Beppe Saronni: Patron Saint of Rule #22
The cycling cap was part of any kit: nearly black shorts, team jersey and cap. It would be matching, it would be cotton. In the day before the required helmet, the cycling cap was it. Unrestrained by helmet or hairnet, the cap was the crown upon the head. It would sit high on the head, not pulled down like a baseball cap. It sat no higher upon the head than upon Giuseppi Beppe Saronni’s fine Italian head.
Beppe wore the cap with an unrivaled sense of italian style. The cap perched up there, as if it just landed, light as a feather. How it stayed there in the breeze, we don’t know. Perhaps the Saronni skull had just the perfect shape to hold a cap. We will leave that for the Phrenological scientists and the pathologist.
Rule #22 states the wearing of a cap may be for a brief interval before and after a ride, otherwise it has to be hidden under your helmet. That is a sad state of affairs. Maybe we need a national day of helmet-free cap riding. What is the worst that could happen? Do we have to ride the old timey Strade Bianche if we long to spend a long time in the saddle wearing a V-cap? If we can only wear it for a brief time or while using toe clips, is it an anachronism? Is it time to take it back: wear it in the bathtub, in the car, gasp, while walking in public? This idea has been discussed before here; the cap is ours, we should own it. When and where would Eddy wear it?
Behold the Beppe.
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This video has been posted on the site before too but it deserves a wider audience.
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IjFa_aszjQ[/youtube]
@Mikael Liddy
Yikes! Up close, not so much…
@Rob
Wise words, I think. As much as I might like to wear a cycling cap aboot, it looks shiet. My massive thick skull is too large for the wee cap. One size fits all! Damn you cruel world. I can’t pull it off, however, under the helmet I do look rather ‘core. Not douchy whot so eva’.
@Gianni
Wait, do unicorns have vajay-jays, or not? Approaching scaler confusion level.
@Pedale.Forchetta
This old dude looks awesome. I cannot pull this off under any circumstances…..I would look like a douche; I will stick with the helmet and go about my business.
@DeKerr
@PeakInTwoYears
@Nate
for fucks sake people…………The last thing you want me to have in my hand is a scalpel.
@HMBSteve
Great photo right there. He does look awesome, some have it, some don’t. I don’t either.
@wiscot
Fiasco kit, looks very good in the flesh!
@Barracuda “looks very good in the flesh”??? I not only threw up in my mouth, but all over that horrible image. Something seen, cannot be unseen. Not good!
Did I start too early for my Pedalwan? Actually, my son pulled the cap out from my drawer.
This was taken about 7 years ago. Cap should fit now?
@sthilzy not too early, you just got the wrong size…
@The Pressure
@Barracuda
@pistard
@Mikael Liddy
I like the Fiasco Ciclismo kit, though it’s got nothing on Attaquer
Lets get a V-Cap! Here is a rough draft I came up with. I dont have a very good program for designing so the draft is very rough, the “paint” program on windows is not very good. I have been saying we need a V-Cap for a while and I think others are into it as well so here is what I came up with. Any other ideas out there?
@Bill Chris I’m sure the Attaquer designer has some free time…
@mouse
BTW is this the #2 male prostitute in all of Kazakhstan?
@Gianni
I have the same problem, caps just look goofy because the brim is usually significantly smaller then my (mostly empty) cranium. I get headaches from some caps that are too tight.
@The Pressure
my point being its better in “real life” than the images suggest.
hopefully your ‘puter screen and key board are free of debris now!
Nothing wrong with being different, others may think my Rapha classic kit is boring and pretentious, but im not fussed.
That “Attaquer” kit however, is a completely different story, I think that is “Dirk Digglers” have brother !
It is time. Take back the cap!
@Mikael Liddy yeah, kid was too small for the cap.
@Bill Chris
Nice.
Pic from LeMan’s FB page
Backward billing, ala aero hairnet, as per Beppe….
“In 1980, an 18-year-old Greg LeMond was the first American to win a European pro-amateur stage race the Circuit de la Sarthe”
@The Pressure I’ll just hit reply instead of quote to spare everyone another shot of the picture, but if that’s #2 Prostitute in Kazakstan, is Vino #1? Or is he the John as he gives the money to others?
Besides the awful kit, the socks are too long and the “mustache” is sketchy at best.
@Teocalli
Ok, huge yes to getting ball rolling for a V cap.
How about a list/petition to the keepers (yea I know it’s just a wake up and smell the espresso to the Fränk)… If we put our monikers in a list and copy it each time a new name is added it could be a big wake up to show the massive demand! So copy just the LIST and add your name at the bottom of your post. Lets get this done (I’m calling this a pre order so you-know-who can see the Mr. Burns potential)!
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob
2) Wiscot x 2
@wiscot
@wiscott Brilliant I’m upping my order too!
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
@VeloSix
I thought it had already been announced that a V cap was on the way. Obviously not in a “We’ll have them in stock next week” sort of way but Frank has said they had overcome the previous issues and were going to produce them.
In any case, I will take V caps when they come, in case they never come again.
I will have two as my training caps, and two more in reserve when they fall apart or the elastic goes or whatever.
