Summer Cycling Gear

Posted on July 14, 2010 by Dave Feucht

I just recently purchased a new bit of cycling gear for the summer – something to keep my head, ears and nose from getting sunburned, and keep my head cool while riding in the heat.

Summer Cycling Gear
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  • Logan (at) rowdykittens.com

    Nice lid! I meant to comment on the new apparel earlier. :) You may need what we call in cattle country "a stampede strap" so your hat doesn't blow off your head and into the river on your commute to work! :)

  • portlandize.com

    Yeah, I was thinking about that – as the straw hat is much lighter than the wool ones, it does seem like it might be a bit more prone to flying away. So far, so good though.

  • brett

    Sweet chapeau! I just got a purple straw fedora at Miss. Street Fair Saturday. My old straw hat tended to levitate in the wind, but this one's front brim is shorter and points downward, and it fits my noggin more snugly, so in three days of riding around town on it (short, leisurely trips to be sure), I haven't felt that it was in danger of floating away on the breeze. Now I just need a hatband as interesting as yours! time to attach some buttons to my plain black one.

  • portlandize.com

    @brett: nice! this one came from Hollywood Vintage on NE 28th and Sandy. I was a fan of the paisley band as well :) It also has the same fabric around the inside of the rim of the hat, and in the top (so the straw doesn't scratch the top of your head). It's been great so far, though it did immediately cool down the day after I got it :D Figures.

  • Signe

    Gee, you'd think that since you try and write about bike safety, it would be a HELMET.

    But, no…

  • portlandize.com

    @Signe: There are much better ways of assuring your safety on a bicycle than a helmet. I'm not going to get into that discussion here though, you can find it elsewhere on my blog and the internet.

  • dev*

    Quick hat tip: leave straw hats sitting upside down, not on the brim as in the picture – it will flatten the brim over time.

  • portlandize.com

    Oh, nice. I usually leave it hanging sideways against a wall at home. I'll remember that for when it's here at work.

  • dev*

    You have to watch how you hang it too, preferably you want something wide and rounded so it doesn't notch the hat, and you don't want the brim leaning against things because it will bend back (just like setting it on a table). The coolest looking solution in my opinion is using a dummy head (slightly smaller than your head so it doesn't stretch). :)

    And you probably know this one, but a lot of people do it anyways – *never* pinch the crown of a straw hat cowboy style, handle the hat by the brim. Otherwise you'll bend or break a hole your hat before long, and be a very gloomy former straw hat owner. Those corners are brittle and don't take pressure well.

    There are plenty of tips out there, but those are the two most important I've known for a while – comes from having a grandfather with some long-lived spendy straw hats. :D

  • portlandize.com

    Yeah, I don't have much of anywhere to put a dummy head, but I try to be really careful with it, for the reasons you mentioned. However I grab it, I try to be really gentle, as I know it is more fragile than the wool ones. I'm even pretty careful with the wool ones – hats are kind of special for me, since I generally have a hard time finding ones that both look good and fit on my head :)

  • 2whls3spds

    Must be the year for new headgear, I enjoy hats that are different. That one you chose looks great for Portland.

    I had to choose something a bit more suitable for the semi-tropical conditions in the deep south.

    Aaron

  • Velouria

    I was cycling in my straw hat the other day, when the wind suddenly shifted it forward and it covered my eyes just as I was cornering through a traffic-heavy intersection. I am probably the only person on Earth such a thing can happen to! But either way, I am not wearing that hat again, no matter how lovely!

  • portlandize.com

    So far I haven't had any problems with this one coming off or shifting around, despite having had some decent winds this summer, which is encouraging. It's been so nice to not have to wear a wool hat in the heat (if I don't wear a hat, my head gets sunburned) :)

  • Anonymous

    its really important to wear summer gear to protect yourself from the heat.

    Barbisio

    • http://pin-hole.tumblr.com Dave

      Yup, that’s exactly why I got the straw fedora – keeps my head, ears and face from getting sunburned, but lets some air through so my head doesn’t get too hot. Works great :)