Bargain triathlon gear from an unlikely source

As triathlons have become more popular they’ve also become more financially accessible. For instance, the 2014 ShortList Tri Challenge costs just £68 to enter. However, it’s still very easy to spend a small fortune on training kit. And that’s fine because there’s some exceptional gear out there, but it’s vital there is something for every budget because a first-time triathlete may not want to break the bank.

If you fit that profile you may want to circle 4 May in your diary because that’s when a new range will be briefly available at Aldi. Do not adjust your web browser, we do mean Aldi. And its sports products do meet ShortList’s exacting standards. It’s won plenty of awards for its grocery offering and earlier this year members of the ShortList team began trialling some of the brand’s running kit and we’re still using it now.

And on 4 May the range will be expanded and includes a trisuit (£14.99), premium cycling shirt (£14.99), softshell cycling jacket (£15.99), windproof baselayer (£9.99) and bicycle computer (£4.99). We’ve not had the chance to test all these but if they’re as good as the running kit no one’s going to be disappointed with the value for money on offer.

There’s a catch though. These are part of the brand’s ‘Specialbuys’ promotion and as such there will only be limited stock in shops. So you need to be quick. But if you’re interested in triathlon training, then ‘being quick’ is already one of your goals.