GEAR REVIEW: De Soto Forza Tri Suit

This will be my sixth year racing triathlons, and in that time, I have tried just about every major manufacturer's clothing. I have raced in various combinations of tops, bottoms, suits...if it is tight, and you would be embarrassed wearing it anywhere other than a race...I have worn it.

I have sung the praises of DeSoto and their Forza line before. DeSoto make the best triathlon clothing there is in terms of quality, fit, function, comfort and style. And they have incredible customer service. I recommend their products to anyone who is training and/or racing at any level.

I own alot of DeSoto products but  I have come to love the Forza tri suit, in particular, a whole lot. I own 3 of them. I have raced my last two 70.3's and Ironman Arizona in this suit, and I do every long ride/brick in it also. I can't imagine wearing anything else for a long course race, and in what follows, I will explain why.

The fit is tight and compressive. If you don't like compression, the Desoto speedsuit with liftfoil may be a better option for you. It fits just as well, but lacks that nice, firm, compressive feeling that only Forza delivers.  The suit is tight, almost like a wetsuit, but once you get it on, it disappears. It sits up where you want it to, allowing a full range of motion, and giving you a feeling of support without ever getting in the way.

The "invisipad" ranks as one of my favorite inventions in the world. Period. I have had issues in the past with chafing on long rides in the aero position. This was almost always due to friction from the padding, or chamois. No amount of chamois cream seemed to get rid of this issue.  I can't tell you how many times i have had to compulsively adjust my bikes shorts (or their contents) to try to deal with this. The invisipad has done away with all of this. It pulls your family jewels out of harms way and keeps them safe, but without bulky padding. I have had absolutely no issues with chafing since I started doing all of my long training rides with the forza trisuit. And for running, it is absolutely the most unobtrusive yet supportive short there is. There is no sensation of the pad being there at all.

Yesterday, I rode 130 k on a training ride and then ran for 1/2 hour after. I had on my forza tri suit. Today, my bum is as fresh as a flower (tell that to my wife). I routinely ride centuries in this suit. It has even made it through six hour trainer sessions. Owning this suit, for me, makes cycling shorts obsolete, at least for riding in the aero position. (I still like a bit of padding on my road bike). 

When it comes to storage options, there is no better suit on the market. The three rears pockets are deep and functional. I can carry a full spare set up in one of them, and a water bottle in the other. In fact, the forza tri suit has helped me to do away with awkward rear hydration permanently; the deep, solid rear pocket, IS my rear hydration system. No ejected bottles, no checking behind me every time I go over a bump. The pockets on the legs can easily accommodate several gels, or two cliff bars, or a cell phone and credit cards on a training ride.

at IMAZ: you can see a cliff bar on the leg, and some H20 in back

The front zipper goes down quite far and provides more ventilation than any standard top I can think of. You can show more chest than even the most risque disco dancer. And as far as getting in and out for bathroom breaks, it took me about three seconds to get the suit off and on during a "natural break" at IMAZ last fall. No problem there.

the zipper goes down way below the fuel belt line, trust me

So, in sum, the Forza tri suit by Desoto is perhaps my favorite piece of racing equipment. It will be on my back this June in Syracuse, and later on in Cozumel. I hope you have found this review helpful.