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Look Pro: Keep a Lid on It

The most stylish bit of gear in Cycling history: the Cycling Cap

Cycling has been suffering a crisis every since the use of a helmet became compulsory. This crisis is rooted in the simple fact that cycling peaked aesthetically with the cycling cap perched casually deliberate atop a sweaty cranium. It was only after mandatory helmet dictum spread its tentacles into all UCI-sanctioned races in 2003 that helmet manufacturers began taking helmet design seriously.

To be clear, I am a helmet advocate. I never leave home without mine, and no Cyclist shall ever be allowed to start a Cogal without perching one on their noggin. But I do this in the knowledge that I look less Fantastic that if I were rolling out in a classic cotton Cycling Cap.

Specialized was the first to make inroads into building a stylish helmet with the Sub-Six. The fact that every other helmet was a hollowed-out bowling ball didn’t matter very much because no one wore them outside Belgium, and even there, they were permitted to wear the second-coolest piece of headgear, the Hairnet. Giro made some inroads with their Air Attack series, but progress was generally at a standstill until the hardshell became mandatory after the tragic death of Andrey Kivilev in Paris-Nice in 2003.

The issue of the helmet has also been compounded by the fact that most continental Pros had no clue how to wear a helmet, given that they spent most of their lives not wearing one. When asked to, they often suffered from Toad Head and other anomalies commonly encountered when violating the Three-Point System.

Helmets are a necessary evil which are improving in style, but they are all uglier than the hallowed Cycling Cap. When wearing a helmet, keep the following points in mind.

Keep the front low to the eyes. Forehead exposure must be limited to 1-2 cm at all times. As always, the Three-Point System is your guide.
Keep the chin strap snug, but not too tight; you need to be able to move your mouth sufficiently in order to allow for the inhaling of wasps.
Helmets look even worse without shades; they must be accompanied by cycling-specific eyewear at all times. If they are not in use over the eyes, they must be tucked in the helmet vents.
Helmets are under no circumstances to resemble that of one worn in other sports such as hockey or rock climbing.
If, at any point, you find yourself reaching for the same helmet as the hipster who arrived at the LBS aboard a fixie, reconsider your life because you are off the path.

[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/frank@velominati.com/helmets/”/]

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.

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frank says:

Jul 29 2013 at 9:11 pm

@Marcus Seriously, that's as bad as @roadslave crushing it on KT2012.
frank says:

Jul 29 2013 at 9:21 pm

@wiscot

I have to disagree on you calling out Monsieur Fignon on his 3 point violation. Those are prescription glasses and cycling specfic eyewear (as far as I know) did not have Rx inserts back then. Add to this the fact that the legs of his glasses would not have fit around the straps properly, and they would likely have kept falling off. I say he gets an exemption.

You're confusing Rule #37 with the Three-Point System. Totally different animals. And, while both would be wrong, both are independently violable.

I wish I could say the same for Sean Kelly who despite being my #1 rider of all time, wore some god-awful brain buckets (I'm looking at you, Brancale) for the $$$ as thy were not mandatory when he wore them.

Kelly was the classic example of the Pro who could not transition between hairnet and helmet. We bought the rights for two photos in The Rules just to demonstrate this very notion.

And indeed, Brancale was the culprit.

Here are some unlicensed photos to demonstrate his radness.

Hairnet:

Cap:

Birancale
frank says:

Jul 29 2013 at 9:23 pm

@mcsqueak

Oops sorry, should have posted the one Frank wears:

Let Merckx Armstrong your soul for that offense.
frank says:

Jul 29 2013 at 9:35 pm

@Bill Chris

@CanuckChuck

I hope this piece is a rules refresher/teaser for a soon to be released V-Cap?

A V-Cap! Oh Merckx, I hope so!!!

I usaully dont wear a helment unless I am in the mountains or USAC makes me. My wife says I have too many caps but I use a variation of Rule #12; c+1, c=cap, a Rule #12c if you will.

V-Cap!!!!V-Cap!!!!V-Cap!!!!

@V-V Cogal Attendees

What was the equation we came up with this weekend? I cooked the brain cells that were storing that info. Either way, @Bill Chris, you are onto it.

@Paul Gissing

No helmet will touch my fuzzy head unless it rests upon a cycling cap, brim forward to shield my eyes from the sun or the many droplets of water that we experience in the great PacNW...

Ah, the classic PWNer...terrified of sun, embraces the rain. Strong work, mate. Nick, on the V-V, rode a cap to FR99, almost halfway up the climb to St. Helens. It was like 35 degrees. Celsius*.

*Figures may be innacurate due to lack of equipment to validate and natural inclination to exaggerate. We also rode 325km.
Al__S says:

Jul 29 2013 at 11:04 pm

I wear a lid when I'm cycling, if I'm merely riding a bike to the shops, to the station etc I don't. That deals with any criticism of Frank forgetting his Dutch roots. There's really little need for a helmet when riding a big heavy simple dutch bike for utility purposes. But you'll see the dutch with lids if they're clipped in (though the French don't seem to like them form my short sampling of Badger country this month- on which I can recommend the roads around St Brieuc if you like steeply rolling countryside)
Andre the Fish says:

Jul 30 2013 at 12:52 am

Could I get a clarification on Rule #16 from a Sensei please?

Although I strictly adhere to Rule #16 and respect the jersey, does Rule #16 apply to caps when worn under my helmet?

I want to wear one of my various team caps but do not want to be in breach of Rule #16 which although it applies to the jersey, the spirit of the rule could be extended to caps.
motor city says:

Jul 30 2013 at 3:48 am

The lead photo reminded me that I saw someone wearing one of these the other day, I saw the Mapei colours from a distance but only noticed the difference up close.

I personally wouldn't wear it but there are a few other jerseys made by Milltag that are quite nice http://milltag.cc/shop
Brian says:

Jul 30 2013 at 5:12 am

@Gianni

@strathlubnaig

Das Boot rules during the Tour? Tell me more. I am a huge fan of Das Boot and have made reference to it various times in articles here. But I'll be fucked if I'm going to start following anyone's tweets just yet. Ha! I'm not even sure how I would

This guy rules....
Brian says:

Jul 30 2013 at 5:15 am

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsQTURsMPms
Cantona says:

Jul 30 2013 at 5:35 am

As an anesthesiologist at a major trauma hospital, let me assure you all that your skull doesn't care if you were riding a crit or going milk pick up milk. I've never seen a battle of car vs unhelmeted cyclist end with a cyclist victory. not to get to real, but I've never dreamt of uttering "but he was only getting groceries!" to a crying wife.

Wear a helmet.