Breathable Cycling Cap Recommendation?

[MattTuck]

Have been doing lots of evening rides, where the sun is in my eyes and I'm finally ready to break down buy a cycling cap to wear under the helmet.

I used to have a cotton cap, and it got very sweaty, as I recall. And I've seen a few fancy caps that have wind stopper or a similar fabric, but those are really for colder weather. I'm really just looking for a highly breathable cap with a visor.

Any one know of a good one?

[konstantkarma]

Have you thought about using a helmet with a visor?

[jr59]

Waltz make a nice one!


http://www.walzcaps.com/caps_moisturewicking.html

[MattTuck]

Have you thought about using a helmet with a visor?

And be a Fred???? :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

I have thought about it. I probably have the visor from my helmet around somewhere, but it could take a long time to locate it, time that could be spent riding ;)

If it comes to buying a whole new helmet or a cycling cap, I'll go with the cap.

[ergott]

Better sunglasses?

Under no circumstance are you to wear a helmet with the visor on. Please :help:

Someone else will have a cap recommendation I'm sure.

[konstantkarma]

Better sunglasses?

Under no circumstance are you to wear a helmet with the visor on. Please :help:

Someone else will have a cap recommendation I'm sure.

While I could never be accused of being a cycling "fashionista" I have used helmets with visors for years with good results. Frankly, I don't think they look any goofier than a cap with a visor under a helmet. They are typically sold for mountain biking for some reason. Many are pretty subtle, but they get the job done.

[FlashUNC]

While I could never be accused of being a cycling "fashionista" I have used helmets with visors for years with good results. Frankly, I don't think they look any goofier than a cap with a visor under a helmet. They are typically sold for mountain biking for some reason. Many are pretty subtle, but they get the job done.

And there's a few road helmets that come with visors. The Bell Volt comes to mind.

[godfrey1112000]

Make sure you order the one that matches your frame

[bluekudu]

I been using this one from Headsweats (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1019103_-1___) in white and I like it. They are made with visors as well.

[jr59]

WOW!

Tough crowd around here this morning!

[RonW87]

The Rapha cap might fit the bill (as it were). I think I saw them on sale recently on Competitive Cyclist or rapha.cc.

R.

[sc53]

I use a visor that doesn't have the cap part--you know, like tennis or golf players wear? Someone above suggested Headsweats, I have that one too:
http://www.headsweats.com/categories/Our-Products/Performance-Visors/
:hello:

[Fixed]

visor ,cap you can pull either one off and be hip too , if your bike is hip the rider is too ..imho
cheers

[Germany_chris]

Waltz make a nice one!


http://www.walzcaps.com/caps_moisturewicking.html

+1 and they seem like decent folks who make their products in the USA

[John H.]

Question- do you have all your hair?
I was going to suggest using a cap with the top cut out- Andrea Tafi style.
This works great if you just need to visor/sweat band but it sucks if you need the top to protect against UV rays- sunburn or stripes in top of head are not so cool-

[fourflys]

go with the Walz mentioned above... they are a mom and pop shop that also gives back to the community... their stuff is really nice and they have several options...

Moisture Wicking... (http://www.walzcaps.com/caps_moisturewicking-threepanel.html)

http://www.walzcaps.com/images/sku_707_MW_Grey-Burgundy-Stripe.jpg

[MattTuck]

Thanks for all the responses. I had seen Walz a while back, but they had gone from my mind.

I'll definitely order from them!


Yes, i've got all my hair at the moment. Though, head stripes (from the helmet) seems like good street cred, sorta like farmer's tans, glove tans, etc.

[bart998]

I used to use a regular cycling cap turned backward so the bill covered the back of my neck from the sun. Now I use a cycling skull cap like this:

http://cgi.ebay.com/CINELLI-BURST-CYCLING-SKULL-CAP-NEW-MINT-/350469182482?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5199975412#ht_1685wt_698

Which I find very comfortable. Of course if you want a bill on the front use a mtb helmet with a visor.

[biker72]

I use both a visor and a cap. Here in very sunny Texas, the cap turned backwards keeps the sun off my neck. The visor keeps it out of my eyes. I do wear sunglasses on occasion.

[William]

If you are going to cover your noggin, you need to get very detailed and fancy in how you do it...you don't want to be bestowed with "Fred" status now do you? :no:


I'll let you in on my little secret I've been doing for years. Keeps the sun out of your eyes, is very breathable, wicks sweat away, and is stylin' to boot.





First, you want to find any cycling cap with graphics you really dig. Second, you need a very sharp knife.....



http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h420/SodaFuel/Training/IMG_8754.jpg


Next, start poking holes into said hat. If you go with the weave you can make nice clean slits....the length you create is directly proportional to the amount of ventilation you are creating. Do this to a few hats in the spring.


http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h420/SodaFuel/Training/IMG_8755.jpg


As the Summer passes, and the more washes you subject the hat to, the vents will open up and fray a bit more every time. This is good since the temps are generally climbing throughout the summer and the amount of air passing through increases accordingly.

