Calf Sleeves - Do I need a pair?

Calf Sleeves, do they make you go faster?

The latest piece of must have kit around the race course is calf sleeves. Whilst they are not a new thing, everyone last year seemed to be wearing them at races around the world from pro triathletes to age groupers looking for that competitive advantage when every second counts!

Minimising aerodynamic drag on the bike leg is super important to maximise your performance and there are certainly benefits to all athletes to wearing calf sleeves to reduce drag and improve time on the bike.

The calf sleeves can be worn under a wetsuit but are not legal in a non wetsuit swim, so that should be taken into consideration as to when and if to race in them. The extra time to put them on after a non wetsuit swim and the length of the ride will be a big factor here in deciding if there are gains to be made for you and your race goals. There are obviosuly greater time savings over the full 180Km than on a shorter Olympic distance race. 

The fabric used for the calf sleeves should be aerodynamic and ideally tested and proven in the wind tunnel and on the track. The fit should be a good tight fit but not compressive, the purpose of the sleeves is to improve aerodynamics and you really shouldn't feel them when racing. 

Do you wear them on the run? The benefits of wearing them on the run will be negilable due to the speed of running compared to riding. The main factor here should be time to take them off in T2, again we feel that's personal choice to remove them in T2 or leave them on for the run.

The calf sleeves that Fusion have developed are wind tunnel, track and race tested, made from an aerodynamic, breathable fabric with silicone strips at each end so they stay put when racing.    

To wear them or not, well that's personal choice but we expect the calf sleeve trend to continue in 2024!