Assos TiburuHeadband_evo8

If you're in the market for a cycling-specific headband, the Assos TiburuHeadband_evo8 is an effective, some would say 'reassuringly expensive', option to keep your ears warm and your face sweat-free during cooler months.

The Tiburu headband comes in three sizes – at odds with other cycling manufacturers who punt for one-size-fits-all in this sort of accessory. Assos' legendary attention to detail dictated that, naturally, you need something tailor-made for your head, and any effort to simplify stock management would be a compromise too far.

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Being one of the most expensive cycling-specific headbands money can buy, the Tiburu is packed with technical features. The mixture of Polypropylene and Polyamide fibres help wick sweat away from your brow before it can mar your vision, and the 7% Elastane (Spandex to you Freddy Mercury fans) keeps the Tiburu snug to your skull under your helmet, negating the chance of bunching up.

The three different sizings mean you can fine-tune the compression fit, ensuring that the tension of the fabric over your ears is optimised for glasses retention and airflow management. With the 2.5cm increase in width over previous models, I found I was able to adjust the dip of fabric between the temple and jaw to keep my earlobes out of the wind while not reducing safety by impacting the audibility of motorised traffic or other road hazards.

Those fibres in the size tested weigh in at 22g – weight savings using hollow construction technology also lending to improved wicking of moisture. Of course, cyclist thermo-regulation is an intimately personal affair, any given peloton displaying a mixture of varying glove thickness, short length, layer assembly or indeed headgear choice for any given season, duration or exertion level of ride. So while being aimed at 'spring-autumn', depending on your particular body morphology or temperature profile the Tiburu might be a year-round accessory or one strictly for icy weather.

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I found I was able to marry the Tiburu with a traditional cotton casquette, for rides where rain protection over glasses was essential but temperatures dictated that a full winter hat with ear covers would have been thermo-overkill. The 'Ultrathin, low volume...one-piece, ultraflat seamless construction' meant that a larger-sized helmet was not required, and the ensemble stayed at the optimal angle of attack to the prevailing airflow.

Overall, I couldn't fault the Assos TiburuHeadband_evo8. For cyclists who demand the best thermo-regulation and perspiration management from their headgear for any given ride profile and temperature condition, and are willing to pay handsomely for the privilege, the Tiburu is one to consider.

Verdict

A highly-technical solution to the age-old problem of keeping ears warm and sweat at bay