# How to solve a sweaty helmet ?



## maltloaf (7 Mar 2014)

Not that one, you dirty sods, the one on my head !!

Anyway, bit of background. I never wore helmets, couldn't get on with them. Many years ago I had bought them or been bought them but never stuck to using them and did years of riding with no head protection and would have argued with anyone about my right not to wear one. This was until...

This past September my partner gave me a beautiful baby girl and all of a sudden I had someone who needed me to survive. After a two wheel skid one day I decided to try a helmet again.

This was October and I found a very cheap but very comfortable specialized align and much to my surprise I have been very happy with it. I couldn't imagine not wearing it.

Now the weather is on the turn and there have been a few warmer days, I'm beginning to have a problem with sweat forming around the front of the helmet against my forehead and running down either side of my nose. If I'm having trouble now when it's not particularly warm yet, then it'll be much worse come summer.

So... what can I do to fix this or at least make it bearable ? Is it just down to it being such a cheap helmet and are some better than others ? Is there some other trick I'm missing ?

I won't go back to not wearing a helmet but this is going to seriously affect my cycling enjoyment if I can't do something about it.

Many thanks,

Kevin.


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## SS Retro (7 Mar 2014)

Cotton cycling cap worn underneath.


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## maltloaf (7 Mar 2014)

Thanks, that's something that had occurred to me but I figured it would probably make me even hotter. Is that not the case ?


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## SS Retro (7 Mar 2014)

It will soak up the sweat and you get the cooling effect of evaporation as its cotton.


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## maltloaf (7 Mar 2014)

Thank you, I'll have a look for one.


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## SS Retro (7 Mar 2014)

planet x do loads for under a fiver.


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## smokeysmoo (7 Mar 2014)

You could stick some racquet grip tape like THIS inside it.


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## MikeW-71 (7 Mar 2014)

Buff worn just on the top of the head with the rest of it out the back. Wicks the sweat away and doesn't make you even hotter.


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## YahudaMoon (7 Mar 2014)

Wrong post


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## cyberknight (8 Mar 2014)

I have a buff cut into 4 to make sweat bands .


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## Cubist (8 Mar 2014)

MikeW-71 said:


> Buff worn just on the top of the head with the rest of it out the back. Wicks the sweat away and doesn't make you even hotter.


This. 

And looks cool as.


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## SS Retro (8 Mar 2014)

Cubist said:


> looks cool as.


If your a pirate.


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## the_mikey (8 Mar 2014)

I wear a buff almost all of the time, it wicks away sweat (and keeps it out of your eyes), it can act as a barrier for those summer biting and stinging insect, it also helps prevent a helmet vent styled sun tan if your hair has given up growing some time ago


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## Cubist (8 Mar 2014)

SS Retro said:


> If your a pirate.


 Arrrrrrrrr!
Mine cost two pieces of eight. About the same as a new hook.


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## Cuchilo (8 Mar 2014)

Yaaaaaaaarrrrrrr .
Sorry , I just cant help it when pirates are mentioned


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## ufkacbln (8 Mar 2014)




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## Easytigers (8 Mar 2014)

+1 for a cotton cycling cap


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## screenman (8 Mar 2014)

Buff such a useful bit of kit, I have 5 of the things.


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## Cuchilo (8 Mar 2014)

Following that buff vid I seem to have got my hands a little tied up . Anyone local that can help please ?


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## ufkacbln (8 Mar 2014)

This is a genuine and original buff:


Cuchilo said:


> Following that buff vid I seem to have got my hands a little tied up . Anyone local that can help please ?



I don't think that the Buff was designed for _*those*_ activities


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## MrGrumpy (8 Mar 2014)

All of the above for me as well, of course you can take the pads out of the helmet and wash them ?!


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## maltloaf (8 Mar 2014)

I hadn't heard of a buff until this thread. Just picked one up at my lbs. Looking forward to trying it out. Thanks everyone


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## Saluki (8 Mar 2014)

cyberknight said:


> I have a buff cut into 4 to make sweat bands .


Me too  It really does the trick for me.


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## Supersuperleeds (8 Mar 2014)

Alternative to a buff is a skull cap


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## compo (8 Mar 2014)

Our 99p, or maybe the PoundShop, I get them all mixed up, are doing a fitness "promotion" and have some quite good skull caps for either £1 or 99p. I have bought 4. They are comfortable and don't seem to mind being machine washed.


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## fossyant (8 Mar 2014)

Skull cap here. Oh and chuck the lid in the bottom of the shower with you once a week in warmer weather.


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## fossyant (8 Mar 2014)

Aldi have a load of buffs from Sunday.


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## Davidc (8 Mar 2014)

If it starts to get smelly (the helmet not the skull cap) put it in a bucket with water + Milton steriliser overnight. Needs a brick to hold it down 'cos of the polystyrene lining. Rinse well afterwards and let it dry off.

Even though I only wear a helmet when it's cold or when I have to for events I still find that it can get very whiffy even using a cotton cap as a liner.


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## Colin B (8 Mar 2014)

I think I really need a buff now and the bandana look will convince my wife I am indeed having a midlife crisis


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## jay clock (8 Mar 2014)

I own several buffs for winter use (merino are the best). For summer I am not convinced. Makes me hotter, and just delays the inevitable when it can soak no more up. 

Being a slap head doesn't help, as there is no hair to soak up the sweat

My solution is to sweat a lot


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## Andrew_Culture (8 Mar 2014)

So I appear to be the only person who finds buffs really far too warm in all but sub 5oC


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## 400bhp (8 Mar 2014)

Put a bit of vaseline across your eyeline-sweat will go around the eyes.


