Favorite Mutt

[caleb]

Twas a bit chilly riding in this morning without a winter cap under my helmet.

What's your favorite mutt (i.e. cycling cap with ear flaps) these days?

If nobody stops me, I'll probably just get the Rapha one since I know it will be passable without being great.

[j44ke]

I Rapha's Peaked Merino Cap. It works well for most of the winter. Tightly knit merino with a wind-proof forehead. Fits nicely under my helmet. And now they have a colorful one for the Festive 500 (already?) I don't think it is as warm as the merino cap. More of a redo of their CX hat I think.

When it gets colder, I wear their Pro Winter Cap. I don't see it on their website though. It used to have a frontal lobotomy issue with the bill cutting into your forehead, but they've fixed that and the hat is sort of a wind stopper fleece lined arrangement. Very warm. Maybe when it comes back, it will be even better.

[robin3mj]

I have an ancient Moots one from Vermarc that is the best I’ve found for fitting under a helmet. But I also have the Sachs/House one from a few years back that is cozier and made of a less synthetic-feeling material (and looks way more stylish off the bike.)

Almost time to dig them out for the season...

[thollandpe]

Turtle Fur Frost is one of my most prized possessions. The cut stays down over your ears, allows your neck to scrunch up in back, and doesn’t push down over your eyes. The regular (also available in windproof, but I have not tried) weight is great for most rides, not too heavy, not wind-transparent. And if it gets too warm you can fold the earflaps up and it still fits under the helmet.

Frost Liner Skull Cap | Turtle Fur(R)
THIS IS A GREAT PIECE OF GEAR!

[Tom]

I got this cheap Biemme windstopper one for like $20 when I happened to be overseas for another reason and it worked great to 25 degrees or so but this year I decided I needed two for some reason while I was adding some warm arm warmers to the gear and bought the Castelli gore tex hat. I like it. Very thin, so far at 30 degrees it keeps my head from ever feeling even coolness for two, two and a half hours. $50 bucks. Will post update on its performance if I get out for a long ride.

[zachateseverything]

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This is Eiger. He's a very good boy. He likes the Pearl Izumi Barrier but all the other suggestions made in this thread are likely equally good.

[peanutgallery]

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Penny, she likes chasing squirrels

[Saab2000]

Stove Pipe Windproof Winter Cycling Cap | 45NRTH

Sorry, but for those of us from the frozen tundra (or what we hope all the others believe...) there's only one brand I've found - 45nrth. They're local to the upper Midwest and they're not trying to make 'cold weather' gear for the folks who are hardened by temps that dip into the teens (Celsius) or fifties (Fahrenheit). Their products are designed for actual cold weather like Minnesota, Wisconsin and upstate New York. Take a peak.

I wear an earlier generation of this hat under a one-size-too-large helmet and it's the best winter headgear I've ever had. Mine is mostly wool and I really like it. This one is probably better but I'd get a helmet a size larger than you normally wear to make sure it fits right.

Check out their 45nrth website.

[Colinmclelland]

Firstly, winter here is not a proper winter. I'm pretty sure water freezes at about 6 degrees C in Sydney.

I got one of these this year Mid to Heavyweight Wool Winter Cap – Snēk Cycling

and it really, really made life much more pleasant when it was chilly. Thin, same size helmet. Instead of something to keep the sweat out my eyes i wore something to keep my ears toasty. It was nice.

[j44ke]

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Penny, she likes chasing squirrels

Then she would probably like wearing this hat while cycling.



A photo of Saab after a recent ride to the grocery for more Scratch Mix.

[caleb]

Of course this thread should be at least half dog pictures.

Thanks for the recs. My big thing is finding the right brim: one that doesn't lay flat on my forehead, but also isn't so rigid it digs into my forehead. I'm really liking the look of the Snek, which I hadn't heard of before.

[WMdeR]

Hi, All,

Isn't a "mutt" an obligate-brim object?

If not, then the world is your oyster, and I personally like the Wigwam balaclava (cheap, washable, breathes well, wind-resistant without getting clammy in still air; fold it up to form a cuffed hat if it is not utterly bloody cold; I've had three in the last thirty-five years never wore one out, only lost them). Cuffed, it is just thin enough to fit under my typical helmet size.

If so, I liked the Vermarc one that an earlier poster suggested, but they don't wash happily (brim distortion in warm water) and I don't think they're easy to get 'hold of in the USA.

45Nrth produces a number of good-to-excellent cold-weather cycling headwear options both the stovepipe (non-brimmed) hat SAAB pointed out and the Greazy which is an actual Merino Mutt. The ear flap is jussst big enough to flap over my lobes, though I prefer a bit more volume in the top (see the Zanconato vermarc-spec Mutt from BITD). Wash in cold water or be prepared to give to somebody with a smaller head. 45Nrth is a QBP captive brand, so available from the usual suspects.

Best Regards,

Will

[thollandpe]

I do have a wool 45NRTH beanie/mutt. While the fabric is very nice, it's just simply too small and rides up off my earlobes while riding. It's never seen the washing machine, nevermind a dryer. And I have a wee melon (size medium helmets).

[thollandpe]

Mutt is my copilot.



An engineered mutt, but still officially a mutt.

[robin3mj]

Lion of Flanders Windtex Winter Hat Blue

[caleb]

Lion of Flanders Windtex Winter Hat Blue

Okay, my DOS prompt skills are rusty, and I cannot seem to effectively navigate their website.

Anyone know if this cap comes in plain black? I'm not finding it, but I'm also not sure that means anything.

[caleb]

It's spring, and it's time for a new hat. Any new suggestions?

[AntLockyer]

I've had a Rapha winter one for a long long time, works perfectly and weirdly as soon as spring has sprung I've gone without a hat under the lid and it's been fine.

[robin3mj]

I got one of the Richard Sachs/Athletic Community winter hats a few years ago and was going to link to it but the latter half of that collab seems to be out of business. Bummer.

[zachateseverything]

It's spring, and it's time for a new hat. Any new suggestions?

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