More Gear Questions: Caps and Men’s Shorts

[txgoonie]

FYI – Little Package is going on sabbatical, so the store is closing, or may have closed already. She has been blowing stuff out in anticipation of closing the store, so you might wanna check soon if considering one.

I have a Walz technical cap and it really squeezes my head to point that it hurts. And my head ain’t that big, I promise. So I’d recommend sizing up.

[txgoonie]

Oh, and local blogger/tweeter Cycleboredom recently posted a lovely-looking cap he’s currently riding, which I found out was made in Philadelphia and, as a Philly girl, makes me happy. Nosing around, I found this little beauty, which will be mine. Oh, yes, she will be mine.http://bit.ly/12akklL

[mstone]

@creadinger 47918 wrote:

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.

A head cover makes things much less sweaty and gross

[Dickie]

@mstone 48046 wrote:

A head cover makes things much less sweaty and gross

That’s why I considering the Specialized Toupee Cap

[creadinger]

@mstone 48046 wrote:

A head cover makes things much less sweaty and gross

Except when it traps more heat causing more sweat. I use a band around my head to catch a lot of sweat that would otherwise run down into my face, but putting a full covering on in the heat of summer just doesn’t work. I’ve tried it.

[krazygl00]

There were some MTB shorts on super clearance over at Hudson Trail Outfitters at Fairfax Circle last week. I forget the brand but it was a good one. I think they had a couple either small or medium and maybe a large. Might be worth a look.

As far as caps, I like the Pace Coolmax ones. I went to the trouble of getting a helmet that’s all venty; a cotton heat trap would just defeat the whole purpose. Coolmax seems to be a good compromise.

I have a Walz in Coolmax also, but the brim is longer, floppier and does the pointing down thing (as opposed to “out”). I like both but prefer the Pace due to the bill that is stiffer.

[ShawnoftheDread]

@txgoonie 48021 wrote:

FYI – Little Package is going on sabbatical, so the store is closing, or may have closed already. She has been blowing stuff out in anticipation of closing the store, so you might wanna check soon if considering one.

I have a Walz technical cap and it really squeezes my head to point that it hurts. And my head ain’t that big, I promise. So I’d recommend sizing up.

Gah, looks like she’s all out of the regular cotton caps.

[GuyContinental]

Had to toss this one in here even though it’s definitely not seasonal- my wife gave me one of THESE Rothera Winter Caps for my birthday and I was delighted to get to use it today, perhaps for the only time until fall. It worked great keeping my ears and head warm without getting too warm on top

[hozn]

@GuyContinental 48100 wrote:

Had to toss this one in here even though it’s definitely not seasonal- my wife gave me one of THESE Rothera Winter Caps for my birthday and I was delighted to get to use it today, perhaps for the only time until fall. It worked great keeping my ears and head warm without getting too warm on top

Hey, happy birthday! yeah, my Rothera winter cap is by far my favorite piece of winter clothing. Fantastic in the rain too.

[GuyContinental]

@hozn 48124 wrote:

Hey, happy birthday! yeah, my Rothera winter cap is by far my favorite piece of winter clothing. Fantastic in the rain too.

Honestly, I have you to thank- I said somehting along the lines of “But Hannnnsss hassss one and he rides when it’s really unpleasant outside… pleease???” Seeing an opportunity for a no-brainer and not terribly expensive gift, she pounced.

[hozn]

@GuyContinental 48146 wrote:

Honestly, I have you to thank- I said somehting along the lines of “But Hannnnsss hassss one and he rides when it’s really unpleasant outside… pleease???” Seeing an opportunity for a no-brainer and not terribly expensive gift, she pounced.

I am glad I could help!

[bluerider]

It started wearing a cap last year because my helmet padding would soak up so much sweat that it would eventually wring out like a sponge and run down into my eyes while riding. The cycling cap keeps the helmet padding dryer and eliminates the sweat waterfall I have experienced in the past. The cap probably extends the life of my helmet as well. Plus, all the other advantages Dirt mentioned earlier.

[brendan]

@bluerider 49108 wrote:

It started wearing a cap last year because my helmet padding would soak up so much sweat that it would eventually wring out like a sponge and run down into my eyes while riding. The cycling cap keeps the helmet padding dryer and eliminates the sweat waterfall I have experienced in the past. The cap probably extends the life of my helmet as well. Plus, all the other advantages Dirt mentioned earlier.

Similarly, I wear headsweats most of the time I bike. Mostly the headband kind to encourage the sweat to run down the back of my neck instead of my face, but sometimes the skullcap kind as well.

Brendan

[hozn]

@bluerider 49108 wrote:

It started wearing a cap last year because my helmet padding would soak up so much sweat that it would eventually wring out like a sponge and run down into my eyes while riding. The cycling cap keeps the helmet padding dryer and eliminates the sweat waterfall I have experienced in the past. The cap probably extends the life of my helmet as well. Plus, all the other advantages Dirt mentioned earlier.

I sweat a lot and ride a lot in the hot weather, so this has been a battle for me. I also discovered that the orientation of the padding in the helmet makes a big difference on having sweat run down your face. For example, my Bell Variant has a pad that goes horizontally across my forehead and does a wonderful job of mitigating sweat running down into my eyes. Other helmets I have used have had pads that run from front to back and while I thought those felt a little more comfortable at first, the sweat-in-eyes problem was more pronounced.

I have, like brendan, also/additionally used headsweats headbands. They work great, but when using them in races (Wednesdays at Wakefield, mainly), I found them to be too hot. That is pretty extreme situation, though. I am very prone to overheating in those short summer races; I typically use one bottle for spraying water down my helmet and the other for drinking. I imagine for less prolonged all-out riding, the headband would be great.

All said, though, I am definitely a fan of the cycling hats after adopting the Rothera one for the winter. I’m gonna get a summer edition and see how that goes on the commute. I don’t know about extending the life of the helmet pads; I suppose it does, but it costs several times as much as replacement pads, and helmet pads seem to last at least 2 years for me without any protection.

[Greenbelt]

I use a Halo in the summer. Full head for cooler days, headband only for hot days. Works like a charm to keep the sweat out of my eyes, especially when you stop or slow down. -Jeff

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