Required

SWIM

• Swim suit: Tight fitting, no baggies please.

• Cap: Please have one available at practices even if you have short hair. Races usually require them (e.g. using different color caps to ID different swim waves) so we sometimes practice with them.

• Goggles: Bring them to swim sessions. It is helpful to have a spare pair in your bag as well.

• Fins: Short or long will do.

• Pull buoy: Any kind will do.

• Paddles: For FF Flames and FF Elite only. Not needed for FF Light.

BIKE

• Bicycle: Any type of bike will do! Bring what you’ve got. The type of bike you have does not determine whether or not you can have fun racing triathlon. Most of our athletes do ride road bikes, however some (especially our younger/beginner athletes) ride mountain or hybrid bikes. A road bike will be faster and potentially create less frustration when trying to train, but we absolutely do not require one for participation. Even for our older athletes, specialty triathlon/time trial bikes (e.g. with aerobars) are less versatile and not needed at this level. If you are in need of a new bike, we suggest first asking around the team to see if anyone has one they have grown out of. You can also visit any of the local bike shops. The Velo Shop in Emmaus/Shimerville, PA has always sponsored our team and has knowledge and expertise in fitting young athletes on bikes. (Note: a good bike fit is more important than the type of bike you have). There are also places to purchase used bikes online, including Facebook Marketplace. Valley Preferred Cycling Center in Trexlertown (“The Velodrome”) also has a biannual (spring/fall) VeloFest, where you often can find good deals on new and used bikes.

• Stationary Bicycle Trainer: We do actual bike riding as much as possible, but occasionally need to use trainers — especially earlier in the season before the weather warms up. Any type of trainer will do, so long as it fits your bike. Without getting into too much detail, ‘“magnetic'“ trainers are cheapest and adequate. “Fluid” trainers are slightly smoother but more expensive. “Smart” trainers allow interface with great online training applications (like Zwift) but are not required. Please make sure before coming to the first trainer session you know how to put your bike on your trainer (and take it off). For our youngest athletes, very small bikes occasionally have difficulty fitting on standard bike trainers, so please double check fit.

• Helmet: An ANSI/Snell approved helmet is required. Make sure the helmet fits well and has no cracks. Helmet use is mandatory, including any time you are on your bike before or after practice..

One general note about clothing during our cool early season rides. We see it every Spring — kids tend to underdress for the rides. Consider wearing one layer more than you think you need to. The wind chill on the bike tends to negate heat generated from exercise. An outfit that may be comfortable just walking around in may be inadequate for cycling. Generally it’s a good idea to dress in layers, with a thin wind-proof top layer when it’s chilly. Also remember thin gloves for those early season rides!

RUN

• Running Shoes: We recommend you go to a local running store (e.g. Keystone Running Store. or Emmaus Run Inn) and have them fit you.

• Elastic Race Belt: For attaching race numbers. They can be purchased or home-made with a length of craft store elastic band tied in a loop.

GENERAL

• Water Bottle: Please have at least one bottle that can fit into a bottle cage (if you have one) on your bike, and also be used for run sessions.

• Watch: Digital watch with stopwatch is best. Alternatively if you are able to carry it with you while you run, phone or stopwatch could also work.

Optional

• FireFly Tri Race Kit: See Equipment: Kits tab above. These race kits are one piece lycra suits that allow you to do swim, bike, and run legs without having to change into any other gear. These kits are also a great way to stand out as a team when we race together, and the most practical racing outfit. Most athletes on our team wear one.

• Elastic running shoe laces with quick release: These save lots of time during T2 (bike-to-run transition) and available in many fun colors. You can get these at local running stores or online. Lock Laces or similar.

• Cycling shorts/cycling jersey. Less chafe, more aero — but optional.

• GPS: watch-based or bike mounted.

• Phone: Carrying a phone on our road rides (e.g. Saturday mornings) is generally a good safety measure. They can be helpful to call a parent if necessary. In case of an issue like a flat tire, the whole group (or at least a ride leader) will stop to help you change it — but it’s also a good idea to have a phone for backup. Parents can also track their athletes during these rides (e.g. with Life360 or similar) if desired.

• Wetsuit: Wetsuits add buoyancy and warmth, but are NOT required. They can be an expensive purchase for young athletes who are growing and changing sizes quickly. USAT rules do however allow wetsuits for any open water race in which water temperature is below 78 degrees. This is mostly relevant during early season races. Most of our athletes choose to wear our team race kit without a wetsuit. If you are still interested, Xterra often runs discounts on their wetsuits.

• FireFly Tri Team Gear: Completely optional, but available. See Equipment: FFT Team Gear tab above.

Additional requirements for FireFly Elite only

• Clipless bike pedals/shoes. Look style pedals are a good choice, but there are also other options.

• Elastic running shoe laces with quick release

• Consider Zwift membership. This is a great app-based training program for stationary bike trainer use. If there is enough interest, we may consider exploring options for group training on this platform. If you’re not on Zwift yet and are interested in getting on the platform, there is good info here.