PWRDbyTRD

Summer is starting to set in...90+ degree weather. Just thought I'd let everyone know. Anyone have any recommendation on good headbands? Do you all like how they work or are they ineffective?

KingTermite 

I tried the normal headbands from Sports Authority and found they are too small. They were giving me headaches....so you may want to stay AWAY from those.

socalrider

The under armour headbands work the best for me.. They are 7.00 but worth it..

RonH

I just use a bandana under the helmet.

Medpilot

I picked up some cheapo headbands ($1.99) at Academy Sports and they have been working great. I was having problems with sweat stinging my eyes, but the headbands have taken care of that problem. The only problem is I feel like a dork wearing them.

bikebuddha 

I'm a bandana under the helmet guy too and I'm a heavy sweater, so if it works for me it should work for anybody.

slvoid

What the hell are you talking about? It's been summer around here for over a month.
Get some headsweats under your helmet.

PWRDbyTRD

it's starting to hit 90's here...and that's where I really start to have issues. I'll look into the BA headbands since they carry that stuff at a local sports store. Thanks.

Guest

I got a hat that acts as a headband from Performance (I think) last year. I didn't even think to use it! Then I was unpacking a few days ago and found it and tried it out. It seems to work. It's called "Headsweats". It's a cap that fits over the head, and the rim of the cap has some extra thick material around it. The cap says it's guaranteed to keep your head cool, and I believe it does do that. It's like a little refrigerator on my head.

Koffee

MasterSezFaster

I do not use a head band. Just let the sweat pour down. I find they make my head over heat even if they are designed to prevent that. It is bad enough in the heat with a helmet on let alone an additional layer. I also do not worry about sweat in the eyes because it does not bother me.

Red Baron

I wish I was so lucky. I have tried caps, covers of all kinds, sweatbands, combo's of same, different style glasses, and plain ole flush it as often as possible with water. However, I just cant keep the sweat out of my eyes.
I did a long hill last night (1 1/2 mile) about 5%, 91 degres here in KY, humidity level high, heat advisery's on radio, but I kept hydrated. Anyway - at top of hill (I was pushing hard) a large amount of sweat ran into my eyes and stung so much that I couldn't see. I tried to wash it out with my water bottle and must of went 40 yards till I heard an auto honking. I immediately stopped, and when my eyes cleared I was in the middle of the road and a truck was stopped in front of me (coming my way) I was on one of those yellow lines in the middle of the blacktop. He asked if I was OK, and I described my situation. He said I was weaving like crazy and was going into the other (his) lane. Bottom line I would have hit him!
I thanked him sincerely for being so courteous and watchful.


I've found that all this stuff helps, and I often use a water bottle to wash the sweat out but on a long stretch, but at times it bulds up till overflowing and nothing I can do to keep it out. BTW - I use a type of eyewash often to keep my eyes from swelling (from the sweat) when I'm not cycling.

supcom

Headbands or skullcaps work great until they get saturated. Use the synthetic type, not cotton. It may help to take two and swap them out as they get saturated. Hang the soaked on off your seatbag and it should dry quickly.

mtnbiker66

www.buffusa.com
These things are awsome.

blwyn

Halo skullcap with the rubber strip which forces the sweat away from your face are the best, especially for those of us who are thinning on top.

allgoo19

I always wear either skull cap or helmet liner(similar to skull cap but no tie ends) under my helmet. There are a few reason to use these.

* Keep your sweat from running down the face.
* It keeps your head cool. The sweat takes the body heat with it when it evapolates.
* It keeps the inside of your helmet cleaner.

I have tried many differnt types, and here's a several of the things I learned.

* No cotton. Synthetic such as polyester are the best. They don't hold the sweat but wicks it and spreads it in wide area, which helps the sweat evapolates quicker. (I have not had my skull cap or liner soaked all the way. It usually starts from the rim of the cap then toward top of my head but the top of my head had never been completely wet. And my helmet has a lot fewer vents than most bike helmets do. It's a BMX helmet.)
* No multiple purpose garments. Liner that made to fit just for the head is better. Under the helmet, not enough room for extra material. Avoid bandanas.
* Stretching material make more contact with the head, therefore wicks more sweat. The same way Underarmor works.
* Mesh material helps the sweat evapolates quicker.
* Thinner, tighter the materail, wicks the sweat quicker.
* Make sure that material covers big part of the forehead where the sweat production is at the most. Pull it down low.

The best place to see what kind of helmet liner works best is to watch football player on the side line. If it works for them, it works for cyclist, only better. Because the cyclists move more air than football players do.

'nother

headsweats++

(not quite a refrigerator but definitely effective -- surprisingly so).

operator

I never sweat from my head.

'nother

The other one!

zero_emissions

I am surprised that no one has mentioned Halo headbands! Halo headbands have a yellow "gasket" integrated into the fabric. According to the product packaging, the "gasket" seal causes sweat to run along the gasket instead of down into your eyes. Amazingly, it actually works!!! I paid $15 for mine, worth every penny from the tip jar at the coffee shop. The heat index yesterday was 110 for my 5 mile commute; not a single bead of stinging sweat in my eyes.

Red Baron

I took your advice and ordered 2, I will report when they get here and I get in a trial run.

PWRDbyTRD

so I dont' miss it, shoot me a PM with a link to the thread after your trial.

JBar

I'm with koffee's Headsweats suggestion. The only problem I have with them is that the bill is a little longer than my Assos caps, forcing me to raise my head more to see the road ahead, and I get some neck pain after a couple hours.. They are cool,evaporating sweat better than others, and have a good terry band over your eyes. I like a bill, but also have some Performance headbands that do the trick (the ones that tie- 3 for 7.99, I think). Good luck, JB

hooligan

Take a break, take off your helmet, have the towel ready, dry your head out, soak up as much sweat as you can from the terry cloth on your glove. When you ride, wipe the sweat with your glove. It works, and washing your gloves is a breeze.

Red Baron

Update 7/26 - couldn't stand it - bought a Giro Atmos on sale at LBS. Just finished 20 miles, hilly, avg= 16 (good for me). 90 degrees plus, 100+ w/humidity. A BIG diffrence over My Limar F107. I wore a coolmax polyester HEADSWEATS just below the helmet, no skulcap. I noticed a big difference but still the sweatband would get heavy with sweat and then flow (drop) into eyes. I finally learned to lean my head to right, reach up and sqeeze the sweat out of the band and fling it off (kind of like a snot-rocket). I'd do this (at the end) about ever 2-3 miles. I really sweat alot, especially around the head, it almost looks like I just steped out of the shower as I pedal along- Liquid dripping everywhere.
Eyes are burning like crazy as I write this. Using teardrop stuff to avoid irratation.

hooligan - "take a break "? Hey is that allowed?? GRIN

allgoo19

Sweat band works good when I'm running. Mine is made of cotton and it holds a lot of water. It's bulky, so it's not for under the helmet. Even if it's thin enough for under the helmet, it moves around in unwanted way every time you push down or up the helmet.

Purpose of the use of wicking material is to spread the sweat and let it evaporates. If the garment doesn't have enough material, the sweat stops spreading and polyester doesn't hold the sweat like cotton does.

Maybe I'm not a heavy sweater as you are, but when take my helmet off and see how wet it is, it's usually wet to 3 to 4 inches from the rim but never the top of the cap, which means the cap is not saturated with the sweat.

No matter what you use, you can't keep the sweat comes out of your face away from the eyes. You still have to keep wiping it with the gloves but it's much less than the sweat comes out of the head.