swimmer and make it through the swim portion without being overwhelmed, so I trained. The bike, at the time I began, 1993, was changing. The handle bars were different than a normal road bike, I think my friends called them 'cow horns' or something to that effect, which sounded really weird to me, but hey, what did I know. Materials that the bikes were made out of were changing and evolving rapidly too. Build it Kits as they are referred to or the components bike mechanics need to actually build a bike were changing dramatically. (sort of like the iPhone today, every few months there was something new coming out it seemed) and the triathlon race wheels were really on the move, aero bike wheels, not just any wheels. Triathlon race wheels, or time trial wheels were making a big difference in the weight and speed in which a bike could be evaluated. Triathlon, and training for the triathlon were becoming a big part of the fitness industry and millions were jumping on the band wagon. But where were the retailers to support all these triathletes??
Back in the early 90's a guy in Arizona had been racing for a bit and was already training and racing in the Ironman races. What do you know, he was having the same issues I was having as a 'newbie' in triathlons. Where to find all this tri-gear! He would go to the local bike shops looking for more specific triathlon gear, but what he was probably finding was similar to what I found, bicycle shoes, bicycle gear, build it kits for road bikes, maybe something compatible to a newer tri bike that was being unveiled, but nothing specific to triathlon and definitely no wetsuits or tri-suits. So he decided to create his own store, out of his garage! Fast forward a few plus years and what was then, is now a huge business, TriSports and Trisports.com. The owner is (a very well known guy in the triathlon world) and his store, is now a huge building with tons of tri stuff! There are others that have followed suit in this new (at that time) triathlon market. Thankfully today, 2013, there are a few plus more millions of people either already involved in training and triathlon, or just getting their feet wet, (pun intended) to what all this hoop-la is about triathlon. So I am going to share with you a list of the top 50, as provided by another website that caters to the triathlon/multisport world, www.slowtwitch.com. It's a great website with tons of information and a must for your 'bookmarking' sites. So anyway, here is the list, 50 of the top retailers, many of which are bike shops, but apparently have a good enough showing of tri-gear to get people walking into the stores and finding stuff for the triathlon.
Of course, the last one listed just happens to be the place I have gone for more than 10 years to get my bike serviced, at least. I still have a hard time finding tri-gear here, but things are improving.
So, now, more about why I created Triathleta.com in the first place and go head to head with some of these retailers already established. We have been in the middle of some of the worst economic times in our countries history, with millions of people having been laid off their jobs, up rooting the family to move for a new job or like me, brainstorming like a mad woman about what else you could or want to do to make a living. Since being laid off my job, I started to think, other than design and architecture, what do you know really well? And there it was, my Ah-HA moment. Nothing earth shattering, mind you, just an idea I thought I could develop and market and bring to fruition, because I was still going into the bike and run shops locally here in Denver/Boulder and having a hard time finding the 'best triathlon bike shoe' or even a bike for triathlon. There were still only road bikes, you had to either order online from a tri-shop or fly to the closest place that had what you wanted, get fitted and then get it home when it was complete. There still seemed to be a 'black hole' in the triathlon market as to where you could go to get a fully equipped tri-bike. I know, bikes are hard to buy online. There are a multitude of measurements that have to be taken and applied to the bike. Additional parts and pieces you would add, to get yourself fit properly to your new bike. This is a must in the triathlon industry, especially since you may be on that bike for 5 or more hours. You need to be fit by someone who knows what they are doing. You can get it started with the dimensions you see online, take measurements yourself and send them on, it's just sometimes easier in person.
So I started the building process, finding suppliers that, in fact, were professional triathletes at one point and getting them on-board with my idea to create a triathlon product specific website. A place just with tri-gear, not road bikes tricked out with the 'cow horns', but the triathlon specific 'geometry' bikes and the wetsuits just for triathletes, all different styles, the triathlon race shoes, bike and run. The kind with no clicker mechanism or laces, just slide your foot in and maybe one velcro strap and that's it, you're in and gone. Those things are still hard to find for me and even harder when you have a hard to fit foot (AA). I will not mention the fact that women's clothing and triathlon women specific apparel is less than stellar in it's design, fit and function. It is getting better and new lines are emerging. I have a few lines on my site that I honestly love so much I would wear on a date, they are so hot. Still, most of the bike shops carry the basics and that's it. If you are in this sport to stay and don't want to look like a smaller version of your boyfriend, husband or guy friends out on a ride, then you're sort of, out of luck! You have to go 'in search of' online to find something that will really turn heads, be made of great materials to keep you dry when needed, have the pockets/storage you need for your extras and be made to fit a woman! You'd think this was rocket science or something since there are so few lines like this. But things are improving and I've got the goods to show for it, so come shop with me girls!
