Addison

Hi to all,

I'm new to the forum but have lurked for some time..... I'm looking at helmets for the coming riding season and planning to buy soon to take advantage of the winter deals . My dilemna is that I really sweat a lot ( for you guys that are feeling it, I am a 56 yr.old male ,married and balding) and I have never liked the cheaper ones I've lived with over the years. As my mileage goes up I find that I can take those little sweat absorbers out and wring them enough to get out an embarassing amount of water. When I stop for some time it is just miserable to put my helmet back on as it is just too cold and wet. I'll admit that things could be tougher and I'll live with this if I have to, but I'd like it to be better. Are they all the same? Do some have better absorbtion than others? Do some offer multiple inserts? Do I need to wear a headband??? Oh no, I've got a bad picture of Richard Simmonds in my head now, I'll have to go......... thanks for any advice

buelito

wear headsweats under your helmet-- basically like a bandana but sewn up-- it has a little tail on the back that, believe it or not, actually channels the sweat towards the back so it drips on your back (keeping you cooler in the summer) ") In the winter, I wear a light fleece 'beanie' under my helmet, and have no problem with the sweat.

i also sweat quite a bit, and used to wring our the little foam pads in the helmet. That never really worked (and they smelled terrible). I saw motorcycle riders wearing a fitted bandana under their helmets, and they said it helped control sweat as well, and that was the first one I bought-- a black harley emblemed bandana that said Daytona Beach Bike Week-- I picked it up in one of the beach junk stores. It worked really well...then I moved on to the coolmax stuff, and that works much better. They cost around $15 or so at Performance bike, and work really well.

Oh- another thing, don't take your helmet and lining off...until you are done with your ride. You will stay warmer...

Another added benefit of wearing these under the helmet, in the summer, is that you don't have funny looking burn spots on your head

(I am almost 54 and I'm not balding--I'm bald )

train safe-

cccorlew

https://www.headsweats.com/productcar...4&idproduct=88

Works for me. And I too sweat a lot. My helmets never get funky.

europa

For me, it's not just sweat, it's protecting the scalp from sunburn - I already have skin cancers on my scalp and the mottled sunburn effect just doesn't suit me.

I used cheap, cotton bandanas until last year, the ones sold as promotional items for the Kids Cancer Research fund raising - basically a big handy. They worked well.
Last year at the Tour Down Under, they were tossing out cheap cycling caps (advertising a local builder). I snaffled a few of them and use them - only one per trip because even in the mild summer we're having, I sweat so much the BRIM is soaked, let alone the cloth cap.

Both these solutions stopped the sweat flowing down my face in all but the most extreme cases (like climbing monster hills on a hot day), and they're dirt cheap.

What ever you use, you'll need to wash it after every ride, so plan on getting a handful or washing/rinsing them after ever ride. This makes the specialist fitted efforts a no go for me - although it doesn't take long to rinse something out, it becomes a pain if your riding is part of your life rather than a recreational event where you don't mind dressing up before and then dressing down afterwards.

Richard

ErnieAZ

I switched to Halo Headbands - www.haloheadband.com - a couple of years ago and like them better than the Headsweats caps. The Halo Headbands are "topless" and allow better air circulation under the helmet and feel cooler to me. The sweat management qualities are excellent, nothing running down my glasses or into my eyes. I like the tie-on version, I can get exactly the right amount of tension around my head. The Halo Headbands also fit better under my helmet. The Headsweats caps sometimes made my helmets too tight and gave me headaches (I have a big pumpkin head).

snaproll

I use Halo Headbands too. I sweat a ton and the headbands help quite a bit. I usually carry an extra so I can go to a dry one if we're on a long ride.

StanSeven

Get the Giro Ionos helmet. Half of it is open vents.

Rick@OCRR

I agree with buetilo and Curtis,

Headsweats are great, and they come in different colors so you can coordinate with your jersey color.
I'm still waiting for Curtis to introduce the 50+ headsweat in the same color as the jerseys and shorts, and with the 50+ logo. Guess that will be after the socks . . .

