Hats for cycling

From the very beginning of racing bikes, there’s been a need for cycling caps. Gravel cycling might seem like a recent entry into the cycling lexicon but it’s actually a revisiting of the early days. Before miles of pristine tarmac, cyclists took to the mountains and they needed protection from the elements. Hats helped keep the sun out the rider’s eyes and off their heads. They protected the head from the grime of the roads and helped keep sweat, or rain, out of the rider’s eyes. 

By the ’50s and ’60s, the modern cycling cap had taken shape. The brim is short enough to see past when low on the drops and the whole cap fits in a jersey pocket without issue. The bright colours and distinct designs of modern caps morphed from the sponsored caps of the past. It’s a form that follows function. Even though technology has passed the cap by, for many situations, there is still a utility and style that dictates a space in your collection. Let’s take a look at some of the best.

They still have a place in today’s world? Marginal gains define the landscape of today’s modern cycling products. Helmets are almost universally worn and those helmets are a high-tech marvel. The technology packed in the best road bike helmets of today is unlike anything in the previous history of cycling. Not only does it protect your brain, but it actually makes you faster as well.