Huub Anemoi tri-suit review
The Anemoi is Huub’s brand new flagship aero tri-suit – as worn by Brit stars Alistair Brownlee for his Ironman 70.3 racing and David McNamee in Kona – which comes with a greater emphasis on speed compared to their previous top-level suit, the DS Long Course.
Huub have stepped up the R&D with the Anemoi and recruited aerodynamicist and British time-trial champion Dan Bigham to design the suit from the ground up. Bigham is quoted as saying that 80% of aerodynamic drag is created by the rider, so you can save a lot of time by refining position and clothing. Using a specially-designed procedure (involving CFD analysis and testing prototypes on athletes completing laps of Derby’s velodrome), Bigham and Huub were able to work out which fabrics were fastest for the greatest number of athletes, altering seam and panel placements depending on what patterns were shown to be the most slippery through the air.
The thinking didn’t just stop at reducing bike splits, though. Huub’s ‘arms neutral’ position improves swim comfort and Coldblack fabrics feature throughout for cooling. The R&D work is obvious in the finished product, with every small detail considered to make it as fast as possible. Razor-like strips of neoprene over the seams on the thighs have been added to create turbulent air on the body to prevent drag forming behind, with the arms and legs longer to ensure more of your skin is inside those aero fabrics.
We’ve found some aero tri-suits can feel somewhat restrictive in the chest and aren’t comfortable under a wetsuit, but Huub have hit the spot here with plenty of stretch and a barely-there feel to the fabric. The arms and legs are suitably grippy, while the pad is comfy enough for Ironman. But some practicalities have been sacrificed in the name of speed (Huub admit as much), with just one pocket on the back that can house a gel and no split pouch at the front for toilet-stop convenience. With wind-cheating fabric across the whole back section we found the breathability was slightly compromised compared to suits with sizeable mesh sections, but, with the front zipper opened a little to let some air in it was as good as we’ve come across in an aero suit.
While we haven’t seen any proof that the Anemoi is the fastest on the market (Huub say it has a 15 watt drag saving over the DS), it’s the least restrictive speedsuit we’ve tested, and that alone can make you go faster. It’s expensive, but the work put into the Anemoi – and the time you could save by wearing it – makes the buy worthwhile if you’re serious about speed.
Verdict: A cutting-edge tri-suit that feels both fast and comfortable 91%
Buy from www.tredz.co.uk
Contact : huubdesign.com