Shame on me, I’m not yet wearing a helmet – however I will soon.
Q: Which headgear would you recommand for wearing underneath a road cycling helmet?

Can one still wear a regular hat, e.g. (merino wool) beanie? Or, is a ‘helmet cap’ or bandana (that seems to made specifically for the purpose) the best way to go? I especially like something that counteracts sweat (breathable) AND also covers one’s ears effectively. Love to have spring (chilly) and winter (cold to severe) options.

I use a Buff BUFF® USA Official Store | Multifunctional Headwear in the Winter which can double at a balaclava to protect against wind or neck gaiter.

I ride year round and just use either a thin fleece or polyester skull cap under my helmet. Recently I've been using a Pearl Thermal skull cap I found on the road and cleaned up. That worked great with temp in the upper 20s.

Poly skull cap on top and a Buff around neck/face. Skull cap is thick enough to help, but not too thick to mess with helmet fit.

-Kedosto

I commute down to 10F. For the last two years I've been wearing a Halo sweatband. When temps dip to around 40F I find myself tucking my ears under it. Around 35 I will wear a light nylon balaclava which works for me down to 10F, Around 21 I may put on a heavier ear warmer. A few times when there was an extra cold wind I wore the light hood of the hi-viz, semi-breathable, non-cycling windbreaker shell I wear over everything. I usually tuck the hood down my back.

Everyone's different, but I find I am happier when my head is cool, even at 10F.

FWIW I'm very bald.

Cycling caps are made in many fabrics ,including wool, that is what is ideal under a helmet..

I have a Sou-Wester hat as part of my rain gear I lose heat from my head to the cold rain , so I wear a Beret under it.



I don't live where you do.. Or ride like you.





....

For warmer weather, 40F+, I picked up a $8 light bike specific cap with a brim to block the sun and rain from Amazon.

Thinking about buying a Pearl Izumi wool cap with a brim for the colder weather.

What’s really important to me, is that the ’under helmet solution’ covers my ears effectively. I mean, the cap needs to put enough pressure against my ears in a way the wind doesn’t get in – rendering the cap totally useless for my purposes.

I wear ordinary cotton bandannas. I already had dozens of 'em. Some belonged to my granddad from his gardening days.

I have long hair and wore 'em anyway, so they work fine under a helmet. And I have so many I can wear a fresh one every ride and wash the whole batch only every two weeks or once a month. Since I began drinking electrolytes with water this summer my sweat is much saltier and the bandannas get white streaks and crusty after one sweaty ride, so they need to be changed every ride. That's impractical with more expensive caps made of merino wool, poly wicking fabric, microfiber, or those spiffy short billed cycling caps.

Also makes it easier to keep the helmet clean. The Velcro'd pads inside the helmet stay clean longer -- I just wipe down the inside of the helmet after a ride. Only the straps need more thorough cleaning so I wipe 'em after each ride and once a week soak the straps by propping the helmet over a bucket of warm soapy water and letting the straps dangle and soak for 30-60 minutes.

But to keep my ears warm I wear springy microfiber and neoprene ear guards. Fits like headphones, behind the head and under the helmet. The spring form holds the fabric taut and I can hear pretty well through the material, so it muffles some wind noise but I can hear traffic, etc. Worked fine last winter for rides up to an hour in the 20s.

Semi-related (sorry): I just realized you can pop the buttons off of regular baseball caps, and it makes it so much much more comfortable under a helmet! You use a screwdriver to pop the top off, and then use the screwdriver to pop the base out of the bottom.

I think you'll like the Buff - I wear it as a crude balaclava to cover my chin and ears. The thin Buff is plenty for the mild UK winters. Add a hat and/or use a thicker buff for more insulation.

I've got a couple polypro beanies that fit well under a helmet, but down to about 25F I prefer polypro or light fleece ear bands; they keep my ears covered better than the beanie. Your head may vary, of course.

I also use a buff (for the occasional night in SoCal where overnight temps get below 40)

I use a Performance hinged balaclava https://www.performancebike.com/bikes...551_1139355_-1
when it's too cold for a headband. The hinged balaclava is nice because it allows me to pull the part that covers my face down as I warm up. You can also use it as a facemask without covering your cranium or a beanie if desired.

I've got a couple thin knitted wool toques that work well under a helmet. They're "watch cap" style, but short enough that there isn't that extra rolled cuff at the bottom. A thin fleece liner around the ear band helps that part to be wind resistant.

The problem I tend to have with toques is that the arms of my glasses hold the band away from my ears, so if it's really cold I usually wear a thinner balaclava or ear band instead. This lets me put the glasses arms over the head covering instead of underneath.

I just use cheap ear warmers, and a road helmet, for cooler weather when my ears need to be covered. If my actual head needs to be covered, I use a wool balaclava (not necessarily pulled up over my face).

I find that a normal hat/beanie/toque allows too much wind to get to my ears. YMMV.

Okay. Thanks! I believe a multi-purpose tube (made of wool) may do the trick or me now. Perhaps a balaclava for extreme conditions.
[MENTION=44184]no motor?[/MENTION]: Yeah, I prefer the ability to adapt to changing conditions too very much so.

I pull the face part down while waiting at stop lights to keep from getting too warm, and then pull it up before I take off again. My balaclavas have worked well, it's amazing what a small inexpensive thing like that can do for your comfort.

Good tip. Me too like the adaptability of the piece. Yes, how amazingly great small things can be sometimes.

First, I wore a (synthetic) fleece tube until sweat gave me brr... moodswings. Made me switch back to a scarf. But somehow my old favorite didn’t feel as comfortable as before anymore.

Love my wool neckgaiter now.

But I can see me grab back to my wool scarf when the weather gets worse. Or, when extreme, do a combo :-)

Commuting is a one big experiment

Baseball cap, beanie or balaclava depending on how cold it is and whether it's raining.

As a year round commuter in New England, I see temps below zero routinely. I use a polar fleece, non-bike specific beanie under a helmet, with a velcro wrap around fleece/neoprene face mask for the coldest conditions. Works well.

When I need to protect my bald head from cold, I wear a Buff folded as a beanie and it is fine for me down to at least -11C/12F (today's wind chill).

i've used a balaclava in extreme conditions but the system that works best for me is a super thin smartwool beanie and a thin wool buff. when its gets like under 20, pull the buff over my head and leave it so it covers like 3/4 of my head and ears and tuck the neck part in my shirt. then i place the beanie over the buff and i form a type of balaclava.

i've always favored modular systems like that. this offers me the ability to keep my hears and head extra warm and still protect my neck. if i get too hot, on my head, i just pull on the buff and now my ears are only covered by the hat and not the buff + hat and still keep my neck warm.