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## Cubist (8 Mar 2014)

fossyant said:


> Skull cap here. Oh and chuck the lid in the bottom of the shower with you once a week in warmer weather.


Then it'll smell of wee though.


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## slowmotion (8 Mar 2014)

Colin B said:


> I think I really need a buff now and the bandana look will convince my wife I am indeed having a midlife crisis


 You have to be a bit careful...


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## mattobrien (8 Mar 2014)

I use headbands rather than buffs to keep the sweat out of my eyes - a warmer one for winter and a cooler / smaller one for summer. Despite starting to recede ad develop a bald spot at the rear of my dome, I have thick hair, so it is like wearing a hat most of the time anyway.


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## Arjimlad (8 Mar 2014)

I bought a Halo headband for last summer, which was very good at stopping sweat getting in my eyes. 

http://www.haloheadbanduk.com/


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## steve52 (8 Mar 2014)

two choices buff up, or (and my personal fav, have you seen a dog shake water off? do this from the shoulders up, thus giving,your fellow pelaton riders the benefit of a refreshing shower, bound to be appreciated


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## shouldbeinbed (9 Mar 2014)

Andrew_Culture said:


> So I appear to be the only person who finds buffs really far too warm in all but sub 5oC


Yep definitely just winter kit for me too. I've pretty well given up on for this winter now, I'll only be wearing it as a bandana to embarrass the kids until November or so now


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## Andrew_Culture (9 Mar 2014)

400bhp said:


> Put a bit of vaseline across your eyeline-sweat will go around the eyes.



And put it on your eyes if you want the world to appear dreamy and soft focus


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## sackville d (9 Mar 2014)

Arjimlad said:


> I bought a Halo headband for last summer, which was very good at stopping sweat getting in my eyes.
> 
> http://www.haloheadbanduk.com/


I was going to say toweling headband but technology seems to have moved on..Would you recommend Arjimlad?


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## smokeysmoo (9 Mar 2014)

I can't believe this thread has got to 40 posts and @Fnaar has not contributed


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## sackville d (9 Mar 2014)

Andrew_Culture said:


> And put it on your eyes if you want the world to appear dreamy and soft focus


That, Andrew, was very funny!


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## Cubist (9 Mar 2014)

The point about a wicking buff is that it actively takes moisture away, and the evaporating bit cools you down. I also have a cotton zandanna but it doesn't work as well as polyester, it just gets clammy.


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## Andrew_Culture (9 Mar 2014)

sackville d said:


> That, Andrew, was very funny!



*bows*


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## Arjimlad (9 Mar 2014)

sackville d said:


> I was going to say toweling headband but technology seems to have moved on..Would you recommend Arjimlad?


Yes, it washes out very easily and has a clever bit of plastic to direct the sweat away from the eyebrows.


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## Fnaar (9 Mar 2014)

smokeysmoo said:


> I can't believe this thread has got to 40 posts and @Fnaar has not contributed


I usually only look in the cafe, unless tagged elsewhere, I also go in some touring threads and how to fix your bike threads. Perhaps I ought to make an effort to get out of the cafe more


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## zacklaws (10 Mar 2014)

A headband will do the job perfectly, preferably a cycling type as the normal type are normally made of towelling type fabric. The cycling ones are a lot thinner. I bought two from Prendass, Team Highway ones, and you do not even notice you are wearing one. looking on the site though now, they do not seem to have them in any make.

As for the wearing of buffs and caps coming into the equation I do not know, its totally ilogical on a hot day, probably just a fashionable trend but all they do is retain heat underneath which makes you even hotter, one minute its acceptable to wear a hat to keep your head warm and then another day, to wear one to keep your head cool. Let your hair serve one of its natural purposes and let it wick the sweat away as the air flows through your helmet. I cycle with a few colleagues who wear caps and buffs, but it soon becomes evident that they are overheating by the red faces and eventually have to remove them or suffer along with sweat running down their faces. Keep them for the cooler days when they serve a purpose of keeping your "napper" warm.


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## jnex26 (13 Mar 2014)

I have only ridden with two helmets a echelon and a S3 I can say the S3 is much much cooler than the echelon during summer.


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## PlymSlimCyclist (13 Mar 2014)

I might look into something like a buff, would be ideal for training with, but then the sweat doesn't bother me too much, and when it has, I use the terry cloth on my gloves to wick it away


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## Pumpkin the robot (16 Mar 2014)

+1 on the halo head band. I was put onto them by a thread on this forum about them. I seem to suffer a lot with sweat coming down into my eyes and this stopped it completely. A guy I know that does triathlon also suggested vaseline above the eyes, but as I have had no problems with the Halo I have not tried it.


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## buddha (27 Mar 2014)

A skull cap will also combat helmet hair


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## Stonechat (10 Apr 2014)

I find that the 'pads' that goe between helmet and head are totally saturated


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## Globalti (20 Apr 2014)

Late to this thread but the answer is to use a buff; it wicks away the sweat and in the four years I've been using one I've never had to wash the pads in my helmet whereas before buff they got stinky and needed washing often, especially in summer. The buff also keeps my bald head warm in winter and cool in summer, especially when riding in temperatures of 30 c or more in Africa..


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## Licramite (5 May 2014)

I use a conventional sports headband, have for years, works just fine, and make your helmet a push on fit


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