Race Belts vs. Donning Shirt

Hard to put the shirt on when  your wet, huffing and puffing, adrenaline pulsing and all of a sudden you see that other competitor that came out of the water same time as you and you want need to catch them........And you have a number pinned to the shirt and it sticks to your shoulders. and all of a sudden you hear rip.  Pin just ripped two of the holes.

My vote goes to a race belt.   Since I have done the wrestling match with my jersey before.

At River Cities I saw at least two guys on the bike that were unsuccessful in their wrestling efforts, riding their bikes with their jerseys still rolled up around their shoulders in the back. I learned in my first tri to either wear the shirt during the swim or do without.

Another vote for the race belt.

Wrestled and lost AGAINST A STUPID SHIRT!.  And the first thought is to ask somebody close by to help, and nobody is around and pride takes over,  and you can't  see because your glasses are fogging up and sweat is running into your eyes.  Just about ready to scream out some &&^@%$!^.   Plus pins are notorius about popping open and sticking you after wrestling with the shirt.

I'm using Fuel Belt right now.  Has the the little squeezy thingys that hold the bib number on a cord.      My first belt sucked....It was a Nathans brand (not the hot dog).  The belt had plastic hooks,  and I always had to tear the holes a little bigger to fit on the plastic hooks, than had to sweat the bib slipping off....Poor thinking in the design.

So check out how the belt works before buying.

I also recommend the race belt.  I use it for road races to  so i don't put holes in those nice yet expensive Dri-fit shirts.  Mine also has the silly plastic snaps which i don't quite trust, so I usually back them up with a couple of pins into the belt itself.  Works fine, at lesat until i find a differnt type of race belt.

My vote is definitely for the belt. I used one for the first time at my race two weeks ago and couldn't believe how much easier it made my life!  I stuck it in my running shoe so I wouldn't forget it and clipped it on as I ran out of T2.

I considered both duct tape and staples, but thought that might get ugly and would probably be the only pictures of me that ended up posted by the official race photographer...