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review

Hincapie Sportswear Equipe Cycling Cap

4
£6.40

VERDICT:

4
10
A small headed cap from Big George that's not made for larger than medium heads
Weight: 
30g
Contact: 
www.hincapie.com

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The Hincapie Equipe Cap is a lightweight nylon version of the classic cotton cycling casquette and it also differs from the norm in that instead of being sewn together in the more common three-panel construction the Equipe Cycling Cap is made from four panels that are darted and gathered centrally at the crown.

Made from a from a rip-stop nylon instead of your typical cotton the Hincapie cap is considerably lighter and thinner than a cotton cap making it easier to fit under a helmet, if that's your style. The RipStop material is windproof and water resistant so as well as not getting overloaded and weighed down with sweat on hot days it offers a certain amount of wind and rain protection during less clement weather. Win Win. Win capie. It also looks quite stylish and will do for some time as the sublimated graphics won't wash out or fade like those on a cotton cap.

The cap comes in just the one size like most cycling caps, and that's where it goes wrong, because one size doesn't fit all. The Hincapie Equipe Cap sits high on the head, which isn't such a problem in itself but it has an insufficient circumference that makes it too tight on anything bigger than a medium head. On this slightly-larger-than-medium sized test skull the Hincapie cap was too small, uncomfortably small. It took about fifteen minutes before the cap became impossible to wear thanks to the tension headache it caused, a situation not helped by the 'durable bill insert' of the peak which is incredibly firm and the sharp pointy ends dig in to the temples quite painfully.

Verdict

There's a lot to like about the Hincapie Equipe Cycling Cap. For starters it's made by George Hincapie's clothing company, who doesn't love Big Goerge? Yeah, well I do. Hincapie Sportswear is run by his aunt and uncle in Colombia so it's not some faceless corporation trading on a name but a real family affair and you'd hope that all George's cycling experience would make some great kit. Maybe it does, but not in the case of this cycling cap. Despite its many lightweight, wicking, wind and water resistant good points its one size is just too small to fit everyone, big headed riders need not apply as anyone with a larger than medium head will find it prohibitively uncomfortable.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Hincapie Sportswear Equipe Cycling Cap

Size tested: One size

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Hincapie Sportswear simply say the Equipe Cycling Cap is a quick-drying, lightweight Nylon version of a European classic, and to be fair there's not a lot you can say about a cycling cap. But it is lightweight, and quick-drying and er, Nylon, but they don't mention the one-size that doesn't quite fit all.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Water resistant, rip-stop Nylon, durable bill insert, sublimated graphics, made in Columbia. Available in Fire, Gunmetal and True Blue.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
2/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It's a nice light well constructed good looking cycle cap, but it fits only the petite of head.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It's made by Big George, the light weight.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The excruciatingly tight fit.

Did you enjoy using the product? No, it hurt.

Would you consider buying the product? No.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Not unless they had a pinhead.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Is there a mark for 'disappointed'?
Oh, and I gave it a relatively high mark for performance because if it did fit it would be great

Overall rating: 4/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 73kg

I usually ride: It varies as to the season.  My best bike is: The one I\'m on at the time

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, cyclo cross, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb, Fun

 

Jo Burt has spent the majority of his life riding bikes, drawing bikes and writing about bikes. When he's not scribbling pictures for the whole gamut of cycling media he writes words about them for road.cc and when he's not doing either of those he's pedaling. Then in whatever spare minutes there are in between he's agonizing over getting his socks, cycling cap and bar-tape to coordinate just so. And is quietly disappointed that yours don't He rides and races road bikes a bit, cyclo-cross bikes a lot and mountainbikes a fair bit too. Would rather be up a mountain.

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