Do You Wear A Cap Underneath Your Bicycle Helmet?

[Rás Cnoic]

I have a Giro helmet, known for their extra large sizes. I often wear a soft visored cap (no buttons on the top) to keep the setting sun out of my eyes later in the day, While I have never fallen on it, I suppose I should get a new helmet soon,

Cycling caps traditionally have no top button (like a cricket cap?) and are lightweight cotton or wool in winter that fit snugly under pretty much all helmets unless mtb full or half face etc.

 

[MrHyak]

I've worn a cap under my helmet only if I plan to wear a hat when I'm off the bike at my destination. Other then that, just the helmet.

 

[Bicyclista]

I wear a cycling cap with a visor. My helmet feels more comfortable that way, and my helmet does not have a visor.

 

[Rás Cnoic]

I've worn a cap under my helmet only if I plan to wear a hat when I'm off the bike at my destination. Other then that, just the helmet.

I guess I'm the opposite, i wear cycling caps most rides, but not when off the bike! I don't have the long skinny face for it, mine's too round and it looks like a child's cap perched on my head! I wear all kinds of other caps and hats off the bike. Wearing an old straw hat at the moment as we have a massive heat wave.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Daughter just happened to get me an Outdoor Research Swift Air cap for Fathers Day.

Weighs nothing, soft bill, no top button, ventilated all around head. Would seem ideal for under-helmet use per this thread, but I don't like the way my Specialized Chamonix 3 helmet fits over it and doubt I'll use it this way.

For one thing, I only get an extra inch or so of bill beyond the helmet's visor. Probably somewhat helpful in low sun, but not enough for me to take the safety risk.

 

[edobici_forza]

I just saw this thread for the first time this morning…

I wear two different caps under my helmets:

1. Headsweats cap, without brim, for colder weather riding under my road and MTB helmets.

2. Because I like the sun blocking benefit of the visor on my Fox Speedframe Pro MTB helmet, I picked us some Arcweg Cycling Caps, with a brim, to wear under my Giro road helmet. Though brim is tiny compared to the Fox MTB helmet, though yesterday, I wore this cap backwards, as I sweat a bit. It covers the forehead, between my glasses and lower edge of the road helmet.

The extra benefit of the small brimmed caps is BEE DEFLECTION!…Twice, last year, I had bees get stuck behind my glasses, on the same road I ride often (for about 15 years). This was without wearing the cap.

Since these were both mentioned above… I added Cat-Ears AirStreamz wind blockers to my road helmet. They do help a little - it’s difficult to quantify. The aforementioned road, is mostly open on both sides, in a very windy area. So it often drowns out anything I am listening to. I wear SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 headphones. They are great of light background music or podcast, and sound alerts from my Varia radar. I still hear the rocks below my tires, and various bike sounds when wearing the headphones since they do not cover your ear canal, and only listen at low to medium levels.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

Daughter just happened to get me an Outdoor Research Swift Air cap for Fathers Day.

View attachment 211806View attachment 211807
Weighs nothing, soft bill, no top button, ventilated all around head. Would seem ideal for under-helmet use per this thread, but I don't like the way my Specialized Chamonix 3 helmet fits over it and doubt I'll use it this way.

View attachment 211810
For one thing, I only get an extra inch or so of bill beyond the helmet's visor. Probably somewhat helpful in low sun, but not enough for me to take the safety risk.

I should add that this would be an excellent hat to fold up and carry in a pocket for head and eye shading during stops. However, a little pricey at $36.

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I wear SHOKZ OpenRun Pro 2 headphones. They are great of light background music or podcast, and sound alerts from my Varia radar. I still hear the rocks below my tires, and various bike sounds when wearing the headphones since they do not cover your ear canal, and only listen at low to medium levels.

When safe, I also use the OpenRun for music on the bike. (I like to pedal in time with music carefully curated for that purpose, including my preferred cadence.)

Another good use is taking important calls (not texts) in the saddle from a phone tucked safely away in a pocket. One button press on headset to answer, another to hang up.

It pains some people to have to call instead of text. But hey, life is hard.

 

[edobici_forza]

When safe, I also use the OpenRun for music on the bike. (I like to pedal in time with music carefully curated for that purpose, including my preferred cadence.)

Another good use is taking important calls (not texts) in the saddle from a phone tucked safely away in a pocket. One button press on headset to answer, another to hang up.

It pains some people to have to call instead of text. But hey, life is hard.