At the end of summer, clean and store (or toss) those hats and pick up another $5 cycling hat and leave it intact to protect your head from the colder air...and next spring, you have another hat prime for vent holes. :)





William

[mooseblend]

A good friend of mine just started making moisture wicking caps. http://www.garyrothera.com/store/all-weather/

All his stuff is hand made in Philadelphia and most of his orders are custom, so if you have a specific color combo you want just send him an email!

[roydyates]

I been using this one from Headsweats (http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1019103_-1___) in white and I like it. They are made with visors as well.
I wear the same thing. It's good for keeping sweat from dripping into your eyes. Also, it prevents a tiger stripe tan on my forehead from the sun shining through the vents on my helmet.

[Birddog]

I use a cap to cut down on reflection on my Rudy's with the RX insert. I was told the insert causes the reflection "artifact" if that's the right term. Of the 4 I own, only the Rapha and an inexpensive Castelli get the nod and the Rapha is far and away the better cap. The Rapha is made from a very fine cotton, the bill is exactly the right length, and the pattern of stitching is superior. The $40 is over the top though. The $10 Castelli is just OK. The fabric is more course and the stitching pattern (dome style) is not as comfy. The bill is the right length. Both wick the sweat sufficiently and allow for evaporitve cooling when moving. I quit using "do rags" as the caps work as well or better and have the bonus of the bill to eliminate reflection.
I've found that for my use, the bill should be about 5CM's and no longer.

[bambam]

Hot and humid here and I sweat a lot. Hate the stinging sweat in the eye. The coolest dryist one I've found is the headsweats with the visor. I usually use the headsweats shorty's(same material but visorless) and the halo du rags. Shortys seem to work better to me. The visor seems to be foam but holds up fairly well. It doesn't stay when you flip it up though. Good luck.

[Ti-Boy]

PI makes a mesh breathable cap. Hammer has mesh cycling caps. Both work well for me.

[palincss]

Have been doing lots of evening rides, where the sun is in my eyes and I'm finally ready to break down buy a cycling cap to wear under the helmet.

I used to have a cotton cap, and it got very sweaty, as I recall. And I've seen a few fancy caps that have wind stopper or a similar fabric, but those are really for colder weather. I'm really just looking for a highly breathable cap with a visor.

Any one know of a good one?

Sweat Vac cycling cap. http://www.sweatvac.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SweatVac&Category_Code=SVCC

I've been using one for the past couple of years. It doesn't get any more breathable than this.

[danielpack22@ma]

I've been using one of Specialized caps - http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=60198

It works pretty well.

[rwsaunders]

If you are going to cover your noggin, you need to get very detailed and fancy in how you do it...you don't want to be bestowed with "Fred" status now do you? :no:

I'll let you in on my little secret I've been doing for years. Keeps the sun out of your eyes, is very breathable, wicks sweat away, and is stylin' to boot.

First, you want to find any cycling cap with graphics you really dig. Second, you need a very sharp knife.....

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h420/SodaFuel/Training/IMG_8754.jpg


Next, start poking holes into said hat. If you go with the weave you can make nice clean slits....the length you create is directly proportional to the amount of ventilation you are creating. Do this to a few hats in the spring.

http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h420/SodaFuel/Training/IMG_8755.jpg

As the Summer passes, and the more washes you subject the hat to, the vents will open up and fray a bit more every time. This is good since the temps are generally climbing throughout the summer and the amount of air passing through increases accordingly.

At the end of summer, clean and store (or toss) those hats and pick up another $5 cycling hat and leave it intact to protect your head from the colder air...and next spring, you have another hat prime for vent holes. :)

William

Holy Stanley Kubrick, Willie...that's right out of A Clockwork Orange...

[wooly]

If you are going to cover your noggin, you need to get very detailed and fancy in how you do it...you don't want to be bestowed with "Fred" status now do you? :no:


I'll let you in on my little secret I've been doing for years. Keeps the sun out of your eyes, is very breathable, wicks sweat away, and is stylin' to boot.





First, you want to find any cycling cap with graphics you really dig. Second, you need a very sharp knife.....



http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h420/SodaFuel/Training/IMG_8754.jpg


Next, start poking holes into said hat. If you go with the weave you can make nice clean slits....the length you create is directly proportional to the amount of ventilation you are creating. Do this to a few hats in the spring.


http://i1108.photobucket.com/albums/h420/SodaFuel/Training/IMG_8755.jpg


As the Summer passes, and the more washes you subject the hat to, the vents will open up and fray a bit more every time. This is good since the temps are generally climbing throughout the summer and the amount of air passing through increases accordingly.

At the end of summer, clean and store (or toss) those hats and pick up another $5 cycling hat and leave it intact to protect your head from the colder air...and next spring, you have another hat prime for vent holes. :)





William

Holy Stanley Kubrick, Willie...that's right out of A Clockwork Orange...

I'm with ya - I'd hate to run into him on a dark, secluded....bike path. SHANK!

[William]

http://cdn.ablogtoread.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/A-Clockwork-Orange-Alex.jpg


Welly, welly, welly, welly, welly, welly, well. What are you saying then my li'ahl droogies? Are you saying all I'm after now was the old surprise visit. Just do the first thing that flashed into me gulliver? That would be a real kick and good for laughs and lashings of the old ultraviolent. Then afterward, time for a little of the Ludwig Van?



