Rule #22 is perhaps the most complicated Rule amongst the (currently) 85. Part of the complexity springs from the fact that we are all very attached to this small cotton cap. Off the bike, it was once a badge used to recognize one of our own; now it has been taken over by the hipster crowd which subsequently ruined it for those of us who wore this hallowed garment with pride. Our response has been to refrain from wearing this garment off the bike and resort to other badges – such as Rule #33 compliance – to identify our own. That said, some of us, in the spirit of Rage Against the Machine, refuse to lay down arms and are fighting to take the power back and callously wear our caps regardless. (Guilty.)
Further complexity is due to its provisioning one to wear a cap during any activity directly related to cycling; maintaining your machine, while kitting up, placed jauntily askew while consuming a post-ride recovery beverage at your favorite watering hole. We’ve deliberately refrained from laying out a clear definition as to what constitutes a cycling-related activity, but the verbose description should give you a feel of the spirit within which to govern this Rule.
What The Rules don’t touch on at all is what type of cap is acceptable and precisely how it may be worn. This small, simple garment is at least as complex as a pair of bib shorts or a jersey, and just as with those items, there is a Pro way to wear them, and a noob way to wear them. Especially in light of a recent rash of non-compliant caps coming onto the market, I thought it as good a time as any to outline the definition of a proper cap and how to wear it.
The material. A proper cycling cap is made of cotton, and is as cheaply made as possible. They used to cost a few dollars. That’s like a nickel in dollOZ. Now they are upwards of $15 or $20. A small strip of elastic should be somewhat carelessly sewn together at the back. A good cap should have almost no quality-control in its making, leading to each cap having its own size or positioning of panels. Each cap has its unique character and should be carefully chosen based on it. There has been a recent slew of new caps (made by both Pearl Izumi and some by our beloved Castelli) that have a sweatband sewn into the cap. This is strictly forbidden.
The visor. This is the most important part. Visors should be short. This is because the purpose of a cap is to be worn while riding, and when the head is tipped down as you move to the V-Locus, you need to be able to see up the road to where the guns will detonate without tilting your head up in order to see past the visor. As with the above, a new wave of caps (again by Pearl Izumi and Castelli) have been made with a too-long visor. These visors are also strictly forbidden in general and for wearing under the helmet in particular.
The Three-Point System always applies. Especially when worn without a helmet in pre or post-ride activities. No exceptions here; forward or backward, just always, always, always follow this system.
Worn under the helmet, the helmet and cap must form a cohesive unit. Start with the cap, and slide it down over the back of the head to the nape of the neck. Then pull the visor down towards the eyes until the bottom edge of the visor is just above the eyebrows. Smooth out the wrinkles in the cap, as those will feel weird under the helmet. Next, the helmet goes on with the front of the helmet pushed down snug towards the visor of the cap. If part of the visor disappears under the helmet, you’ve gone too far, and if any part of the front of the cap shows, you haven’t gone far enough.
Visors can be flipped up, especially when worn backwards. Worn forward, it is better to keep the visor down, especially under a helmet. If for some reason it must be flipped up, keep the bottom line of the cap low to the eyebrows. If it is being flipped up under a helmet, it helps an awful lot if you’re also in the midst of riding to a win in a Monument, your name starts with Phillipe and ends with Gilbert, or both.
frank
The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking.
As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it.
Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen.
Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.
@G'phantGood lord. I think we need a rule about not flogging dead horses. Because, by my count, that's about The V-hundredth time that's come up. Just when did you buy it?
It's the gift which keeps on giving - albeit vaguely reminiscent of Paul Keating (erstwhile Australian premier): "Mr Speaker, like a dog returning to its own vomit, the opposition returns to the topic of the economy." If Brett doesn't bite, I'll stop baiting the hook.
@frank
Have you looked into Walz caps? they tent to be a bit pricey but its decently made. That said I own one of their 3 panel racing stripe caps and I don't lice the way it fits. maybe the 4 panel is a better fit.
@RedRanger
Visor too floppy, the back too rounded. Not right. Seriously. The right cap is hard to come by custom. It'll happen, don't worry. And it will be good.
@G'phant
Why don't you return the mirror? Surely that's the only thing he's ever sold? I can't imagine that his "Oi! FUCK OFF!" sales strategy worked with anyone but you. That would learn 'im.
Start them young. I did and at five she now yells, "Car up!" and "Go faster!"
Hell yes. I thoroughly enjoy wearing a cap out of doors, keeps the rain off my spectacles, the sun out of my eyes. I ride a bike most places, whether training, commuting, or grocery getting. I also ride a bike to the watering hole. Baseball hats are too big on my smallish head, and they fly off when cycling. I gotta do what I feel on this one, despite the Rule.
And I don't give a fuck who else is wearing them. We all can tell via a quick glance who is a cyclist and who is a dick in a cycling cap. Fuck 'em. That's like saying I'm not going to drink cheap beer to save money for cycling parts because some dick drinks it too. Fuck 'em.
I love cycling caps. And in reality they are a badge. You might see hundreds of baseball caps but you are only going to see a few cycling caps. Unless you are hanging around the wrong dickster hangouts...
Nice one, Frank!
Also, I love it when my VMH wears a cycling cap.
Great frank. Having never used a cap until about a year ago, I can vouch whole heartedly for their practicality and the V - coolness. As you described though, they have to be the right cap.
