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Three simple items that will turn you into the MacGyver of triathlon.
Baby Powder
For those who race sockless, a sprinkle of the water-absorbing powder in your cycling and running shoes works wonders. Even if you train sockless, you may be susceptible to hot spots and blisters on race day, so add a dash of baby powder to help absorb that extra moisture. You can also use the powder to draw a small arrow or smiley face on the ground in front of your rack in transition to help you find your spot.
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Electrical Tape
If you don’t have enough pockets to carry your race day nutrition and don’t want to buy a top tube storage box, you can tape a gel to the frame of your bike behind your stem. Tape the opening of the packet so you open the gel as you pull it from your frame. If you take electrolyte pills while racing, you can place a strip of tape around your top tube, stem or bars with the sticky side up. Stick the pills on the tape and pull them off when needed. While USA Triathlon rules state that race numbers should not be altered in any way, you can use electrical tape to affix your number to the frame of your bike if you’re riding a rig with deep tube sections.
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Zip Ties
There are about a dozen hydration setups that mount between your aerobars. If you want to make your own, you can do it on the cheap with a bottle cage and four zip ties. It may not be as secure or aero as one of the many options on the market, but it can get the job done. Get a side-loading cage like the Lezyne Flow Cage SL ($9.99, lezyne.com) so you don’t have to slide the bottle forward to get it out of the cage.