Review: Le Col Cycling Cap II
(2024) It’s about that time of year when a - nearly - unseen accessory carries multiple jobs. The cycling cap provides a miniscule layer of warmth, just enough to keep the seasonal chill out. Its peak can be flipped down to keep the rising or setting sun out of the eyes, but usually it’s to keep the rain at bay. For those who are follically challenged, the cap keeps the sun off bald spots, bugs off the scalp, and sponges sweat. For such a small accessory, cyclists put a lot of faith in it.
Which is why the right cap is important. Le Col’s Cycling Cap II joins the wardrobe as a preferred cap. The Cycling Cap II is made of all-important cotton, though it does have synthetic materials woven in to help moisture wicking. Cotton caps are the star of the early and late season cycling. They rarely, if ever, come down with odor. Caps can also provide hydration feedback in the form of salt stains. Le Col has done the cycling world a favor by continuing the tradition of cotton caps.
A fan of minimalist designs and flair, the Le Col Cycling II cap attracted our attention due to its simple range of colors. Offering colors of saffron, black, black and white, navy, and red, the Cycling II cap is easy to match to the team kit for those renting space in the spring for team camps. A sucker for things orange, the saffron cap has now entered the rotation of accessories heavily leaned on to provide successful outings.
Le Col takes the cotton cap to perfection with a hard peak (brim). Polyester caps fall short with soft peaks that tend to fail at holding the sunlight at bay or even the rain from the face. A hard peak is essential on a cotton cap as it can be flipped up, showing Le Col lettering underneath as well, or down should the ride go longer than planned.
Being cap fans at creakybottombracket.com, we are particular in style and selection. Le Col surpasses our expectations by maintaining the tradition of the cotton cap, albeit with slight wicking built in. The three-panel cap with a taped hem sits neatly under a helmet and keeps its distance from the oversized sunglasses selected by the peloton. Le Col’s Cycling Cap II certainly delivers in every category. As a matter of fact, perhaps we should order another.
