In Memoriam: The Headband

Oh Jaja, why so French? photo: Eric Houdas

Like the Spinaci bars, the headband was cool, effective and disappeared quickly. While the Spinaci was outlawed by the UCI for being too radical, the headband couldn’t co-exist* with the newly arriving hard-shell helmet and it said arrivederci, I’ve heard something about this ‘step aerobics’, I’ll go there.

Headband crossed national boundaries: Jean-François Bernard, Roberto Visentini, Dag Otto Lauritzen and Davis Phinney all engaged them with aplomb. It was form and function. Who doesn’t want to keep the eyes clear of sweat and who doesn’t want to look more awesome? Who, damn it?

This was more than a sweatband, for sponsors it was a chance to increase the billboard surface area. For certain riders it was also fashion statement, like extra wide bell bottoms were a fashion statement. Pulling off the headband required having good hair or at least high hair. One would think Super Mario should have killed one (hair and Italian) but no, headband would interfere with his succession of perms and hair gels festivals. Even Mario realized he could have too much going on up there. On the other end of the spectrum, Sean Kelly would never have worn one, (god, please don’t let someone here find a photo of this). In the middle of the 1980’s spectrum, experimentation was rampant, they were rocked by Hinault and Fignon. It was a crazy world back then.

*Gert-Jan Theunisse somehow made it co-exist, as only he could (see below).

Gianni

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View Comments

Oli says:

Dec 16 2015 at 1:31 pm

I still have the headband. And the glasses, jacket and glove (singular) for that matter...headbands RULED.
chris says:

Dec 16 2015 at 2:05 pm

@wiscot

@chris

@Gianni

Who doesn’t want to keep the eyes clear of sweat and who doesn’t want to look more awesome?

No, surely looking awesome and keeping the eyes clear of sweat are the raisons d’être of the cycling cap. Headbands were abominations of a similar order of wrongness as today’s podium caps.

I’m not authorized to give our plus one badges, but I’ll just concur 100% with you. Headbands have no place outside of aerobics classes or Olivia Newton John videos.

Olivia Newton John videos... ...mmm... ...careful, I'm trying to work here and could lose hours reliving my youth on You Tube.
wiscot says:

Dec 16 2015 at 2:28 pm

@Oli

I still have the headband. And the glasses, jacket and glove (singular) for that matter…headbands RULED.

I just thought you had a really low hairline! That's some pretty rad brake lever placement too. Cinelli 66s?
wiscot says:

Dec 16 2015 at 2:41 pm

@chris

@wiscot

@chris

@Gianni

Who doesn’t want to keep the eyes clear of sweat and who doesn’t want to look more awesome?

No, surely looking awesome and keeping the eyes clear of sweat are the raisons d’être of the cycling cap. Headbands were abominations of a similar order of wrongness as today’s podium caps.

I’m not authorized to give our plus one badges, but I’ll just concur 100% with you. Headbands have no place outside of aerobics classes or Olivia Newton John videos.

Olivia Newton John videos… …mmm… …careful, I’m trying to work here and could lose hours reliving my youth on You Tube.

Yeah, they don't make videos like this anymore. Caution, this video cannot be unseen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWz9VN40nCA
JohnB says:

Dec 16 2015 at 3:25 pm

Nah. You are on your own with this one.
Gianni says:

Dec 16 2015 at 4:06 pm

@Oli

I still have the headband. And the glasses, jacket and glove (singular) for that matter…headbands RULED.

As always, you are wise.
Gianni says:

Dec 16 2015 at 4:51 pm

@Ron

Any chance to work some Eros Poli into an article I will. You got me there.

@chris

@wiscot

@chris

@Gianni

Who doesn’t want to keep the eyes clear of sweat and who doesn’t want to look more awesome?

No, surely looking awesome and keeping the eyes clear of sweat are the raisons d’être of the cycling cap. Headbands were abominations of a similar order of wrongness as today’s podium caps.

I’m not authorized to give our plus one badges, but I’ll just concur 100% with you. Headbands have no place outside of aerobics classes or Olivia Newton John videos.

Olivia Newton John videos… …mmm… …careful, I’m trying to work here and could lose hours reliving my youth on You Tube.

You demented bastid...AC DC and ONJ. Your youth was conflicted.
HigherGround says:

Dec 16 2015 at 5:02 pm

@chris

@wiscot

@chris

@Gianni

Who doesn’t want to keep the eyes clear of sweat and who doesn’t want to look more awesome?

No, surely looking awesome and keeping the eyes clear of sweat are the raisons d’être of the cycling cap. Headbands were abominations of a similar order of wrongness as today’s podium caps.

I’m not authorized to give our plus one badges, but I’ll just concur 100% with you. Headbands have no place outside of aerobics classes or Olivia Newton John videos.

Olivia Newton John videos… …mmm… …careful, I’m trying to work here and could lose hours reliving my youth on You Tube.

What do I think of her outfit? Depends...
Chipomarc says:

Dec 16 2015 at 5:14 pm

I would rather wear a headband than some of the new helmets that have come out in the last few years.
chris says:

Dec 16 2015 at 5:16 pm

@HigherGround

@chris

@wiscot

@chris

@Gianni

Who doesn’t want to keep the eyes clear of sweat and who doesn’t want to look more awesome?

No, surely looking awesome and keeping the eyes clear of sweat are the raisons d’être of the cycling cap. Headbands were abominations of a similar order of wrongness as today’s podium caps.

I’m not authorized to give our plus one badges, but I’ll just concur 100% with you. Headbands have no place outside of aerobics classes or Olivia Newton John videos.

Olivia Newton John videos… …mmm… …careful, I’m trying to work here and could lose hours reliving my youth on You Tube.

What do I think of her outfit? Depends…

To tell you the truth, I haven't got a clue, it's just gone 1am and I'm finding that gif to be somewhat hypnotic.