You’ve likely encountered harsh weather seasons that have you freezing or dripping sweat from your bike helmet if you enjoy exploring new grounds on your bicycle.
The need to solve this problem and have a more comfortable ride is why many bikers ask,
What Do You Wear Under Your Bike Helmet?
You can wear a cycling cap, beanie bandana, or buff underneath your bike helmet to keep your head warm when riding on a cold day or absorb the sweat on a sunny day and keep your hair intact, away from your eyes. You can dampen them before putting them on for an added cooling effect when hot.
Knowing how to manage the weather condition is imperative to an enjoyable ride. For that reason, let’s dive into the nitty-gritty of what to wear underneath your helmet.
Why Do Cyclists Wear Hats Under Helmets?
Cycling caps are practically designed cycling accessories that protect your eyes and face from the sun, especially in the Autumn and Spring low sun, and prevent rain and sweat from reaching your eyes. They also ensure your head stays warm in winter.
1. They Are Beneficial In Rainy Conditions
A cycling cap is quite helpful in snow, rain, or hail. Since the peak is made to sit lower over your eyes than the peaks of most regular bike helmets, you won’t have to keep blinking or wiping away ice or rainwater or your glasses getting blurry.
You will struggle to keep your glasses dry when riding rainy conditions without a cap. If you do, prepare yourself to frequently stop to wipe off rainwater that will impair your visibility.
If you don’t want to go back home with your head soaking wet after a bike ride on a rainy Spring morning, put on your cycling cap. With it, your hair will stay in good condition, and your head won’t get cold.
2. They Keep Sweat Away
If you have had sweat in your eyes, you know it is unpleasant. However, you inevitably produce sweat when riding your bicycle on a bright, sunny day, whether you are mountain biking on a rough terrain or speeding down a paved road and it’s up to you to ensure it doesn’t drip into your eyes.
You can rely on your cycling cap to absorb sweat and make sure it does not get into your eyes.
Get yourself a high-quality moisture-wicking, breathable cycling cap like Hikenture Cycling Cap for Men and Women, which will absorb sweat, leaving you feeling fresh and cool.
This 100% polyester cycling cap has a flappable visor, an elastic band to ensure it fits snugly on different head sizes and provides reliable protection.
3. They Keep Your Hair Organized
You can use a cycling cap to prevent your hair from going wild, ensuring it doesn’t cover your face. A cycling cap remains useful even for a bald head as it protects your scalp from sunburns.
Also Read: Why Mountain Bikes Have Visors
How To Wear A Cycling Cap
Now that you know what cycling caps offer, let’s take a look at how to wear them under your bike helmet. A cycling cap can be worn two ways, regardless of your bike helmet type.
You can either do peak down or peak up.
1. Peak Down
This is the most functional and common style. It prevents sunlight, wind, and even bugs from getting into your eyes and deters blinding headlights from hurting your eyes and obstructing your vision when riding at night.
Wearing your cycling hat peak down is also more aerodynamic than peak up.
2. Peak Up
This way is less common but helpful when wearing the cycling cap overly low that it’s hard to see the road. In that case, you can flip the hat to allow you to see where you’re going clearly.
You can interchange between these styles as needed. In contrast, some riders wear their cycling cap under their helmet with the peak facing backward, but this defeats the purpose of the hat.
However, you can try wearing the cap backward if it fits you well.
Why Do Bikers Wear Bandanas Under Their Helmets? (4 Reasons!)
Bikers wear bandanas underneath their bike helmets because they keep the eyes free of sweat, warms the head, tames the hair, protects the scalp, and adds to one’s personality.
Bandanas are both functional and also build your identity. If you are on the fence about wearing bandanas when you cycle, here are some compelling reasons.
1. They Warm Your Head
A bandana will act as extra insulation when you ride your bicycle in the winter’s freezing conditions. In addition, it will serve as a liner, offering an additional protection level between you and the snow, ice, and other conditions you’ll be exposed to out there.
2. They Absorb Sweat
When out cycling in the summer’s heat, you can wrap your head with a bandana to ensure you don’t end up with sweat in your eyes. It will work by absorbing any sweat forming on your eyebrow before flowing into the eyes, thus making sure your vision isn’t affected.
