Your under helmet head/face gear?

jonny_trousers

What's your choice for the chillier weather? Right now I'm using a pair of buffs. One to go over neck and lower face, the other to cover my head and ears. That works well enough for now, but as it gets chillier I think I'll need something better for my head. Your recommendations welcomed.

Kieran_Burns

I use a skull cap and buff, so pretty much the equivalent. To be honest it's served me well down to -8C

rick_chasey

Cotton cap & ear warmer band.

Below zero the rapha winter hat comes out.

jagman.2003

I've got a couple of skull caps. a light weight one from Mountain Warehouse & a slightly heavier Polaris one.
Stops the ice forming on my ears & low profile hair cut.
I can rinse them & get them dry by the end of the day.

I've got a couple of buffs, really should try one on a very cold day. Haven't needed one this season yet.

zx6man

Kieran_Burns wrote:

I use a skull cap and buff, so pretty much the equivalent. To be honest it's served me well down to -8C

me too

arthur_scrimshaw

I've used skull caps and buffs which work well but this year I decided to try a balaclava and got to say it's good. I bought this cheapo one from Planet X http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CLR ... _balaclava
It's quite thin (which I like) but still keeps out the cold and less prone to overheating like the skull cap, only down to about 3'C so far though!

slowbike

At the moment - just one buff - currently up over the head to under the chin.
Once it gets cold(!) I'll get my other one out with a fleece section - that'll go round my neck.

It's not got cold enough (down here) to worry about a skullcap - yet ...

Agent57

I have one of these: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/gore-bike-wear- ... balaclava/

It hasn't been cold enough for me to bother wearing it since I got it a couple of years ago. I have a Sky/Rapha Belgian cap, and a Buff or two.

veronese68

Under helmet cap like this to keep head and ears warm, although I find it blocks my ears a bit too much. Buff to keep my neck warm.

WindyG

A buff and a skullcap, if it gets really cold I'll get a buffpolar too.

mtb-idle

what happened to that batch of underhelmet headgear that someone bought last year at great pain and distributed amongst various members? I remember at the time expecting to see dozens of riders all wearing the same thing but i cant ever recall seeing anyone wearing it (ISTR it was quite distinctive)

wgwarburton

MTB-Idle wrote:

what happened to that batch of underhelmet headgear that someone bought last year at great pain and distributed amongst various members? I remember at the time expecting to see dozens of riders all wearing the same thing but i cant ever recall seeing anyone wearing it (ISTR it was quite distinctive)

Yup. SCR Walz caps (fcn-1) That's what I use to stop frost-nip on the earlobes (I kid you not! ). Plus beard (fcn+1, balances it you see...).
Apart from that you just need a wee dose of MTFU, unless maybe you are somewhere really cold?

Cheers,
W.

bigmat

Is OP in the same "SE London" that I commute from / to every day? In which case, double buffing it seems a bit like overkill! I'm wearing a casquette at the moment, plenty warm enough.

cookeeemonster

BigMat wrote:

Is OP in the same "SE London" that I commute from / to every day? In which case, double buffing it seems a bit like overkill! I'm wearing a casquette at the moment, plenty warm enough.

+1

If you're cold you're not trying hard enough

Agent57

I have that Walz cap as well, but I found the ear/neck cover part wasn't very good. I'm mostly interested in ear coverage, cause I often get earache in the cold. Currently using a Castelli headband.

antonyfromoz

I too am double buffing but there have been a couple of mornings where I have substituted one normal thin buff for a merino one, which is quite a bit warmer (although probably not as warm as the fleece ones). I have got a skull cap by Fusion, which is a reasonably warm fleecy material with a windproof area on the front but this is for very cold days as i tend to sweat a lot anyway.

Wrath Rob

Walz cap for me, with a buff over the neck bit to keep it under control and also for some facial coverage when required.

itboffin

unshaven face but not beard, Rapha merino buff and Rapha wool winter hat and a shed load of MTFU

Mikey23

Under helmet eh... Emotive language there. Hope this isn't another helmet thread by the back door :-)

anonymousblackfg

Rick Chasey wrote:

Below zero the rapha winter hat comes out.

Yes, burning money can keep you quite warm.

Cotton cap, if you need a buff in this weather you really need MTFC.

jonny_trousers

BigMat wrote:

Is OP in the same "SE London" that I commute from / to every day? In which case, double buffing it seems a bit like overkill! I'm wearing a casquette at the moment, plenty warm enough.

I commute at night, but it's probably no colder than daytime riding at the moment. Tonight I wore both buffs, a short sleeve base layer, a long sleeve thermal top, a merino jersey, a wind proof jacket, two pairs of gloves, bib shorts, roubaix leg warmers and overshoes. I was toasty warm

I do appreciate that real men shave their legs and wear shorts and short sleeves, but I'd rather give in to my feminine side and stay warm.

First.Aspect

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

What's your choice for the chillier weather? Right now I'm using a pair of buffs. One to go over neck and lower face, the other to cover my head and ears. That works well enough for now, but as it gets chillier I think I'll need something better for my head. Your recommendations welcomed.

What the hell is it with Londoners? It was -4 when I set of yesterday and I feel over dressed when I get into town and see people still cycling with shorts on.

jonny_trousers

First Aspect wrote:

Jonny_Trousers wrote:

What's your choice for the chillier weather? Right now I'm using a pair of buffs. One to go over neck and lower face, the other to cover my head and ears. That works well enough for now, but as it gets chillier I think I'll need something better for my head. Your recommendations welcomed.

What the hell is it with Londoners? It was -4 when I set of yesterday and I feel over dressed when I get into town and see people still cycling with shorts on.

What is it with northerners who feel being cold is a sign of manliness?

I should probably add that I spent the first 19 years of my life on Teeside and I have Scottish blood coursing through my veins. I have gone soft since moving to London, though, and now use toilet paper, eat with a knife and fork and have even been known to make use of electric lighting.

iPete

It's noticeable warmer when you reach the city.

This year I'm rocking a buff for neck and face then a craft cap for my head and ears. Like having the peak.

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/craft-winter-bike-cap/

rolf_f

I have some skull caps but find them less effective than buffs. I usually use either two standard buffs or one polartec for the neck and a standard for my head. If it gets colder, I have a combined fleece, standard one that works pretty well for full covering.

kieranb

cotton cap at the moment, buff will come out later. Saw some one in shorts and t-shirt today (no gloves) !

lostboysaint

I have a variety of Buffs and skull caps. The problem I have with skull caps is that whilst they are all very warm they are also very noisy and isolate me too much from the environment around me. For this reason I prefer the much softer buff, which also doesn't seem to overheat quite so much.

Oh, and a buff around the neck and, on sub zero days, two of them turned into a balaclava.

essex-commuter

Oakleys. 8)

menthel

Buff (merino) and one of the wooly winter Walz caps, working so far!

Kieran_Burns

Odd this morning - said it was 3C but I was definitely colder cycling in. I wish I'd used the buff as well as the cap.

rubertoe

Couldnt find my buff this morning, although i didnt really need it.

Will also ditch the baselayer for the home leg.