It’s a bit insane that it took ROKA this long to give us a Gen 3 tri suit.

The Gen 2 tri suit was a Front Pack favorite, and we weren’t alone. It piled up more than 400 five-star reviews, which in the world of triathlon gear, where everybody has opinions and nobody agrees on anything, is basically a unanimous vote. People loved it. We loved it. And then we waited. And waited. Now it’s finally here, and the Gen.3 AeroSPEC Short Sleeve Tri Suit is now available.

The Problem With “Fast” Aero Suits

And this isn’t just any tri suit, ROKA is calling out something we’ve been muttering about for years. A lot of the fastest aero suits on the market are designed to shine at speeds most of us will never touch. Air tunnel tested and all that bullshit.

What works for a pro averaging 24+ mph doesn’t automatically make an age grouper faster, and ROKA points out that even ultra-fast podium-level age groupers rarely top 24 mph over a full distance Ironman. Meanwhile you’re often paying more and feeling worse to get a benefit you’ll never see on the bike.

Gen.3 is built with that in mind, the PR chasers who make up most of the start line.

The star of the show is a new proprietary AeroSPEC textile that’s designed to balance speed and comfort across the swim, bike, and run.

ROKA says it saves up to 6 watts at riding speeds between 16 and 24 mph compared to Gen II.

Feed me all the damn free watts because that means no extra training required.

What’s New

Aero isn’t the only upgrade. The sleeves get the new AeroSPEC fabric, and the back panel is a lighter mesh for better breathability. ROKA also redesigned the storage, with larger pockets for race day nutrition and ice, including an ice pocket on the back of the neck. If you’ve ever raced in the heat and it feels like more races are getting hotter, you already know, ice is gold. Core temperature management is a real race day strategy, and it’s nice to see they are taking some cues from others and built around it.

Below the waist, the leg fabric is a super flex material that holds its shape while keeping that silky, second-skin feel and superfine printed silicone grippers are meant to keep the legs in place without riding up or squeezing.

The triathlon chamois is also updated, now low-profile with flat edges, so you’re comfortable through all three disciplines and not just the first two. We haven’t tested yet, but this is so key.

ROKA also added two new sizes for both men and women, Medium-Large and XXL, aimed at power-endurance athletes who haven’t always had great options. That brings the lineup to 10 men’s and 10 women’s sizes, which may be the most sizes of any manufacturer.

What Stays the Same

The things people loved about Gen II carry over. You still get the patented ArmsUp technology for shoulder freedom in the swim, a premium YKK breakaway front zipper, UPF 30+ protection, and a textile cooling treatment for temperature regulation.

“Creating a next generation tri suit that would make the majority of athletes faster at every distance, and feel great the entire race, took years to get right,” said Kurt Spenser, ROKA’s Founder and CEO. “Gen.3 is a true upgrade.”

Price and Availability

The Gen.3 Elite AeroSPEC Short Sleeve Tri Suit is available now at rokamultisport.com with an MSRP of $495.

We haven’t tried on or raced in the Gen.3 yet, but you can bet we’re lining one up.

Gen II really was the goat and a tri suit we pointed any new athletes toward, so this bar is set pretty high. Also, we love that ROKA didnt just come out with the usual marketing language of fastest ever, but mindfully said, hey, we know our audience.

We’ll report back once we’ve put it through the full swim, bike, run wringer.