AROPEC TRI-SLICK GEOM

Can this budget suit cut it for tri racing?

Direct sellers Aropec have long impressed us with their budget collection of tri wear, with the £45 Lion tri-suit and £90 Reindeer wetsuit both doing the business for short-course distances. What they lack in the ability to try before you buy, they largely make up for in their well-crafted features and choice of colours. So onto the Tri-Slick Geom, which scores points straight out of the box with a full-length zip guard (although we could give or take the dated geometric stylings). Into the pool and the Tri Slick truly excels; for a sleeved suit we’ve rarely tested better across the whole price spectrum, with water ingress minimal, the shoulders unrestrictive and the fabric hydrodynamic.

On the bike and the stretchy leg gripper bands are fairly rudimentary but are effective enough. The pockets are well positioned for gels but, at 9cm high, are just too short for anything bar a Gu energy gel. The main fabric isn’t the most breathable but there’s a mesh on the back and under the arms for increased ventilation. The ‘Air Pad’ chamois scores well for its lack of chafing and support for up to Olympic distance, but we’d certainly want more padding for longer than 40km. That said, it remains invisible on the run. aropec.co.uk