Tri Tops?

[Kimmyt]

I was looking at a Pearl Izumi outlet a few weeks ago and I noticed that the tri tops they had did not have built-in sports bras.

I saw the same thing when I was at my not-so-LBS.

Is this the case with most tri tops? They seemed to be a looser jerseylike fit, although I didn't tri them on.

I had been under the impression that they came standard with built-ins and that they were pretty skintight...

[colby]

I was looking at a Pearl Izumi outlet a few weeks ago and I noticed that the tri tops they had did not have built-in sports bras.

I saw the same thing when I was at my not-so-LBS.

Is this the case with most tri tops? They seemed to be a looser jerseylike fit, although I didn't tri them on.

I had been under the impression that they came standard with built-ins and that they were pretty skintight...

On the shelf bras, some do, some don't. TE has a fair bit of stock that goes both ways. Most people with "equipment" in that location seem to be wearing a sports bra under them regardless of the shelf (in fact, if you're wearing a sports bra under, you may prefer no shelf). I've found that I can use a lower compression sports bra (or only one where I usually wear two) with a higher compression top, regardless of having a shelf.

They are supposed to be tight fitting, though. I had to size myself down to the truly accurate size (I usually wear things bigger) for it to fit like it's "supposed to" and not feel awkward (too big in the neck, too lose in the chest). Some brands do fit differently than others.

Maybe some of the other ladies can fill in more detail.

[anakiwa]

It really depends on how much support you need.

Over the years I've discovered I can run with a close fitting tank top or long underwear top. (I used to wear sports bras to run, but they tend to chafe and be more restrictive than I really need.) In the summer I usually run in tanks with shelf bras. In the winter, I wear a close-fitting tank/long underwear top under whatever outer layers I'm wearing. For tris, I've done all sorts of things. I've found that a really close fitting tri top is enough to support me by itself (material obviously has to be thick enough to not be see through). I've also gone with the lightweight tank/long underwear piece under the tri top or a plain sports bra or a cycling tank with shelf bra. One downside to the cycling tank with shelf bra option is that it doesn't dry quite as fast as most tri gear.

So I'd go with whatever top or combination you think will work for you.