TRANSITION BAGS

If you want to keep your kit organized, a triathlon transition bag is a must for training and racing. We grabbed all our gear to put 11 to the test

- HELEN WEBSTER, ROB SLADE

There's an awful lot of stuff you need for race day. There are no two ways about it - whether you're racing on a budget or buying all the latest tech, at a minimum you're going to be carting around a wetsuit, swim cap, towel, and goggles; bike shoes, helmet, and sunnies; run shoes, cap/visor and a hoodie for after the event. Plus a tri-suit, but chances are you'll be wearing that! Add to that all the little extras such as energy gels and drinks bottles, race number belt, race license, and extra apparel such as socks, bike gloves, and warm layers if racing on a cooler day, and you're looking at a lot of stuff.

You can use a plastic crate or tub for race day admittedly (though check individual rules for your race, as transition guidelines vary), but for the benefit of keeping everything organized en route to the event you can't beat a good triathlon transition bag. They're also handy for training and for traveling to races overseas (though check sizing here to make sure you can take them as hand luggage on your airline - you don't want all your race kit going AWOL in baggage collection!).

The 11 bags we have here are a mix of tri-specific bags and large gym kit bags. Our testers looked at how straightforward it was to pack and access kit, as well as how well they kept clean/dry kit and wet/muddy kit separate. With one male and female tester, we also considered whether they had the capacity for larger shoe sizes and bulkier kits. Weight was another consideration, with some races having a long walk to transition, and then finally we considered strap comfort. Phew! Let's see how they got on...

MONTANE TRANSITION 60L