End of Season Gear Audit: What to Replace Before Next Triathlon Season
The off-season is the right time to find out your wetsuit zip is failing or your helmet is five years old — not two weeks before your first race back. Here’s a practical checklist to work through before you pack everything away for winter.
Wetsuit
Check the zip pull, seams and any areas around the shoulders and underarms for cracking or delamination — neoprene degrades with UV exposure and repeated stretching, and a small crack now becomes a full seam failure by spring. If yours is showing wear, our best triathlon wetsuits roundup covers this year’s options.
Goggles
Anti-fog coatings wear off with regular washing and pool chemicals — if yours have started misting up no matter how you prep them, it’s the coating, not you. Straps also perish with chlorine exposure over a season. See our best triathlon goggles guide if it’s time for a new pair.
Drivetrain
A worn chain accelerates cassette and chainring wear if left unchecked — a cheap chain checker tool tells you in seconds whether it’s time to replace. Check tyres for sidewall cracking or worn-through tread, especially if they’ve done a full season of training miles. Our chain lube and bike tyre guides cover current options.
Helmet
Replace any helmet involved in a crash immediately, regardless of visible damage — the foam liner can be compromised without a visible crack. Beyond that, most manufacturers recommend replacing a helmet every 3-5 years as the foam degrades with age, heat and UV exposure even without impact. See our aero helmet guide if yours is due.
Shoes and Cleats
Worn cleats reduce pedal engagement and can fail to clip in cleanly at the worst moment — check for rounded edges or excess play in the pedal. Running shoe midsoles typically lose meaningful cushioning by 300-500 miles; if your race shoes are past that, plan the replacement now rather than racing on dead foam next season. Our running shoe and bike shoe roundups can help.
GPS Watch and Electronics
Battery health degrades with every charge cycle — if your watch is struggling to make it through a long training day compared to when it was new, that’s a battery issue rather than a settings problem. Check our GPS watch guide if a replacement is due.
The Off-Season Payoff
None of this is urgent in the way a mid-race mechanical is — which is exactly why it gets skipped. Working through it now, while there’s no race on the calendar, means you start next season’s build without a wetsuit zip failing on your first open water swim or a chain snapping on your first big ride.
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support The Triathlete.
