General Cycling Discussion - What do you wear under your helmet?

Someone over on the Racing forum asked why some of the pros wear cycling caps under their helmets. I started to ask this question over there but decided it was more universal.

I did wear a bandana made of (what else) Coolmax. Then I saw this very lightweight Coolmax fleece headband at sierratradingpost.com for some ridiculously cheap price, and, of course, I had to try it out. It is about the same thickess of the bandana folded in half, is wider in the back part so you can pull it down over your ears. It makes a fantastic sweatband, very absorbent. I wear it with the "ear flaps" up since it is warm. I thought about wearing a cycling cap under the helmet, but it is too hot here. You lose something like 40% of your heat loss through your head so you definitely do not want anything to keep heat IN during the summer in New Orleans ("This is your brain. This is your brain..." Got it?)

On the cool morning commute, I wear a regular old bandana...keeps the head warm, and that's all I need (except for my helmet, of course).

Originally posted by Ba-Dg-Er
I learned my lesson after one ride. My bald head with a vented helmet leaves a stupid sunburn. Ever since I have ridden with either a cycling cap or headsweats bandana on underneath the helmet.

So, did you have the Tiger stripe look?

Cotton bandanna. I even have one with the stars & stripes.

My shaved head, so far. (I'm a Badgerite, I guess.) But I think I'm going to have to put a bandana on there; the sun's starting to make it's marks!

What if I get sunburn with the bandana pattern in it?

Originally posted by Oscar
Cotton bandanna. I even have one with the stars & stripes.
I always use a cotton bandana. I also got one with the flag on it. The one with the $100 bills all over it didn't suit me.

But how do you beat the heat? I have to use something to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and I don't want nuclear flash burn patterns on my scalp (thanks for the tip, Badger, that was almost too funny if it weren't for the fact that it sucked.) But doesn't it block the venting?

In the winter, I wear a balaclava face mask.

Some people really like it. The gas station guy always shouts out to me, "take what you want!" and tosses me some cash. Doesn't charge me for the coffee and doughnuts either.

I have a Moots cycling cap under my helmet. Now i just wish i could afford a matching Moots bike to go with the cap :)

My hair and skull!

Originally posted by Spic-Mick
My hair and skull!

I agree, it gets too hot in this part of the world to wear much more.

Chris

Originally posted by Spic-Mick
My hair and skull!
problem is I am always bald, shave it every week.... so that leaves me with my brain

Below temps of 3-5 deg C., a thin cotton balaclava, that I can pull down from my chin when I get heated up. Warmer temps I havn't found the need for anything.

Such as? I have been thinking about shaving my head for suck a long time, but cant get my self to do it :)

Babe Ruth wore a cabbage leaf under his cap to keep him cool! He changed it every 2 innings!

Originally posted by Spic-Mick
My hair and skull!

True enough! and proud to still have some to wear under my helmet! Here in beautiful Augusta, Georgia...It's too dadgone hot to wear anything else...(on my head, that is!) :D

I've got a short billed NIKE cap that I wear backwards under my helmet. Gives me something to cover the hat hair that, since I'm riding, I hadn't bother to comb anyway.:D

I've got to put me a bandanna or cabbage leaf or something under my helmet. I shaved my head a while ago (something I do every five days or so) and noticed definite sunspots. Note to helmet manufacturers: make the top vents in the shape of your logo, and you'll get free summer advertising. :p

I keep a small colony of weaver ants under my lid...it's amasing what you can do with them.

Rich

I got a Santini "Do-Rag" from Performance. Doesn't take up much space under the helmet and sops up sweat like a stolen hotel towel.

A ring

Originally posted by Campag Fetish Boy
A ring


LOL ! You're all right dude. :)

I put a white handkerchief under my helmet today. It helped quite a bit--kept some sweat out of my eyes and I could feel a cooling effect now and then. It's about 90 degrees here.

I have a shaved head - so I wear a plain 'ol cotton bandana to avoid wierd sun spots.

Sweaty hair.

nothing but helmet....I loke the RACING STRIPS that I get on my old bald head!!

I'm naked under there.

