Who said cycling isn’t stylish?

What it looks like without its shell

North Wave Waterprotect Underhelmet Pro Cap £12.99

Winter is upon us and, like many, I actually love nothing better than to go for a ride on a cold crisp morning wrapped up against the cold. It is common knowledge that a large percentage of body heat can be lost through the head. With many of us wearing a helmet these days, keeping the head warm can pose a problem. Most if not all modern helmets have large vents that are very efficient at keeping us as cool in the summer, which of course can be the last thing needed as the season changes into the cold winter months.

With traditional thermal headwear often too thick to be of use under a helmet, a few manufacturers have introduced specifically made thin yet thermal caps to get around the problem. Northwave’s Waterprotect Underhelmet Pro Cap is made with a thermal, lightweight and breathable Roubaix-style fabric material, with a windproof insert at helmet vent level. As would be expected, it is indeed thin enough to fit under a cycle helmet. Although visually it does appear to have thick stitching, which could be an irritation, in reality this is very flat, especially on the inside and as such I did not notice it at all.

The cap extends down each side just over the ears, which the helmet straps help keep neatly and comfortably in place, The Roubaix material is thick enough to keep my ears lovely and warm, yet it does not muffle any outside noise. Should the weather turn a bit warmer, the cap is thin enough to allow you to turn the flaps over the ears up and under the inside of the helmet, without padding it out too much.

In short, this one-size-fits-all cap is the simple yet perfect way to keep warm while still using our summer cycle helmets. I have used it several times both this winter and last and I can’t really find anything negative to say about it; so I won’t.[Er, look at the pic – Ed.]