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Article written and provided by 220 Triathlon — as seen in the September 2020 magazine
Triathlon wetsuit pioneers Quintana Roo are pretty blunt about what they’re offering with the HYDROfive. It’s basically similar technology as their fancier HYDROsix (see p14), minus a few frills to keep the quality high but bring the price point down. It’s hard to argue with the results.
This was probably the most unique suit on test, with some very interesting panel cuts and stretch materials that delivered superb flexibility in the water. The thick legs helped with buoyancy and the unique fit – boasting a very different style of collar via a comfort seal neck design and extremely long sleeves – somehow all worked. This is certainly a quirky suit and very different to everything else, but it was a high performer and proves that different can also be good.
see the full 220 triathlon comparison
U.S. brand Quintana Roo were one of the first tri wetsuit brands back in the eighties. It’s been some time since they’ve had wetsuits on these pages – in contrast to their bikes – but now they’re back with a two-strong range of new neoprene.
Seen here is the HYDROsix (the not-dissimilar £479 [$479] HYDROfive is featured in our bumper wetsuits test starting on p53), the top-end suit of the two and made entirely of high-grade Yamamoto 39 and 40-cell neoprene throughout. Features include SCS Nanocoating for boosting hydrodynamics and QR’s own ‘Sensory Catch and Feel Panels’ that aim to give the swimmer more purchase on the catch phase of the stroke.
QR’s big sell is that it’s made with a total number of 27 seams – compared to 35-60 seams with other tri wetsuits – to create a more natural swimming experience, improve durability and aid internal comfort. The HYDROsix comes in seven male and female sizes.
Handling the stress of traveling with all of your triathlon gear without compromising performance on race day is its own special skillset. Top QR pro (and veteran world traveler) Matt Hanson gave us six pro travel tips that will help you succeed in your next destination race.
A big local presence, a big IRONMAN World Championship qualification, and a big win at The Championship in Samorin, Slovakia. This past weekend was a BIG one for the Quintana Roo family.
When customers purchase a V-PRi, they get the same ceramic bottom brackets and oversized pulley wheels as our pros. We explain why every triathlete who chooses a V-PRi automatically gets these upgrades from the factory.
