whoosh

After riding on nyc streets for decades, about two months ago I had this brainstorm that wearing a helmet might be a good idea. Now, I'm kind of attached to the idea of head protection and wonder how I'm going to keep my noggin warm (i lost some fur on top) and safe at the same time.

None of my hats fit over - or under - my helmet.

wneumann

Shop away...

CastIron

I'm a baldy. The PI skullcap is fantastic. I wear that the most (60*-30*f). Below that you'll likely want something a bit more substantial and with a wind blocking liner.

squeakywheel

Two helmets. Summer one fits without a hat. Winter one is my old helmet with the padding removed. It fits over a skull cap.

Lossy

A 6 in 1 neck gaitor device works well. You can also put packaging tape over the holes in the helmet and just wear ear warmers.

DataJunkie

REI Skull cap with a bell helmet. The adjustment dial works wonders.
Apparently, I am a hothead. I use the same skull cap from 45F to 8F.

knobster

Why not get a helmet cover. Helps for the rain also.

DoB

I wear a skull cap that I got for $8, but I find it too warm for anyting above 40F.

whoosh

a skull cap? i don't remember seeing those for sale . . . but I wasn't looking. is that warm enough on very cold days?

now that i think about it, i used to cut off short sleeves from t-shirts to make it a sleeveless tee (when i was younger and worked out more), then use the leftover short sleeves on my head when i went out for a run. it kept my ears warm but let my head breathe. i bet that would fit under my helmet. . . and you can't beat the price.

. . . and call me vain, but i'm not ready to put a plastic bag over my helmet. i'm no fashionista, but i got my limits.

whoosh

i'd love to see a picture of that.

chipcom 

Helmet cover and a skull cap or ear warmers should help.

jyossarian

Mine doesn't get uncomfortably cold until it's in the low 20's. But I wear a beanie/skull cap.

stringbreaker

shower cap. Where I work they have boxes of them for the painters so I got 4 or 5 of them should last me through the winter. Mostly for the rain but for the cold I gotta get skull cap or something

JeffS

Same here. I was going to buy the Izumi cap, but REI had a sale first. My wife thinks I look silly with it on (without the helmet) but the flaps to fully cover your ears are a huge help - besides, I take it off as soon as I remove the helmet. I also tried a regular shaped cap (beanie) and it didn't work as well.

I'll likely buy a balaclava when it gets really cold.

DCCommuter

I'm looking for a snowboarding helmet. They're made to the same standard as bike helmets, and they're designed to keep you warm. What I don't know is how much you can hear.

Ritehsedad

balaclava. Keeps the head, ears, and neck warm. I wear it under 50F. Below 40F I put my hood up too, that's been good down to 0F. My helmet is quickly adjustable so that's not a concern.

n4zou

I use a hardhat winter liner. There thin enough to fit under a bicycle helmet and they're much warmer than bicycle skullcaps. For whatever reason the bicycling industry simply does not produce products for cold riding. I gave up and went to construction products made for people who work outdoors in all kinds of weather. Not only do these products perform well but there inexpensive as well when compared to bicycle products. Drop by your local heavy equipment or farm supply dealer and purchase one.

banerjek

Ditto, except I don't don mine until the temp hits 35. These may look thin and non substantial, but they provide excellent protection well below freezing.

gear

I wear a tight hat that covers my ears and I took an old helmet and covered it with reflective tape so all the air holes are blocked. I have a polar fleece neck warmer that I wear also. But we're talking low temps for this stuff.

dbg

Balaclava all the way. I removed the padding from one helmet and wear it over mine when 35*f or below. I wear mine all winter long. Below 0*f I can use my breath to keep the exposed face parts warm but on longer rides the eyelashes start to cake with ice.

marqueemoon

Helmets are cheap. Just get a slightly bigger one and experiment.

nukemm

Maybe I'm a hot head, or it's just all of the hills in my ride, but it's been near freezing lately, and I am dripping sweat down my face by the time I get to work...

G. Bucci

Mountain hardwear head gear fits under a helmet and works to about -20 C.

Woodlark

Go to https://www.sportsmansguide.com and buy a china silk balaclava. They are cheap, warm, and fit easily under a helmet.

ItsJustMe

+1. I use mine (from Nashbar) from about 45 down to about 15*F, then I switch to my PSolarX HX balaclava. I used duct tape over the vents the first year, but I ordered a helmet cover along with my rain jacket when I ordered it from J&G so now I use that. It's easier to slip on and off in these fall days when it can be 25 one day, 55 the next.