Les Maîtres de la Casquette

The last masters of the Cycling cap slipped into the shadows at the close of the 20th century

It doesn’t take a genius to see what’s going on here. Rule #5, Rule #9, Rule #10; every rider in this frame Looks Fantastic (most other Rules). The riders are in short sleeves and shorts while the public apparently has scavenged materials from rubbish bins and the local grain elevator in a very visually unpleasant effort to keep warm. When I visualize the 90’s, this photo pretty much shows what I see. (Why was the weather so crap in France during Big Mig’s reign? Only redeeming quality of his wins.)

What this photo also shows is the highest concentration of Les MaÃ®tres de la Casquette, the masters of the Cycling cap, in recent recorded history. We discussed the art of wearing a Cycling Cap before, probably more often than necessary. Like all art, it begins with some founding principles, and then opens itself to the artist’s vision and expression. And like with art, there are The Masters.

In the art of wearing the revered casquette, we are guided by the Three Point System. From there, we are at liberty to express ourselves. In the days before helmets, the peloton was overflowing with masters of this studied art with an early style peak coinciding directly with the point of bushiest sideburns, but it has since all but died out. The last peak was in 1991, when Big Mig, Chiappucci, Bugno, Luc LeBlanc, and Richard Virenque were all at the height of their powers. Like the Jedi after the rise of the Sith, it is the responsibility of The Velominati to keep this art alive.

It also occurs to me in the state of high fever in which I write this, that the transcended Velominatus is always engaged in a Cycling-related activity which could possibly provide a release-clause for any accusation of a Rule #22 violation.

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.

Next On the Road Again: Keepers Tour 2015 »

Previous « The Hum

View Comments

wiscot says:

Nov 20 2014 at 1:33 pm

@VeloSix

I love cycling caps. Not so much I wear them while not riding, but dam they are cool looking on the bike, that's for damn sure! Except the dumbasses who wear them backwards. That looks fucking stupid to me.

Au contraire mon frere! Baseball caps - especially the ones with the plastic band adapter - look unbelievably stupid worn backwards. Tom Danielson and Floyd L were egregious adopters of this "look". A cycling cap worn backwards looks ace - brim up or brim down. Just google image Jan Raas. That man knew how to wear a cap every which way.

Apropos the rain cap, I have a picture at home of Roche and Bruno Leali wearing two at the same time - one forwards and one backwards. I've seen pix of Kelly and Fignon doing likewise. No arguing with those guys.!
fignons barber says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:02 pm

Bugno and El Diablo are sporting the foam materialed rain cap, a bit easier to pull off. But, my God, how does BigMig pull off the 'puffy look" with the standard cotton cap? Truly extraterrestrial! (and is there a new secret to posting pictures?).
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:13 pm

@brett

@Rob

@Barracuda

@Mikael Liddy

You know the real questions though, where the fuck are the V-caps?

THIS !!!!!!!

It's time to begin a V-Starter for V-caps. This would be a KickStarter to raise the initial lucre to make the minimum order. I imagine it's got to be a fairly large number of caps and therefore I purpose that we canvas the community and do the math so that at each level of donation you would receive more caps.

What, for instance a large donor does with say 200 caps is irrelevant, it is the means to an end and I am betting that In a hundred years they will sell as collectible.

This. It's been long talked about in the Boardroom, and it seems so simple to produce a V-cap, but it's not. Getting the right mix of quality, price and number has been a seemingly insurmountable task. But we're gonna get there... we must.

Teaser
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:19 pm

@davidlhill

@brett

@Rob

@Barracuda

@Mikael Liddy

You know the real questions though, where the fuck are the V-caps?

THIS !!!!!!!

It's time to begin a V-Starter for V-caps. This would be a KickStarter to raise the initial lucre to make the minimum order. I imagine it's got to be a fairly large number of caps and therefore I purpose that we canvas the community and do the math so that at each level of donation you would receive more caps.

What, for instance a large donor does with say 200 caps is irrelevant, it is the means to an end and I am betting that In a hundred years they will sell as collectible.

This. It's been long talked about in the Boardroom, and it seems so simple to produce a V-cap, but it's not. Getting the right mix of quality, price and number has been a seemingly insurmountable task. But we're gonna get there... we must.

Is this why the V Kit has disappeared? But I do get it - if a cap can't be produced, how the hell are you going to create bib shorts?

Put me down as buyer.

As to the question of the brim, simple. Sun and/or warmth - Up and the legend - Rule #5. Wet and/or cold - Down and the legend - Rule #9.