As someone with quite a large noggin' they don't always fit and as @Marko commented, they can cut off the circulation. With the tell-tale line across the forehead for the next hour or two it is always cause for comment/query/mirth for the next person/s that one may meet. The fact that they don't quite fit/sit right makes them that much better!
Part sun visor, scalp protector, head warmer and a 100% awesomely special piece of kit.
Hell yes. I thoroughly enjoy wearing a cap out of doors, keeps the rain off my spectacles, the sun out of my eyes. I ride a bike most places, whether training, commuting, or grocery getting. I also ride a bike to the watering hole. Baseball hats are too big on my smallish head, and they fly off when cycling. I gotta do what I feel on this one, despite the Rule.
And I don't give a fuck who else is wearing them. We all can tell via a quick glance who is a cyclist and who is a dick in a cycling cap. Fuck 'em. That's like saying I'm not going to drink cheap beer to save money for cycling parts because some dick drinks it too. Fuck 'em.
Haha, right on!
I too dislike baseball hats - my head is sort of small too, and I've never though I've looked good in them so I don't wear 'em. And while I like watching a baseball game in person, I don't really follow any teams. I do think I look good in a cycling cap though, as it seems much more proportional to my head. I have a cheapie Castelli one I wear cycling, but I'd like a nice wool one for relaxing.
Funny you should mention hats flying off heads, too. I stopped to help some young 20-ish something kid with his bike while I was out for a ride the other week. He was wearing some sort of newsboy cap, and as soon as he got back on the road and up to speed it flew right off of his head. It was sort of funny. (yeah yeah, "cool story bro")
So gotta do a rule check here. I got some pretty cool caps from back in the day: Carerra, dotty ones, yellow ones, Campa (and not one from USPS, Disco, Retirementshack). Anyhoo, I work in surgery and use them as scrub caps sometimes, especially around the Grand Tours. Acceptable use or nay? Frank?
So gotta do a rule check here. I got some pretty cool caps from back in the day: Carerra, dotty ones, yellow ones, Campa (and not one from USPS, Disco, Retirementshack). Anyhoo, I work in surgery and use them as scrub caps sometimes, especially around the Grand Tours. Acceptable use or nay? Frank?
I would say almost de rigueur, especially around Grand Tour time.
View Comments
@frank
Gah, it's as if they're running a business to make money or something!!!
@Steampunk
It's the gift which keeps on giving - albeit vaguely reminiscent of Paul Keating (erstwhile Australian premier): "Mr Speaker, like a dog returning to its own vomit, the opposition returns to the topic of the economy." If Brett doesn't bite, I'll stop baiting the hook.
@frank
Have you looked into Walz caps? they tent to be a bit pricey but its decently made. That said I own one of their 3 panel racing stripe caps and I don't lice the way it fits. maybe the 4 panel is a better fit.
@RedRanger
Visor too floppy, the back too rounded. Not right. Seriously. The right cap is hard to come by custom. It'll happen, don't worry. And it will be good.
@G'phant
Why don't you return the mirror? Surely that's the only thing he's ever sold? I can't imagine that his "Oi! FUCK OFF!" sales strategy worked with anyone but you. That would learn 'im.
Start them young. I did and at five she now yells, "Car up!" and "Go faster!"
Hell yes. I thoroughly enjoy wearing a cap out of doors, keeps the rain off my spectacles, the sun out of my eyes. I ride a bike most places, whether training, commuting, or grocery getting. I also ride a bike to the watering hole. Baseball hats are too big on my smallish head, and they fly off when cycling. I gotta do what I feel on this one, despite the Rule.
And I don't give a fuck who else is wearing them. We all can tell via a quick glance who is a cyclist and who is a dick in a cycling cap. Fuck 'em. That's like saying I'm not going to drink cheap beer to save money for cycling parts because some dick drinks it too. Fuck 'em.
I love cycling caps. And in reality they are a badge. You might see hundreds of baseball caps but you are only going to see a few cycling caps. Unless you are hanging around the wrong dickster hangouts...
Nice one, Frank!
Also, I love it when my VMH wears a cycling cap.
Great frank. Having never used a cap until about a year ago, I can vouch whole heartedly for their practicality and the V - coolness. As you described though, they have to be the right cap.
As someone with quite a large noggin' they don't always fit and as @Marko commented, they can cut off the circulation. With the tell-tale line across the forehead for the next hour or two it is always cause for comment/query/mirth for the next person/s that one may meet. The fact that they don't quite fit/sit right makes them that much better!
Part sun visor, scalp protector, head warmer and a 100% awesomely special piece of kit.
@Ron
Haha, right on!
I too dislike baseball hats - my head is sort of small too, and I've never though I've looked good in them so I don't wear 'em. And while I like watching a baseball game in person, I don't really follow any teams. I do think I look good in a cycling cap though, as it seems much more proportional to my head. I have a cheapie Castelli one I wear cycling, but I'd like a nice wool one for relaxing.
Funny you should mention hats flying off heads, too. I stopped to help some young 20-ish something kid with his bike while I was out for a ride the other week. He was wearing some sort of newsboy cap, and as soon as he got back on the road and up to speed it flew right off of his head. It was sort of funny. (yeah yeah, "cool story bro")
So gotta do a rule check here. I got some pretty cool caps from back in the day: Carerra, dotty ones, yellow ones, Campa (and not one from USPS, Disco, Retirementshack). Anyhoo, I work in surgery and use them as scrub caps sometimes, especially around the Grand Tours. Acceptable use or nay? Frank?
@scaler911
I would say almost de rigueur, especially around Grand Tour time.