And you know what, I’m just going to wear one around, even when I’m not riding… I wear my caps on the bike as they are meant to be, so I ain’t taking no shit from people who stick them under helmets.
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
6) Steve-o x 2
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
6) Steve-o x 2
7) RedRanger, 1 of each color if there is that option.
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
6) Steve-o x 2
7) RedRanger, 1 of each color if there is that option.
8) Bill Chris x 2
@ChrisO
I thought it had already been announced that a V cap was on the way. Obviously not in a “We’ll have them in stock next week” sort of way but Frank has said they had overcome the previous issues and were going to produce them.
Agreed, but as @Rob put up some encouragement I thought it was worth supporting.
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
6) Steve-o x 2
7) RedRanger, 1 of each color if there is that option.
8) Bill Chris x 2
9) JohnB x 3 (this way I might get at least one! Missing socks? I’m not bitter…….)
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
6) Steve-o x 2
7) RedRanger, 1 of each color if there is that option.
8) Bill Chris x 2
9) JohnB x 3 (this way I might get at least one! Missing socks? I’m not bitter…….)
10) DeKerr x 1
And I know there is a company here in Vancouver, BC that is making their own caps (Red Dots Cycling) who might be able to facilitate production.
@mouse
Think you were being quite generous to the Attaquer guys, these two are pretty interesting…
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@Mikael Liddy The only flaw was the uneveness of the black socks in the last pic.
LIST TO PRE ORDER A V CAP:
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
6) Steve-o x 2
7) RedRanger, 1 of each color if there is that option.
8) Bill Chris x 2
9) JohnB x 3 (this way I might get at least one! Missing socks? I’m not bitter…….)
10) DeKerr x 1
11) Barracuda – South Oz is a cap not hat kinda place !
1) Rob x 2
2) Wiscot x 2
3) Teocalli
4) DCR x 2
5) VeloSix X2
6) Steve-o x 2
7) RedRanger, 1 of each color if there is that option.
8) Bill Chris x 2
9) JohnB x 3 (this way I might get at least one! Missing socks? I’m not bitter…….)
10) DeKerr x 1
11) Barracuda – South Oz is a cap not hat kinda place !
12) Weldertron x 2
@Bill Chris
!&@^!(! For Merckx sake. Get that shit out of here! KRX10, Karsten, the graphic design genius behind all Velominati will come to your house and snip off your windows using fingers with a pair of bolt cutters. He won’t do a tidy job.
Yes, things are in motion. Announcements will be made at the appropriate time and orders will go through the normal gear page. Will they make ones that will fit my big head? I doubt it.
best cotton cycling caps were made by Apis. They made them for all the teams and made to fit over hairnets. A heavy cotton with brilliant ribbons over the top.
who makes them like that now?
@poppapro Castelli. And no one will be wearing a cap over a hairnet these days.
@unversio
Sounds like it would be perfect for Gianni.
Giordana caps are pretty good, in a functional, last for a couple of years kind of way.
Best one I’ve bought recently, and I have a fairly regular cap-procurement programme, has been these guys: http://www.chapeaucycling.co.uk/chapeau-clothing/cotton-cycling-caps.html
The cap is like any other to all intensive porpoises but the clever bit is they have put a thin felt band around the inside, so it gives it some good grip at the front and also helps the sweat deflect into the brim. Bit more expensive than others but highly recommended, plus I like the graphics and the juctaposition (conflation, whatever…) of the message and medium.
Badfingers… justapitions, juxtapotion…. gahhh – contrast.
@ChrisO Your renowned inner pedant will be needing a lesson in Rule V right about now….
@sthilzy
That’s the ONLY flaw? Really? I suppose if you want to ride around looking like a pinata, don’t blame me if passers by try to whack you with sticks. (insert emoticon here)
@mouse
@Mikael Liddy
re: Attaquer and Fiasco kit
The Only question is would Merckx have worn these? Mario def but I doubt, even if he was racing today, Eddie would.
@ChrisO Sorry to be pedantic but I am really particular about my caps and this just lies outside my envelop of comfort. Both, and most importantly, the cut and style of making (brim is a hair to big) and the graphics… Perhaps it is not fair to judge on an image?
@Gianni
He,he, love cranking you up Gianni! And I know that I am a troll for hijacking the post with the list thang but it was done with love cause the Board needs to get on the cap and I was just trying to prove that this could be really big!
Here we have over 26 orders from 13 (CrisO wants V but did not add his name to the list) and that was in only a few hours!
I mean there’s a boat load of crazies out there who NEED this!
@Rob
Cipo is coming out here next week. Unfortunately the day that he is doing a private ride with our team (sponsor also sells Cipollini bikes) is also the first day of the Tour of Sharjah. Trying to get the shop to organise something else for us – it seems a shame that their best riders are the ones to miss out.
@Rob Graphics are a matter of taste, granted, but the brim is exactly the same as every other cap I have – my Campagnolo rainbow stripes, Assos ‘Italia’ cap, various Giordana, Lazzaretti bike shop and I stopped checking after that. No issues there.