Was cycling with bandanas a fashion trend at some time?
Often I see guys with bandanas under their helmets, but it's alwas guys in the 40-50 age range.

I dunno if it ever was a trend, but I wear a bandanna & I'm still a ways off from 40 y/o.

I don't wear one, because I think it looks ridiculous. While it may be acceptable to wear a bandanna while on the trainer, indoors, where nobody can see you, it is certainly NOT acceptable to wear one outside....unless, of course, you have the matching ripped jeans and half-shirt.

Maybe they are covering up something like their lack of hair?

They are for sweat management.

Dude, you scare me. I have several, wear one under my helmet every day on the ride home from work. I am 46.

calRider = The Tim Gunn of cycling?

You may wear a bandana under your helmet if you are listening to 80's music on your earphones. In fact, if you are caught listening to Van Halen without a bandana under your helmet, bad things can happen man, bad things.

Are you thinking of headsweats/halo head bands? If so, it's not a fashion statement, they help keep sweat from running down your face and into your eyes. Mix that sweat with sunscreen and you've got a good reason to wear one.

Newsflash: You look ridiculous in your bike kit anyway....

As mentioned above, it's a good way to keep sweat from dripping in your eyes. It also protects my head from sunburn when I have really short or no hair up there.

I wear a bandanna or headsweats or under armour skull cap and it's for sweat.

Full disclosure .. no i'm not in my 40s and yes I don't have enough hair to catch any sweat. due to both nature and clippers now

This is true only when I'm more than an arm's length away from my bike; a bandana worn under a helmet always looks ridiculous. For the definitive answer, you could go ask the self-appointed "king of style" himself at www.iamtedking.com.

Too funny that this topic would show up now. I have a 50+ mile ride coming up next week. the Texas sun should be shining all day... and I just shaved my head. So, short of a bandana , what are my options (i.e. more breathable) so that I don't have a tribal looking suntan on my dome?

I wear a headband for two reasons. In the winter it keeps my ears warm and in the summer it keeps the sweet out of my eyes. If fashion was a concern of mine, I wouldn't have taken up cycling I would ride a Harley and wear leather.

+1 I had a teammate who wore one. He probably got the idea because he played high school football as well. I sometimes use one of those versatile tubes of fabric than can be made into a headband, a skull cap, ear covers, turtle neck, etc. I almost always wear something on my head because otherwise, my receding hairline and the helmet holes make for some pretty interesting suntans/sunburns.

Sweat management, keeping the sun off one's head in the hot sun. The latter is optional for younger guys, but if they wear their hair very short or shave their head, or of they're bald, it's pretty much necessary (bandana, skull cap, something). Maybe because guys tend to get thinning hair in their 40s and 50s is why the OP notices this more with them.

I'm 31 and have been having this problem for 4 years now

I had a teammate in high school who shaved his head shortly before we went to a 3-day stage race in Arizona. He had little red ovals all over his lily white scalp by the end of the weekend.

...and then your bike looks ridiculous because it now has an idiot within an arm's length of it.

Too true...but imagine how much WORSE it would be if the idiot was wearing a bandana? If you're not a cowboy, a pirate, or a time traveler from the '80s, you should not be wearing a bandana. The bandana is to cool, what Donny Osmond is to cool.

I leave you with one last thought: Brett Michaels wears a bandana.

cycling cap, skull cap, beanie

I wear a moisture wicking do-rag to keep the sweat out of my eyes...and I sweat like a pig. I also wear it to keep from getting a sunburn on my grape. It looks rediculous, but it is impossible to not look rediculous in riding gear. Haven't actually seen anyone wearing an old-school bandana under their helmet.

Here's a tip...do not put sunscreen above the eyes. The helmet, sunglasses and do-rag will cover that part just fine.

Because he is bald. He wears a wig also.

I wear something like this, just a plain black one.

I think the OP's insistence that one CAN NOT wear a bandana is a bit overbearing. Wear what you like.

are you kidding? how do you read from my post that i'm "insisting" that one "CAN NOT" wear a bandana?

i asked "WAS IT A TREND?"

If you had the Harley and leather, the bandana under the helmet would be a requirement.

I need to buy an UA skull cap.

I had a Harley for 20 years but sold it a few years ago. I am more into cycling than ever was into the Harley. A Harley doesn't improve your physical condition but cycling can make a huge difference in the way you look and feel. I did wear a skull cap on the Harley mainly so that when I took the helmet off I didn't have helmet hair.