Alex (aka: William) :D

[roguedog]

Bumping this thread since I'm looking for a lightweight, wicking, breathable summer weight cap to keep sun off nose and cheeks. Basically want a cap that's as close to not having a cap as possible but with a bill. Course style is also nice.

Been looking at the ones mentioned in this thread and really like the Walz or the Rothera caps. Specialized also seems to make a nice one.

Anyone have any updated real world experience or any other recommendations I should consider?

[pdmtong]

I think giro pneumo used to come with a visor. The problems with mtb helmet and visor is they are optimized for slow speed air flow and greater crash coverage perspective. This set up is way too hot for a road bike IMHO

The rapha summer caps would be the style choice but for basic take a look at Pace. I have been very happy with their skullcaps since that brand fits my big melon

http://www.pacesportswear.com/coolmaxcyclingcaps.aspx

[MattTuck]

fwiw, I got a walz cap. It is on the warmer side, and although it is considered breathable, I'd only wear it under 60 degrees.

Also, I feel the walz cap visor is a little too much.

[one60]

lots of great caps on etsy...maybe too many...you can email the maker & ask them to add ventilation holes or wicking material. Got my last one from E&Moose out of Minnesota, custom sized with a soft bill & fabric of my choice for $25

[Lovetoclimb]

I find Rapha caps to be the best out there. And I wear a cap on every ride, road, cross, or mountain. Rapha makes a lightweight model that I ride almost exclusively from May-Sept because it works so well in the hot and humid months. But their standard cap is also very good.

[lhuerta]

Assos Summer....the older version with the mesh inserts.

[Birddog]

I find Rapha caps to be the best out there. And I wear a cap on every ride, road, cross, or mountain. Rapha makes a lightweight model that I ride almost exclusively from May-Sept because it works so well in the hot and humid months. But their standard cap is also very good.

What he said. Hard to believe that the details of a cap are so important but they are. The Rapha made from the finely woven cotton is the best. It dries quickly and the bill is exactly the right length.

[Bob Ross]

While I could never be accused of being a cycling "fashionista" I have used helmets with visors for years with good results. Frankly, I don't think they look any goofier than a cap with a visor under a helmet.

I'd actually contend that for most cyclists helmet visors look just the slightest bit less goofy...and for those uber-skinny guys with large helmets that ride up high over their cycling caps and thus wind up looking like The Great Gazoo, a helmet visor would be a dramatic improvement aesthetically speaking.




Edit: Oh yeah, and just so my contribution to this thread isn't 100% snark -- Primal caps are the only ones I've worn that I felt breathed well enough to wear in lieu of a Headsweat beanie & visor'd helmet.
And the Waltz caps suck; like clamping a futon over your head.

[bikemoore]

Ya'll are WAY over-analyzing this. The man asked for a breathable cycling cap. I like these:

http://www.performancebike.com/bikes/Product_10052_10551_1075813_-1___400475

[pakora]

Having used both for a long time, I would recommend against Walz breathable ones and the Rothera synthetic material ones. Both are well-made and handsome, but at least for me, both collect sweat on the underside of the visor which eventually ends up on your face or in your eyes (or both).

I note this because I never don't wear a cap, because I sweat like a beast and wear glasses. Sun protection is an extra added bonus. IMO moving sweat to the temples for it to get off your head is a requirement for a cap regardless of the material, since otherwise you can be unpredictably blinded.

Best one I ever used is the Giro Ultralight cap. Most breathable (like wearing nothing at all, like the commercial says), weighs like nothing, and as a result dries in a second. And doesn't collect sweat on the visor.

[RGW]

+1 and they seem like decent folks who make their products in the USA

+2 for the Walz wicking cap. I love mine!!

[cekte]

Another vote for Rothera Cycling Caps.

Breathable, Dri-Fit fast drying fabric, integrated elastic sweatband, Made in US, custom sizes and designs available. I've been very happy with the caps I've purchased from Gary, great guy and company to work with.

www.rotheracycling.com

[dmurphey]

I wear a cap most of the time to give me some shade from the sun over the top of my glasses. My fav is a L'Erioca cap made by Le Coq Sportif:

http://www.lecoqsportif.com/uk-en/e-shop/caps-beanies-man

My other fav is a group purchase for our team, custom made by Alloneword:

https://www.etsy.com/people/alloneword.

I am naked without them.

[mgm777]

Not cycling specific, but....

http://www.patagonia.com/tsimages/28815_579.fpx?wid=750&hei=750&bgcolor=FFFFFF&ftr=6&cvt=jpeg

[choke]

The Castelli 'Performance (http://castelli-cycling.com/en/products/detail/982/)' Cap has panels that are perforated; it seems to breath better than the typical cap IMO.

[dieonthishill]

I find Rapha caps to be the best out there. And I wear a cap on every ride, road, cross, or mountain. Rapha makes a lightweight model that I ride almost exclusively from May-Sept because it works so well in the hot and humid months. But their standard cap is also very good.

I'm convinced. I'll order one on my next order.