Headwear

The Castelli Viva Women's Cap looks a lot like most other cycling caps, in that it's made from cotton and sports the same sort of peak, shaped crown and elasticated section at the back, allowing it to qualify for its 'one size fits all' status.

We asked Castelli what makes this a ladies' cap, and they came back with this: "The Viva Cotton Cap is a Unisex option, sizing is the same as men's hats with a lot more elastic movement on the rear."

The Castelli Head Thingy is one of those beautifully simple products that you didn't realise you needed in your life until you give it a go. Now I can't live without it for early morning and evening rides.

This skullcap comes with a windproof band around the forehead and temples which keeps the cold air out when the temperature gets really low.

The band is made from Gore's Windstopper X-Free fabric which is a stretchy, fleece-backed, softshell fabric. It protects your forehead and the tops of your ears which, in my experience, are the areas that suffer most when the mercury is low, completely shutting out the cold air.

This cap is made of a wool mix tweed but there is more to it than just that. The fabric isn't that stuff you see country folk camoflaged in. This tweed has been removed from the fields and urbanised to make it something special. It uses Lumatwill, a woven fabric created by photographer Guy Hills and top fashion weaver Kirsty McDougal, the people behind Dashing Tweeds.

This Sugoi RS cycling cap looks to be the answer for the stylish amongst us that want all the benefits of a cycling cap but don't want (or aren't being paid) to advertise laminate flooring or liquified gas products via some garish sponsor's logo. The only logo that does appear is the Sugoi one, subtly branded on the peak, forehead and left-hand side, in Scotchlite for dainty safety points. The white band detailing provides an air of sophistication, and a small amount of on-road visibility.