General Cycling Discussion - anyone wear cycling doorags?

or whatever the proper terms for they are

as you might have guessed, it gets pretty hot and humid here, and i can sure use all the moisture wicking i can get on my head.... do those things actually work?

A skull cap, they are a must, TX broke the sweat record.

I also heard they are a must have.
The subject came up when I told the story of a bee getting stuck under my helmet and stinging the s**t out of my head until I was able to get the helmet off.
They say it actually keeps you cooler, can't wait to try it out.

I just take a bandana folded into a triangle and tie it around my head to fit like a skullcap. It works better than a sweatband for me. My wife has tons of bandanas lying around so I never have problems finding a clean one.

Used to wear head bands. Until I found out it is not really a good idea to wear anything on your head under your helmet. I'm guessing it is because the helmet could slip off of your head and not fully protect you in the event of an accident. I don't know if a head band or doorag can cause a helmet to slip around or off the head, even partially, when an impact is occurs, or how it can happen. And I don't know if this has been tested for & that is why helmet manufacturers recommend against it. I just know it is strongly recommended that you not have anything on your head under the helmet.

The sooner your helmet funks up, the sooner you buy a new one.

Used to wear head bands. Until I found out it is not really a good idea to wear anything on your head under your helmet. I'm guessing it is because the helmet could slip off of your head and not fully protect you in the event of an accident. I don't know if a head band or doorag can cause a helmet to slip around or off the head, even partially, when an impact is occurs, or how it can happen. And I don't know if this has been tested for & that is why helmet manufacturers recommend against it. I just know it is strongly recommended that you not have anything on your head under the helmet.
I've never heard this before. Where had you heard this recommendation?

I've never heard this before. Where had you heard this recommendation?

In the users manual for my current helmet.

Hmm I dunno. I think it depends on the banada/headsweat thingy.

My hair is only abuot 0.5" long, and I use a cotton bandana folded in a triangle as well. Assuming I don't let it bunch up anywhere (which would affect the fit of the helmet), I have trouble seeing how it would hurt the performance of the helmet during a crash. The extra thickness of a cotton bandana would be simliar to just having longer hair. I dunno.

The user's manual recommendation is bunk. I wear a mesh skullcap with mine, has a sweat band to keep crap out of my face.

My hair is only abuot 0.5" long, and I use a cotton bandana folded in a triangle as well...


Hair on top of my head? No problem with that here :D That's precisely why I wear a dew rag under my helmet...keeps the sun from burning my noggin and as an added benefit, keeps the sweat out of my peepers.

i wear s skullcap all the time. If I didn't, I would be constantly wiping my face off.

I probably should, but I've got the best stripes this side of a skunk!

Yep I've had lots of bugs get in through the holes in my helmet. The last thing I need while riding is to have a bee get stuck there. I always wear a headsweat.

I've got one, and I like it. I was blessed with a fairly large skull, so it can make things a little tight if you don't have a lot of room to "expand" within your helmet.

On cold mornings, when I'm starting out, the skull cap is dry, and provides a little extra insulation. As I warm up, and begin sweating like a horse, the wicking really does help evaporation, and it functions as an air-conditioner.

I highly recommend the Halo (http://www.haloheadband.com/sitemap.html). I tried skull caps but - when my helmet moved around - it was ripping the hairs out of my head (and I need all the ones I can get!). :( The Halo is simply a band with a "squeegee" built in to prevent sweat from running into your eyes - works great and worth every penny for me...

I wear skullcaps or bandanas whenever I ride (also wear them playing racquetball and squash...).

Not much hair on the top of the head here, so sweat tends to run down my forehead pretty quickly. Skullcaps/bandanas keep me a lot cooler, and also protect the noggin from getting burnt.

I really don't see how they could noticeably impact on the helmet's performance in a crash, especially if you have the straps adjusted correctly. Sounds like marketing bunk and extreme liability coverage to me, just in case it ever could be linked by some hungry lawyer.

i wear s skullcap all the time. If I didn't, I would be constantly wiping my face off.

I wear a skull cap and I still have to wipe the sweat of my face, albeit not quite as much. Of course, there are some who suggest I should just save trouble by wiping my face off. http://www.maplebacon.com/sbbs/emoticons/anon.gif

I think the helmet users' manual mentioned above that cautions against wearing things under your helmet is probably referring to larger items like baseball caps and so on.

Since I am a bald man, I always wear a skullcap. I like my headsweats the best. They keep my head from getting sunburned under the vent holes. It also makes the helmet much more comfortable on my bald pate.

I wear a skull cap and I still have to wipe the sweat of my face, albeit not quite as much. Of course, there are some who suggest I should just save trouble by wiping my face off. http://www.maplebacon.com/sbbs/emoticons/anon.gif

I think the helmet users' manual mentioned above that cautions against wearing things under your helmet is probably referring to larger items like baseball caps and so on.

I suspect you are correct. The bill of a ball cap could prevent the helmet from seating properly against your head and reduce the protection. A skullcap - especially a synthetic one - is so thin that it does not interfere with the fit. In my experience, both times my helmet has inadvertantly contacted the ground, my skullcap and skull remained firmly encased within the confines of the helmet.

Doo-rags also help for you urban riders. When riding through gang terroritory, the homies see your doo-rag, they'll think you're one of them.

Doo-rags also help for you urban riders. When riding through gang terroritory, the homies see your doo-rag, they'll think you're one of them.


Unless it's the wrong color. Then you could get jumped, beat up or worse, they just may simply shoot & kill you.

wear one that's rainbow; your fitting in with all of them will surely secure immunization

Just started wearing a headband, but at the price, bandanas will be my choice going forward. I can now see for much longer without the sweat in my eyes. Haven't tried a skull cap.

Is there any point wearing one of these if you have long hair (and lots of it) so the skullcap/rag would not come into contact with your scalp at any point? I imagine wicking properties would be nonexistent, but being rather bee-phobic, the insect barrier aspect is appealing to me. Of course, with all my hair (I have dreadlocs) a bee wouldn't reach my scalp either.

Just started wearing a headband, but at the price, bandanas will be my choice going forward. I can now see for much longer without the sweat in my eyes. Haven't tried a skull cap.

Skip the bandana. Cotton quickly soaks with sweat then does no good. A synthetic skullcap is much better at releasing the moisture into the air and keeps you drier.

On really warm days I wear a headsweat, and especially if I ride in an area where it's buggy. THe bugs in my hair sting my scalp! I feel sorry for men with hairy arms. It's then that I can really see the benefit of leg shaving. If it'snot REALLY too hot I'll just wear a headband.

I just bought a doorag and find that my whole body is much cooler since the sweat I normally squeeze out of my helmet at lights now gets wicked up onto the top of my head and cools it. It makes a huge difference to me.