Anyway, I have set out to join the ranks of the Trisports, the Triathlon Lab and others who want to cater to the tri-geeks of the world, myself included, who want the products necessary to make race day a bit easier and hopefully more fun. In 2012, there were close to a million participants in triathlons world wide, so there are people out there in need of these products. You might not find the big name brands on my site, but you will find the brands that really listen to what the triathletes want and have created them based on that feedback. They will also have a bit less impact on your wallet, which means you can put the savings back into racing more, which is the goal anyway, right? Triathlons have gone hand and hand with my original career choice, but the world changes and sometimes it's out of our control. So adapting is necessary. If we can find something we love to do, are pretty good at it and in the process, share and give to others who may be in need of what we have to give, then I say that's not a bad way to make a living. I may never (probably never) be as big as Trisports, that place in AZ is huge I have heard, but we have some of the same products, from the same suppliers and I think there might be room enough in this industry for one more shop, so hopefully this 'labor of love' I have built and invested my blood, sweat and tears in, will provide something for the rest of us.
Caroline / Triathleta
Years ago when I started training and racing in triathlons I didn't really know all the little details about the triathlon and what was involved. I knew you had to swim, then bike, and then run, that was about it. The more I learned about the triathlon, the more I realized that yes, the swim, was just that, but you had to learn and train doing lots of laps in a pool. You couldn't be just a leisurely swimmer and make it through the swim portion without being overwhelmed, so I trained. The bike, at the time I began, 1993, was changing. The handle bars were different than a normal road bike, I think my friends called them 'cow horns' or something to that effect, which sounded really weird to me, but hey, what did I know. Materials that the bikes were made out of were changing and evolving rapidly too. Build it Kits as they are referred to or the components bike mechanics need to actually build a bike were changing dramatically. (sort of like the iPhone today, every few months there was something new coming out it seemed) and the triathlon race wheels were really on the move, aero bike wheels, not just any wheels. Triathlon race wheels, or time trial wheels were making a big difference in the weight and speed in which a bike could be evaluated. Triathlon, and training for the triathlon were becoming a big part of the fitness industry and millions were jumping on the band wagon. But where were the retailers to support all these triathletes??
Back in the early 90's a guy in Arizona had been racing for a bit and was already training and racing in the Ironman races. What do you know, he was having the same issues I was having as a 'newbie' in triathlons. Where to find all this tri-gear! He would go to the local bike shops looking for more specific triathlon gear, but what he was probably finding was similar to what I found, bicycle shoes, bicycle gear, build it kits for road bikes, maybe something compatible to a newer tri bike that was being unveiled, but nothing specific to triathlon and definitely no wetsuits or tri-suits. So he decided to create his own store, out of his garage! Fast forward a few plus years and what was then, is now a huge business, TriSports and Trisports.com. The owner is (a very well known guy in the triathlon world) and his store, is now a huge building with tons of tri stuff! There are others that have followed suit in this new (at that time) triathlon market. Thankfully today, 2013, there are a few plus more millions of people either already involved in training and triathlon, or just getting their feet wet, (pun intended) to what all this hoop-la is about triathlon. So I am going to share with you a list of the top 50, as provided by another website that caters to the triathlon/multisport world, www.slowtwitch.com. It's a great website with tons of information and a must for your 'bookmarking' sites. So anyway, here is the list, 50 of the top retailers, many of which are bike shops, but apparently have a good enough showing of tri-gear to get people walking into the stores and finding stuff for the triathlon.
