More Gear Questions: Caps and Men’s Shorts

[dasgeh]

I’ve never used one of these cycling, but have you tried a running visor: http://www.saucony.com/store/SiteController/saucony/productdetails?productId=4-112870&stockNumber=90462-BK&skuId=490462-BK00000&selectedWidth=null&selectedSize=One%20size%20fits%20all&showDefaultOption=true&directURL=true&CID=cse_googleprodsrch_Speed%20Run%20Visor&gclid=CMjK7LOTnbYCFQdU4AodPSEArA

I think I have one that I could dig out, if you wanted to borrow to see if it’ll do the trick.

[Dirt]

Little Package are my favorite cycling caps: http://cap.little-package.com/
Walz makes some lovely ones. I use the wicking caps in the summer: http://www.walzcaps.com/caps.html

I have not been happy with many non ELITE cycling shorts. I have found a combination that works extremely well for me. I start with a pair of bib shorts and then put Endura Single Track shorts or 3/4 over them: http://www.endura.co.uk/Dept.aspx?dept_id=112 It adds useful pockets, they’re comfortable and extremely non-elite. The Bike Lane in Reston used to sell Endura stuff. It lasts for ever. I’ve got a 3+ year old set of Singletrack 3/4 that were used virtually daily (and washed regularly) for their lifespan. They’re worn and show it a bit, but they’re still my go-to shorts for urban or mountain biking situations. I finally got a second pair because I felt bad about not supporting a company that was making great products.

Hope that helps.

Pete

[Dirt]

I really like the old-school Italian cycling caps: http://www.tandemseast.com/parts/accessories.html (scroll down). I hadn’t used them for a while, then fell in love with some lovely pink ones when at Tandems East. I bought a few and they’re awesome. Cheap too!

[Dirt]

One more note: the visor on the Walz caps tends to be a little longer than most. If you don’t like that, you can ask that they give you a shorter one. My friend Felkerino helped them offer that option.

[Subby]

Thanks Pete – was kind of fretting over what I was going to do when it was too hot for my balaclava.

Got one of these wicking caps from Waltz:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2600[/ATTACH]

[TwoWheelsDC]

I’ve got some Endura Humvee shorts and have been pretty pleased with them. Combine it with a Humvee jersey and you get ELITE functionality (sweat wicking, three back pockets, etc…) without looking ELITE. The shorts came with a liner, but it’s removable, so I wear bibs under them instead. But the liner is good enough that I still use it under jeans or non-bike shorts.

[Dirt]

This is beyond the scope of the question that you asked, but I thought I’d add it in.

Cycling caps serve many purposes. For people who are follicly-challenged, it helps prevent sunburn on your scalp. The visor protects your eyes from the sun too. They’re GREAT at sunrise and with oncoming headlights. They let you selectively things in front of you, while still letting you see ahead.

On windy days, they work as a wind protector to keep things out of your eyes… even when you’re wearing glasses. When it is raining or snowing, they can be angled to keep precipitation out of your eyes while you ride.

They’re also designed to be pretty minimalist, so they will usually fit under your helmet without any problem. These days many helmets have adjustment dials or ratchets to let you get the fit perfect. When I buy a new helmet, I take a cycling cap along to make sure that the helmet fits both with and without the cap.

Cycling caps are also kind of fun! I like the little extra bit of color and style they bring to whatever you’re wearing.

Rock on!

Pete

[consularrider]

For the summer I prefer a coolmax cycling cap, either Headsweats or Pace for example, over the cotton ones.

For shorts, I’ve ordered some PI liner bib shorts to use under regular clothes. They haven’t arrived yet, so I don’t know how they’ll do.

[jwfisher3]

I think you’ve already figured out that there’s ZERO chance that your guy wants to wear anything tight and shiny, so MTB shorts seem to be the way to go – Endura HumVees are excellent and look very much like cargo shorts (the favorite apparel of actual and/or perpetual adolescents everywhere) – I know Proteus is an Endura dealer. Could also go with a PI liner short, which gives him the chamois underneath a pair of his own favorite shorts (stealth). Those are available at REI, among other places.

[vvill]

I have a Hincapie branded cap that’s made of poly or something else technical – it is light but it also gets sweaty easily so I don’t know if it’s better than wool/cotton/etc. I assume it wicks but I sweat a lot, so I don’t know. I’m planning to buy more caps this year because this one cap seems to be perpetually in the wash – I’ll probably try the Walz wicking one.

For shorts, I would second the liner short idea as I’d hate to ride on the C&O for long in regular garments. Liners are often less bulky than proper bike shorts too (the thinnest ones I have are the Nashbar $20 ones), so it won’t look like you’re wearing a diaper underneath (…as much). For the outer layer, you could try Matix (a skateboarding clothing company). They make shorts out of technical material (polyester + viscose) so they don’t immediately pill up after a few rides, and they always seem to be on sale on many sites (I got mine on TheClymb).

Another reason I often wear a cycling cap is it keeps debris out of my eyes, when paired with sunglasses. Sunglasses keep out a lot, but it’s better with the cap.

[Justin Antos]

Another vote for Endura Singletrack shorts, or 3/4 length.

[jwfisher3]

Oh, and I almost forgot – about the cycling caps – well, I’ve never actually had the pleasure of meeting Felkerino and MG/Gypsybug, but from what I can tell via images, and also BicycleSpace’s Friends of the Shop video, the peeps sporting the coolest most stylish caps are those two. I’d ask where they (she, I guess, specifically) get their great looking caps.

[FFX_Hinterlands]

@Subby 47480 wrote:

Thanks Pete – was kind of fretting over what I was going to do when it was too hot for my balaclava.

Got one of these wicking caps from Waltz:

[ATTACH=CONFIG]2600[/ATTACH]

I have the same cap. It keeps the sweat it of my eyes. When it starts to stink add some white vinegar to the sink with your detergent. It will help, but I think mine will succomb to stink before it wears out.

[brendan]

@FFX_Hinterlands 47673 wrote:

I have the same cap. It keeps the sweat it of my eyes. When it starts to stink add some white vinegar to the sink with your detergent. It will help, but I think mine will succomb to stink before it wears out.

Re: stinky cap? That’s what very long soaks in the washer with a dash of oxyclean powder are for. Or so I’ve found. Works on summer backpacking stink too.

I wish it was a reasonable solution for my helmet. For that I hand wash, dry, spray with lysol, let that sit for a a few hours, then hand rinse several times so I don’t lysol my eyes and scalp later.

B

[creadinger]

@eminva 47463 wrote:

I got a new helmet for the summer, but it doesn’t have a dorky visor.

Who are you calling a dork? I love my visor. I’ve never tried a cap, but instituting more layers on a part of my body that gets the hottest and sweatiest doesn’t seem smart.

Anyway, thanks to all the recs here about shorts on my way home this evening I’m going to stop by Capital Hill Bikes and City Bikes to see if they have any Endura shorts in my size.

[Author]

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