RabidUnicorn

Cold ears are the worst! What's the best way to prevent them? I'd rather not use a skull cap. Any suggestions?

irclean

I use these:



They fit perfectly without interfering with my helmet and can be easily wrapped around my forearm if not needed. They should be easy to find in any department store that carries winter clothing.

nwmtnbkr

Until it's cold enough to break out the balaclava, I use a fleece headband similar to this one (they come in merino wool, too).

Machka 

A $1 headband from the local Dollar store. I've got several and they work very well.

bionnaki

what's wrong with skull caps?

my ears are covered by a combo of a tight fleece skull cap and an underarmor synthetic neck gaiter that pulls up over the skullcap and over my ears. very lightweight. fits well under a helmet. warm down to -15 degrees F at least (lowest ive gone).

rumrunn6

no hat? hm ... then headband. there are many kinds out there shop around t find the right one for you. some are quite thin but still warm.

chucky

These doesn't work for me at all. The helmet interference is so bad that it ends up on the road within seconds.

My helmet has earmuffs like this:

which I like because they get held snugly over my ears by the helmet straps.

It doesn't ride up and expose your ears? $1 sounds good and I trust you because you do a lot of riding, but the only thing I've found that works is earmuffs secured by the helmet straps and even those aren't that great if the straps aren't tight.

rumrunn6

headbands work really well. they don't ride up cuz of the helmet being there! try a cheap pair - you'll love them. there are some really nice ones out there that are very thin (and expensive)

chucky

I don't see what the helmet has to do with it.

The way I see it is that ear protection needs to extend below and underneath the ear lobe in order to block cold air from drafting up. The problem is that this is the area where the neck meets the jaw and, since it changes shape as I move my head, any fabric there ends up getting pushed up onto the ear or elsewhere.

I just don't see how a band is going to stay where it needs to when even full flaps need to be pressed down rather tightly in order to be effective.

mudpuppy

I've tried various headbands, skull caps, etc. and have not been impressed by how they perform, or fit under a bike helmet. I finally got a ski helmet for winter biking, and it keeps my ears nice and toasty.

Machka 

I've never had a headband ride up. I don't understand why one would. If anything the helmet pushes it down a bit and I have to make sure to tug it up over the tops of my ears before I head out.


Here's my headband & neck gaiter combo, which I use on colder days ... the neck gaiter also helps to keep my ears warm while keeping my neck warm and keeping cold from blowing down my jacket.
.

rumrunn6

chucky - there are headbands with big wide lobes that extend down lower the way you want - keep looking. however when you said cold ears I thought you meant the tops of your ears - which is what bothered me. when it's cold enough to make my neck and throat cold I go to a balaclava or 3 hole ski mask. there are some very thing balaclavas out there which will certainly cover your ears and give you a cool ninja look!

btw - bike helmet ear flaps look great! gotta get me some of those!

xtrajack

This works for me.

soze

I have stretched ear lobe piercings. I break out the Canadian earflap toque the moment it hits 40°F. Wind chill is a *****.

chaadster

Michiganders know how to do it! A ski helmet is perfect, and, if like me, you use ski goggles when it's really cold and nasty out, they fit on the helmet perfectly. I also like that ski helmets are less ventilated, so you don't get as much cold air whistling around your head.

Although I've worn a silk balaclava under a cycling helmet successfully, getting goggles aligned properly on a cycling helmet is incredibly frustrating and virtually impossible!

hshearer

I use 180s, the same as irclean... put them on under your helmet straps and they stay in place just fine. I also have a ski helmet with ear flaps, but I don't find them totally effective (they're rigid, part of the helmet), so I still use the 180s under the ski helmet flaps. I use the 180s anywhere from +5 C down to -40C (not counting windchill)

bionnaki

does the wind make them whistle?

JasonC

I use the Pearl Izumi headband. It is a thin material, so it fits good under the helmet. But regardless of how thin it is, I have never had any problems with it getting cold. I tend to use it from about 15-35 degrees F. You can pull the front of the headband down a bit to keep the forehead warm too.

Once the the temps get below 15 or so, I switch to the Pearl Izumi balaclava.

-Jason

Eddie Loves You

Where did you get those?

chucky

Maybe "flair out" is a better way to describe it than "ride up". But thanks for the tip about the headband. I'm going to try it along with a gaiter to supplement my beard.

It is the tops of the ears which get cold, but the problem is that the lobes push whatever covers the tops away from the face, which leaves a gap for the rushing cold air to get in and make the tops of the ears cold. So the lobes need to be covered snugly in order to close the gaps and protect the tops.

It comes with the Bell Metro Winter Kit. A quick google search returns a bunch of places selling them, but mine in particular was included for free with a Bell Metro I bought from Nashbar a few years ago.