| 3Sports | Richmond | VA |
| All3Sports | Atlanta | GA |
| Athletes Lounge | Portland | OR |
| Austin Tri Cyclist | Austin | TX |
| Belmont Wheelworks | Belmont | MA |
| Bike Doctor | Arnold | MD |
| Bonzai Sports | Falls Church | VA |
| Brielle Cyclery | Brielle | NJ |
| Cadence Cycling and Multisport | Philadelphia | PA |
| Chain Reaction Cycles | Anchorage | AK |
| Colorado Multisport | Boulder | CO |
| Contender Bicycles | Salt Lake City | UT |
| Cronometro | Madison | WI |
| Davis Wheelworks | Davis | CA |
| Element Multisport | Chicago | IL |
| Endurance House | Middleton | WI |
| Fast Splits | Newton | MA |
| Final Kick Sports | Virginia Beach | VA |
| Fit Werx 2 | Peabody | MA |
| Freshbikes | Arlington | VA |
| Gear West Bike and Triathlon | Long Lake | MN |
| Hi Tech Bikes | San Diego | CA |
| Inside Out Sports | Cary | NC |
| Jack and Adams | Austin | TX |
| Knobbies and Slicks | Colleyville | TX |
| Landry's Bicycles | Boston | MA |
| Machinery Row | Madison | WI |
| Nytro Multisport | Encinitas | CA |
| On On Tri | Hilton Head | SC |
| Outspokin Bicycles | Clearwater | FL |
| R&A Cycles | Brooklyn | NY |
| Richardson Bike Mart | Richardson | TX |
| Running Away Multisport | Chicago | IL |
| SBR Multisports | NY | NY |
| Speedy Reedy | Seattle | WA |
| Spokes Etc | Vienna | VA |
| Sunrise Tri | West Babylon | NY |
| Swim Bike Run of Kentucky | Lexington | KY |
| T3 Multisport | Indianapolis | IN |
| Transition Rack | Ann Arbor | MI |
| Tri On the Run | Houston | TX |
| Triathlete Sports | Bangor | ME |
| Triathlon Lab | Santa Monica | CA |
| Tribe Multisport | Scottsdale | AZ |
| TriBella | Denver | CO |
| TriJungle | Miami | FL |
| Trisports Tempe | Tempe | AZ |
| Trisports.com | Tucson | AZ |
| VO2 Multisport | Louisville | KY |
| Wheat Ridge Cyclery | Wheat Ridge | CO |
Of course, the last one listed just happens to be the place I have gone for more than 10 years to get my bike serviced, at least. I still have a hard time finding tri-gear here, but things are improving.
So, now, more about why I created Triathleta.com in the first place and go head to head with some of these retailers already established. We have been in the middle of some of the worst economic times in our countries history, with millions of people having been laid off their jobs, up rooting the family to move for a new job or like me, brainstorming like a mad woman about what else you could or want to do to make a living. Since being laid off my job, I started to think, other than design and architecture, what do you know really well? And there it was, my Ah-HA moment. Nothing earth shattering, mind you, just an idea I thought I could develop and market and bring to fruition, because I was still going into the bike and run shops locally here in Denver/Boulder and having a hard time finding the 'best triathlon bike shoe' or even a bike for triathlon. There were still only road bikes, you had to either order online from a tri-shop or fly to the closest place that had what you wanted, get fitted and then get it home when it was complete. There still seemed to be a 'black hole' in the triathlon market as to where you could go to get a fully equipped tri-bike. I know, bikes are hard to buy online. There are a multitude of measurements that have to be taken and applied to the bike. Additional parts and pieces you would add, to get yourself fit properly to your new bike. This is a must in the triathlon industry, especially since you may be on that bike for 5 or more hours. You need to be fit by someone who knows what they are doing. You can get it started with the dimensions you see online, take measurements yourself and send them on, it's just sometimes easier in person.So I started the building process, finding suppliers that, in fact, were professional triathletes at one point and getting them on-board with my idea to create a triathlon product specific website. A place just with tri-gear, not road bikes tricked out with the 'cow horns', but the triathlon specific 'geometry' bikes and the wetsuits just for triathletes, all different styles, the triathlon race shoes, bike and run. The kind with no clicker mechanism or laces, just slide your foot in and maybe one velcro strap and that's it, you're in and gone. Those things are still hard to find for me and even harder when you have a hard to fit foot (AA). I will not mention the fact that women's clothing and triathlon women specific apparel is less than stellar in it's design, fit and function. It is getting better and new lines are emerging. I have a few lines on my site that I honestly love so much I would wear on a date, they are so hot. Still, most of the bike shops carry the basics and that's it. If you are in this sport to stay and don't want to look like a smaller version of your boyfriend, husband or guy friends out on a ride, then you're sort of, out of luck! You have to go 'in search of' online to find something that will really turn heads, be made of great materials to keep you dry when needed, have the pockets/storage you need for your extras and be made to fit a woman! You'd think this was rocket science or something since there are so few lines like this. But things are improving and I've got the goods to show for it, so come shop with me girls!
Caroline / Triathleta