I don't really wear anything. Probably will if I start winter riding though. :)

Days like today with a heat index of 110 F make me wish I had a Yul Brenner myself, fellas. My hair reaches past the middle of my back so I either have to fuss with all that "ponytail compatible" cr@p, or risk poaching my melon. As far as sweat absorption goes, I insist on my regular old blue or red paisley bandanas. So far I have avoided being gunned down over rival gang colors-- here in Goatroper country that would be either the Hereford Crips or the Soybean Disciples.

ANybody put a bandana under their helmets, that supposedly wicks sweat.. Does it make you feel drastically cooler?

I wear a headband. It's the only thing that keeps the torrents of sweat from rolling in my eyes. (Forget about those useless little sponges inside the helmt.) On some hot days I'll stop to wring out the headband a few times. Totally disgusting. This has been known to gross out more than a few motorists.

After my ride in to work in the morning I'll wash it out so as to cut down on the raunchiness for the afternoon ride home. (I'll do the same for my entire outfit.)

on especially hot and humid days I may even tie a rolled up bandana around my wrist to help sop up the sweat as it rolls out...the terry thumb on my gloves is a joke after about 10 minutes!
One of my biggest peeves is when you get caught out on the road about an hour before sundown, wearing a tank and sweating like a horse...and then you zoom thru a bug swarm. Millions of little beetle-things crawling all around and trying to get unstuck. Gawd I hate that.

Stars and BARS cotton bandana.

The odd insect that flies through the vents.

Gaul. I used to live in Michigan/Florida... now California..
Gaud..flying insects and sweat; thank god I live here. Rarely, gets hot on the coast, at least. Rarely cold.. And few bugs. Bugless rides all year long.. Sorry, as they say hear of others problems......
Think riding with sweat incrusted bugs covering your skin would dampen my riding obsession.

So far, I've just been wearing my head under the helmet. There are times in the dead of winter though, when the temp is in the 40's or 50's when I've thought I should wear something additional.

Southern Arizona winters can really be brutal:p

Carl

During cold weather and/or and heavy rain/snow, the hood of my Gor-Tex coat.

Paul

Always a bandanna. Canteen (a children's cancer foundation) sell them for $2 so I always by a couple to support them.
In summer when it's +38º/100F I just roll it up until it's about 1.5 inches wide, wide enough to catch sweat but not too wide to block the front vents.
In winter (this morning) when it was 1º/33F I just wear it like a pirate over the whole head, no cold spots, although I do notice my ears are a bit cold for the first 10 minutes.
I thought I was going to get frost-bite this morning, my hands were freezing even in full length gloves.

CHEERS.

Mark

I love my two CoolMax bandanas. Besides using them under my helmet, I also wear them while working out, so obviously I need more than two. I've been looking for basic, solid-color CoolMax bandanas for two freakin' years with no success. Those Headsweats brand things are both way too expensive (especially considering I need a bunch) and to me, ugly. If anyone knows where to get cheap, simple CoolMax bandanas I would be grateful.

in summer... i have a bunch of cool max headbands...

in winter/cooler temps... pearl izumi ear cover thingys....

i always have helmet hair when i take my helmet off.. and i hate it! :mad:

Winter - Balaclava
Mild winter to spring - Louis Garneau cycling cap (with ear flaps - swanky, I know)
Warm weather - a lightweight, do-rag thing.
Hot weather - cut the hair short and let the sweat fall where it may.

Campy hat. Although I do have very little Campy on any of my bikes.

Used to wear a Coors cap back when they sponsored the big bike race in Colorado. (got me a free beer once)

Summer: A Coolmax do-rag (DoWrap or whatever is on sale) to collect the sweat
Winter (if it's not too snowy to ride): polypro helmet liner that covers the ears (Performance, on sale)

Another vote for helmet hair. Or a hat or headband in winter.

In the winter, a balaclava.

In the summer, my hair. Fortunately, since my hair is waist-length and slightly curly, I don't get helmet hair. :)

.

In the winter, a balaclava with my sweatshirt hood pulled over that. In the summer, nothing.

Sometime wear cycling caps with brim out. Not sure why. Unless there is a need for thermal protection, otherwise - usually nothing.

Bianchi-Motorex do-rag.

http://store.bianchiusa.com/store/images/items/H6928.jpg

Not underwear.

UN
Not even under my helmet.

Thin stocking hat in the winter.

Cold weather = stocking cap
Wam weather = cotton headwrap with flames
Hot weather = coolmax headwrap with a skeleton riding a stingray bicycle