Triathlon Clothing from Coeur Sports

If you follow women’s triathlon closely, you may have noticed that more and more women are riding the bike leg while wearing a top with sleeves that come to the elbows.

We've been working on a sleeved tri top for quite a  while and new that the garment would provide extra sun protection.  We also believed that if the fit was correct, it could also provide aerodynamic benefit.

Before we rushed headlong into an effort to produce a Coeur aero top, we wanted to make sure the science supported the rumors, so we grabbed our prototype, hopped in the family truckster and took a trip to ERO Sports.

ERO Sports is known to be the leader in aerodynamic testing and they have hosted many of the biggest names in cycling and triathlon at their facility in Carson, California. ERO uses a revolutionary system called the Track Aero System (“TAS”) to measure wind resistance while the athlete is actually on a track riding their bike.  The belief is that actually riding the bike better simulates race conditions than a wind tunnel.

 ERO Sports

We knew that our sleeved aero top would provide extra sun protection, but we wanted proof before we claimed aerodynamic benefits. Once all the testing equipment was calibrated, we put the test rider in triathlon tank tops and shorts from our competitors and sent her out on the track.  Jim at ERO gathered the data and after about 10 laps, he rang the bell for her to come in.  Then we put her in Coeur Aero Top and sent her back out. 

Coeur Sleeved Triathlon Top for Women

After another 10 laps, Jim again brought her in and crunched the numbers.  He was smiling when he shared the information.  Yes, the aero top was indeed faster.  Our test rider would have shaved about five minutes off of her bike in an Ironman if she was wearing our top versus a tri tank.  Now, we know that over the ironman distance, five minutes isn’t huge, but it could mean the difference between being on the podium and a “near miss”.

So, if you’re looking for every advantage you can find, we encourage you to consider the sleeved aero top from Coeur. 

It is truly designed for speed.

Reginald Holden