David

I've been too busy to manage it properly so we took the products down until we can sort out a proper way to handle it all. Big improvements in the works for Jan 1 2014 including new kit design (still keeping the original of course) and the V-Cap.

@Ccos

Unless of course you are massively obese. I'm not sure of the attraction there by some of that tribe to Lycra, FFS.

I have wondered this many times myself, but until I become so disposed myself, I am afraid I shall never find out.
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:21 pm

@wiscot

Damn, Bugno looks PRO beyond belief in that lead pic - the cap, Italian champs jersey (was there ever a better complement to those Gatorade shorts?), the gloves and the Diadoras. For what it's worth, I don't think it's a regular cotton cap he's wearing, it's a kind of rain cap - soft nylon and almost insulated. I had a Peugeot one in the 80s. It was ace.

Right on all counts. Still a masterclass in wearing one.

Next edition will be on wearing winter Cycling caps.
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:32 pm

@ChrisO

Some of us carry on l'esprit de casquette.

For example, riding our bikes wearing just a cycling cap.

Try it someday, you might not die.

Until then I refuse to listen to the opinions of anyone who either:

a) doesn't wear a cycling cap when cycling or;

b) wears a cycling cap under their helmet when not obliged to do so e.g. by event or UCI regulation. Worse than the non-cap wearer. They want to suck up the sangfroid of the cap, but are afraid to do it without the helmet. Be one or be the other, not both.

I wear my cycling cap anytime I please because I've earned it.

Oh no, don't start that again!

Caps under helmets have a perfectly functional purpose, especially for bald people (not my problem) or in Rule #9 conditions.

@Pedale.Forchetta

At his last Monument Race, Il Lombardia 2014.

photo by me.

Perfect.
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:39 pm

@Souleur

There is not a lot I relish in this time of year, waking up to 17* this am and pondering when I am going to ride, winters chill to the bone isn't welcoming until your in the ride at least an hour.

The one thing however I do smile about is donning of the cycling cap, truth be also, the arm warmers and knee warmers as well. The cap isn't something I can do all year, in the heat it is just too much, but it is not just vanity for this time of the year, its is HIGHLY functional. It must absolutlely be done right, I prefer no helmet with the cap, but sometimes do wear the cap under helmet as well, either way, the 3 point V code must be followed.

And the true beauty of the cap is when something is so classy and essentially functional: well, it just makes one smile

THIS!

@Buck Rogers

Just reading the 1990 edition of Winning's Fabulous World of Cycling and the intro has Merckx and the other author wondering in amazement about how the Italians came out of "nowhere" to dominate the year, winning nearly everything except the TdF and how amazing it was and a real Renaissance for the Italians. Of course, Conconi's name was not to be found within the pages anywhere. Funny to read literature from that time with the hindsight that we have now.

I have '83-'90 and they are all so much fun. That '90 edition is awesome. When did those stop? I'd love to grab some from the early 90's.

@ruudi

Sorry to be pedantic but it should be "Les maitres...", not "Le maitres". It's plural innit :)

That's correct, some funny caching issue as the actual title was correct. Cache refreshed and thanks.
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:39 pm

@brett

@frank

@Mikael Liddy

You know the real questions though, where the fuck are the V-caps?

It will be part of the 2015 V-Gear reboot; in the mean time, meditate on this fucking cap.

Oh, we're so stealing that!

Prophetic, isn't it?
brett says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:46 pm

@wiscot

Jan Raas. That man knew how to wear a cap every which way.

Yes he did.

[dmalbum: path="/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/brett/2014.11.20.13.53.40/1//"/]
Buck Rogers says:

Nov 20 2014 at 2:52 pm

@frank

@brett

@Rob

@Barracuda

@Mikael Liddy

You know the real questions though, where the fuck are the V-caps?

THIS !!!!!!!

It's time to begin a V-Starter for V-caps. This would be a KickStarter to raise the initial lucre to make the minimum order. I imagine it's got to be a fairly large number of caps and therefore I purpose that we canvas the community and do the math so that at each level of donation you would receive more caps.

What, for instance a large donor does with say 200 caps is irrelevant, it is the means to an end and I am betting that In a hundred years they will sell as collectible.

This. It's been long talked about in the Boardroom, and it seems so simple to produce a V-cap, but it's not. Getting the right mix of quality, price and number has been a seemingly insurmountable task. But we're gonna get there... we must.

Teaser

Just take my money, please! Put me down for two!!!