I cannot put on swrve’s Belgian cap without thinking of that night I spent curled up inside my tauntaun, fighting the bitter Hoth winds and impending hypothermia. Does anyone else smell intestines?
swrve lays out the basics of the Belgian cap on their website, describing it as “a traditional Belgian cut winter cap with fleece fold-down ear flaps! made of thick knit 70% wool, 25% Nylon, 5% spandex, this cap will keep your noggin’ warm on your chilliest ride. wool naturally resists odor and insulates even when wet.”
See that exclamation point after “fleece fold-down ear flaps?” That, my friends, is a well-deserved exclamation point. I know I’m starting at the finish here, but the fleece ear covers are easily my favorite part of this hat. This might be because I have ears like the sails on a 12 foot yacht, but having my sound-holes covered makes my morning ride so much more enjoyable. Plus, they do a great job of muffling the profanities people scream at me on my commute! (Not true.) The flaps also roll up (and stay up!) nicely, which is just one less thing to worry about. I have to tilt the cap slightly farther forward to put the roll above my ears, but, again, ears like Clark Gabel.
As far as fit is concerned, the cap is snug without being too small, and I wear an XL helmet. It’s definitely a little bulkier than your typical summer-time cap, which makes it a little tricky if your helmet is already a tight fit. Then again, it’s been proven that the effectiveness of safety gear is inversely proportionate to the “cool” factor for that item.
(The safest helmet on the road.)
Now, if you’re from North Carolina, you’re probably thinking “When has he had to wear a wool cycling cap? It’s still 70 degrees outside!” Truth be told, I couldn’t really argue with that before until mid-January. Halfway through a long ride across the triangle, my feet were numb. My hands were numb. My face was numb. But, because swerve’s wool cap had kept my brain nice and toasty, I had the cognitive faculties to register just how uncomfortable I was. Thanks, swrve!
Over the past three months, there have been some chilly early mornings where I’ve legitimately needed something warm on my head, but it’s been pretty mild. It has been, I must confess, something of an accessory on most of my rides. Don’t let the names of the colors fool you; “brown rust” isn’t nearly as grating as it sounds. Simply put, this is a great looking, super classy cap, and I like being seen in it (on the bike. Follow the rules!). There. I said it. And this brings me to an important point. As I’ve been doing a lot of warm-ish weather riding, I’ve done a lot of sweating in this cap. And it still smells like a cap. Wool: 1, Sweat Stank: 0.
So, another excellent product by swrve. It’s not cheap, but it’s definitely quality. It may be made in LA, but I feel like it’s treating my noggin to some serious Southern hospitality.
All photos not of ridiculous hat-mets courtesy of the illustrious Vincent Stemp, friend, photographer, and Tech Editor for IronWorks magazine.
Stagger and Stumble: Recreating in the Triangle 