3. They Protect Your Scalp
Not every cycling has a head full of long hair locks, which would help prevent the helmet from rubbing against the bike helmet. Therefore, a bandana can be a barrier between your scalp and the helmet if you are bald, preventing scalp irritation.
A bandana also helps shield your scalp from getting sunburned.
4. They Showcase Your Personality
Besides its functionality, your bandana’s design will help you express your personality. Check out Cooling Helmet Liner – Do Rag Skull Cap for Men that comes in different colors and patterns, in a multi or single pack.
It keeps moisture away from your face, absorbs sweat, shields you from harmful UVB and UVA rays, and is super comfortable.
Should I Wear Something Under My Helmet?
So, it is clear that cycling caps, bandanas, headbands, and buffs serve specific purposes when worn under a bike helmet when going for a bike ride. However, there are arguments against wearing them, so it only makes sense to ask whether wearing one is a good idea or not.
When you wear something under your helmet, the thickness, regardless of how negligible it is, makes the bike helmet higher on your head than it should. Therefore, your helmet should cover your forehead and stay level at all times.
Your helmet could come off if you get into an accident if it doesn’t sit on your head properly, which puts you at risk for a head injury. If possible, avoid wearing things underneath your helmet to ensure you are protected upon impact.
Some circumstances like unbearable cold or heat call for the protection offered by cycling caps, headbands, buffs, and bandanas. First, however, make sure you secure your helmet well and do not ride too fast.
Alternatively, instead of a cycling cap, buff, bandana, or head wrap, there are alternatives you can use. For instance, bald riders can apply sweat-resistant sunscreen on their heads because it resists water and sweat, but make sure you reapply every 2 hours for ultimate protection.
A bike helmet visor is also great for keeping rain, snow, and sunlight away from your eyes and face.
FAQs
1. What Do You Wear Under A Bicycle Helmet?
Wear a cycling cap, head wrap, or bandana underneath your bicycle helmet when cycling in the rain, scorching sun, hail, or snow. It should fit nicely under the helmet, but you’ll have to loosen the straps a bit so that the helmet doesn’t squeeze your head.
2. Can I Wear A Beanie Under My Bike Helmet?
You can wear a beanie under your bike helmet if it doesn’t affect the fitting of your helmet. Your beanie should be lightweight, comfortable, breathable, and capable of keeping you warm when it is cold and dry when rainy and cool when hot.
A thinner beanie will work better because it will be easier to keep your helmet fitting.
3. What Do You Wear Under Your Bike Helmet In The Winter?
You can wear a helmet cover, beanie, skull cap, or a bandana underneath your bicycle helmet to stay warm in winter. What you wear should cover your ears at all times.
4. What Do You Wear Under Your Bike Helmet In The Summer?
A cycling cap, headband, or bandana will offer the protection you need when riding your bike in summer. A lightweight gear made with moisture-absorbing properties will help you avoid dripping sweat so you stay cool.
5. Why Do Cyclists Wear Hats Under Helmets?
The main reason cyclists wear hats under their helmets is to prevent sweat and raindrops from dripping into their eyes, and the peak provides shade against sunlight and bright headlights.
6. Can You Wear A Hat Underneath A Bike Helmet?
You can wear a cycling hat under your bike helmet for better visibility and comfort. However, don’t wear a baseball hat because that will significantly compromise the effectiveness of your helmet.
7. Why Do People Wear Cycling Caps Under Helmet?
The reason for wearing cycling caps under a bike helmet is to ensure your visibility isn’t compromised by ensuring sweat doesn’t enter your eyes. It also offers shade for your face from the sunlight.
In Conclusion, What Do You Wear Under Your Bike Helmet?
The scorching sun that has you dripping in sweat, the rain, or the freezing temperatures of winter shouldn’t deter you from enjoying cycling.
So put on a cycling cap, bandana, helmet liner, headband, or a beanie under your helmet, and you’ll be on your way to a fun, satisfying, and comfortable ride.