I remember that music / biking thread. I did not contribute, I just play it by ear, my music taste widely varies greatly and I can quickly just change, if not working for my mood, thanks to Spotify. MTB trail rides the music is usually very mellow, vs road rides. I have a small collection music dowloaded, since I often ride where there there is no cell service.

 

[PedalUma]

These a SPF and absorb sweat. They are very thin. I just toss them in the washer once per week. I have ordered three times. Four for $12.

 

[harryS]

I also wear a knit cap in cold weather under the helmet, Sometimes over the billed cap,

 

[Chazmo]

These a SPF and absorb sweat. They are very thin. I just toss them in the washer once per week. I have ordered three times. Four for $12.
View attachment 211836

Pedal, do you have a link for those?

 

[Chazmo]

Daughter just happened to get me an Outdoor Research Swift Air cap for Fathers Day.

View attachment 211806View attachment 211807
Weighs nothing, soft bill, no top button, ventilated all around head. Would seem ideal for under-helmet use per this thread, but I don't like the way my Specialized Chamonix 3 helmet fits over it and doubt I'll use it this way.

View attachment 211810
For one thing, I only get an extra inch or so of bill beyond the helmet's visor. Probably somewhat helpful in low sun, but not enough for me to take the safety risk.

Hey, that’s a really nice cap, Jeremy, but the adjustment clip and the brim would probably not work well under my helmet. Anyway, looks really nice. Heck, I’d wear that for pretty much anything else.

 

[PedalUma]

Pedal, do you have a link for those?

https://www.amazon.com/Cycling-Breathable-Bicycle-Sweat-Absorbing-Running/dp/B08BLHXDSM/ref=sr_1_13?crid=254VNWNWQDHKN&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ItgsLPTpuNEDalbs34Z8xglucfpzWsUKQClQLBs8hBvuaMpZMynoqpf7ileWEoCL8yJbGO4aOUTvY9NYaics8Ck2NlD4SxEZVRAwA5I0y7LwU7XBXBdliRyFeObS_mqeUmKcx_MxuUNQQwldUXF3rN0fs8y06iJm57w2KVPLEUqF4BUzDJJqOugzSvOZaoOqXyUPxHNnEncy8UYCMiTBBgm4pF369kKj1bRpP8-lXjZMJNYOFJRUqWPjg8R46T38K_OPuy3lQglMmhaMziABCPcQ620KcmmdEOyCCpA4Wec.0cxfKyO53esB1z4GomUM6O501A1e1yfz7vufA1PLp_A&dib_tag=se&keywords=cycling+caps+under+helmet&qid=1782484081&sprefix=cycling+caps%2Caps%2C175&sr=8-13

 

[Jeremy McCreary]

I should add that this would be an excellent hat to fold up and carry in a pocket for head and eye shading during stops. However, a little pricey at $36.

Following up, a photo of the hat folded up in jersey pocket.

Thought about asking my wife if all this stuff in my jersey makes my butt look fat — just to see what she'd say. But I know what she'd say: "What butt?"
;^}

 

[mclewis1]

Haven't felt the need for a summer addition under my helmet ... caps with peaks aren't aero enough (lol) but the nose is starting to feel the solar effects so I guess it's inevitable. I have often used a short piece of cotton terry along the front edge to catch sweat. I don't like a full circumference head band in the heat as it seems to affect air flow.

I have a rain cover for the helmet that also helps in the winter. I usually go from rain cover only, to adding a thin head band for the ears, then when it gets colder or more stuff starts falling from the sky progressing to a Rock Brothers cap that has a short peak and ear covers ... even with it's extra bit of insulation it's still thin enough to comfortably wear under a helmet. I can even add a thin balaclava to this setup for really cold rides.

Over the years I've also worn out many of the helmet's padding strips in various helmets. Plus with all the winter additions (different thicknesses, etc.) I've started playing around with replacement strips (from Amazon) and this has helped to custom tune the fit for more comfort.

Oh and Jeremy, not "fat" ... just lumpy.

 

[mclewis1]

All this discussion about hats and helmets with peaks has reminded me ... with all the new changes in spray and lotion based sun protections what are you folks using for your exposed skin, especially the face?

I'm always on the look out for something sport based that's cheap and easy to apply (spray on from a pump container is preferred) and also contains less harmful ingredients - which has apparently driven much of the recent product changes.

 

[PedalUma]

Haven't felt the need for a summer addition under my helmet

Those thin cycling caps I mentioned can be splashed with water so you get cooling. It has not been hot enough here. We have been getting an afternoon cold fog bank that lasts until mid-morning the following day. The cold fog is a bummer at the Fourth of July. You need to dress for January and can't see the fireworks.