Regardless, headsweats (and similar head coverings from other brands) work well, and I pretty much don't leave on a bike ride without them. I even use them over my wool balaclava in the winter (like today).

Rick / OCRR

BluesDawg

Headsweats are great. But a good old bandanna folded into a triangle works pretty well. On really hot days I'll soak them in water to create some evaporative air conditioning.

Louis

I use and like Headsweats but have problems with the elastic stretching out permanently. That's when I go back to the old standby...the bandanna.

Red Baron

I use Halo's also - Worked OK in US (kentucky) but it can't keep up with the sweat I produce here in the Philippines. It got so bad it'd drip into my eyes and sting like crazy. Odd sensation going dowm a BIG hill and suddenly being blinded. I finally cut my hair short, especially the eyebrows and get a hair/eyebrow trim every 3 weeks. Barber here = 75PHP = $1.50 - $1.60 USD . When I ride, sweat drips off my chin like crazy. Friend of mine also puts a thin line of vaseline on his forehead to keep sweat out of eyes. But that did not last long enough for me.

maddmaxx 

It's the hair that keeps it from sliding off the head Louis.....

Retro Grouch 

Me too but, in the summer, I use two of them. One to wear and one hangs from my handlebar. I switch them every time that I stop.

Incidentally I also have a couple of helmets with different vent patterns that I alternate using in the summer. Makes the funny tan lines less noticeable.

wink

I wear one of the Bell helmets with a sweat band under it when it is hot.I am not bald but this helmet seems to do better than the ones I have had in the past for staying cool.It is one of the higher priced Bells if you can call them high priced.
I live south of Daytona so I ride in some hot weather and it works for me.

Jet Travis

By the way, you look mahvelous.

Pat

I sweat profusely. In facts on warmer days, thinking that any device will absorb the sweat is ludicrous. I just have to take care that it does not come down in a flood into my eyes and sting like the dickens.

BigBlueToe

I'm another Headsweat user. I rode with headbands for many years to prevent sweat from dripping down onto my glasses. However, diminishing hair left me concerned about skin cancer, and I don't want to slather SPF 40 in my remaining hair. Headsweats cover my scalp and take care of any problems with sweat. The look can be thought of as dashing (my fantasy) or dorky (my daughter's view - "Dad's wearing a doo-rag!") Luckily, it's covered up 98% of the time by my helmet.

I think they're outrageously expensive for such a small piece of fabric, but I've found them on sale a few times. I now have 4 which I rotate.

Previously, while waiting for a sale, I used a bandana. That works too, but these are better.

Curtis, the 50+ Headsweat sounds like a winner, if you can keep the price under 10 dollars.

BillK

Another person who swears by Halo Headbands, they completely eliminated the "joy" of suddenly being blinded by a big drop of sweat dripping into my eye. Wish I had them back in my lacrosse days.

Louis

Ah...yes...memories of hair. Girls would run their hands through it...and...and...

Louis

Where on earth did you find my high school graduation picture?

wrk101

+1 Headband or do-rag.

+1 Don't take helmet off.

Wino Ryder

Get the 'headsweats'....you wont regret it.

ScrubJ

I use these https://www.coldlizard.com/cgi/wc.dll...log~DETAIL~160

Spoke

1+ for the Halo Headband. My preference is the Protex Bandannas in white. https://store.haloheadband.com/PROTEX_BANDANNAS_s/10.htm Once wet, the micro mesh top really cools the scalp when the breeze comes whistling through the helmet. It works for me on long summer rides in the Texas hill country. My helmet of choice is the Giro Atmos. but any quality helmet with plenty of air vents will do.

Ride On!
-Spoke

VolGirl

I also like Buffs for this purpose.

Another suggestion, if you have an old, ratty jersey made of a good wicking material, but not suitable for public viewing, cut it up into do-rags, headbands, etc.