"Like a second skin” - the WYN Republic CdA triathlon suit reviewed

Multisport brand WYN Republic was founded in 2017 by two former professional long course triathletes, husband-and-wife duo Beth and Luke McKenzie.

Since its inception, WYN Republic (WYN, for short) has focused on small-batch, finely crafted running, cycling, triathlon, and athleisure apparel with crisp colors and clean designs.

The McKenzies both specialised in Iron-distance triathlons (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run) and when they launched WYN, wanted to make a triathlon kit that was both comfortable enough and stylish enough to keep its wearer happy for a race of 140.6 miles.

Today, WYN Republic offers three “families” of tri suits: Hi Velocity, Luceo, and, most recently, CdA (coefficient of aerodynamic drag), which I will review here. With one of the industry’s highest prices for a tri kit, I knew this kit needed to be tested for comfort, fit, and aerodynamics.

Construction

While WYN has always prioritised aerodynamics in addition to comfort and style, the CdA suit is its most technically advanced kit yet. It took nearly two years to design and test in the pursuit of every Watt.

The CdA kit comes in a nifty black matte box covered in the CdA equation and other math-y looking details. Similar to how an Apple product box seems to “pause” before fully opening, so too does the CdA kit box. You feel like you’re opening something luxe.

The kit's legs feel hydrophobic and “matte” in the sense that I wouldn’t describe them as silky, but they are soft. The legs have side pockets that lay flat against the side of one’s thighs and are so flush with the rest of the leg fabric that I didn’t notice them at first. Additionally, the legs offer coverage down to just a couple of inches(5 cm) above where the leg bends at the knee.

The top of the one-piece kit is soft, too, but again, I wouldn’t describe it as silky. It feels sturdy and high-quality. Ripples in the arm coverings go to just above the elbow and part of the torso. These ripples make an appearance in many top-level tri-kits as a way to disrupt airflow and result in a… You guessed it… lower CdA.

• Italian ultra-lightweight textile technology with Italian aerodynamic textured ribbed fabric on sleeves and torso side panels
• Swiss Coldblack fabric front panel with treated cooling qualities
• Fabric offers UV protection of SPF 35+
• Ice pocket on the back of neck, two internal front pockets, two pockets on the side of each thigh
• Micro-mesh underarm panels for hyper-flexibility and unrestricted swim stroke
• Dolomiti Grigno triathlon specific 3mm chamois
• Signature "full zip" front opening with flip-lock YKK zipper.
• Heat bonded arm cuffs
• Seamless shorts construction
• Precision laser cut hem openings with integrated silicone leg gripper for a seamless finish
• One style: white top with black shorts
• Sizes: XS through XXL
• A wee bit of soft fabric that prevents the zipper from chafing your sternum area - a great touch!

The Ride

Because it is still too frigid in Colorado to test a tri suit - and one with cooling capabilities - outside, I tested the CdA kit for a two-hour-long trainer ride indoors. I rode my tri bike and spent most of the ride in the aero position, as one would during a half or full-distance Ironman.

The first thing I noticed is that the kit feels well-constructed. There were no crackling sounds of threads stretching or breaking as I pulled the kit on, and the kit immediately sat on my body without the need to tug the fabric into place.

The second observation I had was that the kit is surprisingly stretchy. In the past, the more aerodynamic a tri kit claimed to be, the stiffer its fabric was. This may have been an attempt to “lock” a kit into place on one’s body to minimise any fabric drag.

Regardless, the CdA kit had plenty of stretch, especially in the underarms and back, which is critical for the swim portion of a triathlon. Additionally, I am quite tall at six feet with extremely broad shoulders, and in the past, this has meant fighting with other women’s kits to get the kit to zip. I was pleased that the size-large women’s CdA kit zipped up with no problem and fit my expansive shoulders and back without a fight.

My 0.5-star reduction comes from that same stretch applied to the kit's shorts. Some may brush this off as a personal gripe and not worthy of a ½ star detraction, but for as well as the top half fit, the shorts of the CdA kit were just a smidge too large, bunching up in the front of my groin more than I’d like the longer I pedalled. This didn’t cause me any chafing, but it was noticeable enough to warrant a mention in this review.

This issue may be specific to my anatomy - those size-large broad shoulders are paired with size-medium hips and thighs - but that body type isn’t rare in triathlon, so I thought it was worth mentioning. I think I’d almost need a “medium tall” size to find the perfect fit in not just the CdA suit but also most women’s triathlon kits.

Besides the slightly lengthy shorts part of the kit, the CdA kit felt like a feather-light second skin as I grinded away on the trainer. It was incredibly light and breathable, with no hotspots forming even as the sweat dripped down my back and legs. I was impressed by how quickly the leg fabric dried and how cool my core stayed in the torso fabric (and I rode the trainer with no fan on, folks).

Perhaps most importantly for triathletes, the chamois was barely there but also very comfortable. It was so nice, in fact, that I forgot I was wearing a thinner triathlon-specific chamois and felt just as satisfied with the CdA chamois as I would in thicker cycling bibs.

Value and Conclusion

When I consider the type of athlete—elite—and the racing conditions—hot and humid—this kit was made for, I would recommend it in a heartbeat. Its attention to detail, like the internal pockets, cooling fabric, and rippled torso panels, is obvious and effective.

The CdA kit has also proven its worth on the race course, with notable results like Ironman World Champion, Chelsea Sodaro's win in the 2024 Ironman New Zealand and Leon Chevalier's fourth-place finish at Kona last season.

For $700, though, this is not a kit for everyone; in fairness, it’s not marketed that way. This kit is listed for triathletes looking to gain every possible legal aerodynamic edge across mid- and long-distance triathlons. And often, those types of triathletes are also the type to drop $700 on a kit, especially one that claims to save seven minutes over an Iron-distance.

This kit's “second skin” feeling immediately appealed to me for the types of triathlons I love: those in hot and humid conditions. When cycling in places like the Kona lava fields, you want the “coolest” gear, in both the temperature and style.

Ultimately, this is a hyper-elite triathlon kit for true enthusiasts who are looking for a PB or to be competitive, rather than just a finisher - just don’t tell your accountant.