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.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/j.andrews3@comcast.net/Beppe/”/]
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View Comments
@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...