Les Maîtres de la Casquette

The last masters of the Cycling cap slipped into the shadows at the close of the 20th century

It doesn’t take a genius to see what’s going on here. Rule #5, Rule #9, Rule #10; every rider in this frame Looks Fantastic (most other Rules). The riders are in short sleeves and shorts while the public apparently has scavenged materials from rubbish bins and the local grain elevator in a very visually unpleasant effort to keep warm. When I visualize the 90’s, this photo pretty much shows what I see. (Why was the weather so crap in France during Big Mig’s reign? Only redeeming quality of his wins.)

What this photo also shows is the highest concentration of Les MaÃ®tres de la Casquette, the masters of the Cycling cap, in recent recorded history. We discussed the art of wearing a Cycling Cap before, probably more often than necessary. Like all art, it begins with some founding principles, and then opens itself to the artist’s vision and expression. And like with art, there are The Masters.

In the art of wearing the revered casquette, we are guided by the Three Point System. From there, we are at liberty to express ourselves. In the days before helmets, the peloton was overflowing with masters of this studied art with an early style peak coinciding directly with the point of bushiest sideburns, but it has since all but died out. The last peak was in 1991, when Big Mig, Chiappucci, Bugno, Luc LeBlanc, and Richard Virenque were all at the height of their powers. Like the Jedi after the rise of the Sith, it is the responsibility of The Velominati to keep this art alive.

It also occurs to me in the state of high fever in which I write this, that the transcended Velominatus is always engaged in a Cycling-related activity which could possibly provide a release-clause for any accusation of a Rule #22 violation.

frank

The founder of Velominati and curator of The Rules, Frank was born in the Dutch colonies of Minnesota. His boundless physical talents are carefully canceled out by his equally boundless enthusiasm for drinking. Coffee, beer, wine, if it’s in a container, he will enjoy it, a lot of it. He currently lives in Seattle. He loves riding in the rain and scheduling visits with the Man with the Hammer just to be reminded of the privilege it is to feel completely depleted. He holds down a technology job the description of which no-one really understands and his interests outside of Cycling and drinking are Cycling and drinking. As devoted aesthete, the only thing more important to him than riding a bike well is looking good doing it. Frank is co-author along with the other Keepers of the Cog of the popular book, The Rules, The Way of the Cycling Disciple and also writes a monthly column for the magazine, Cyclist. He is also currently working on the first follow-up to The Rules, tentatively entitled The Hardmen. Email him directly at rouleur@velominati.com.

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View Comments

VeloVita says:

Nov 20 2014 at 10:33 am

@Buck Rogers

I wear a cap under my helmet at all times and not just b/c I am going quite bald. Actually, that is the main reason but I also love the way it looks.

I do this as well when the weather warrants it and at all times when racing cyclocross, if for no other reason than it simply looks awesome.
brett says:

Nov 20 2014 at 10:40 am

I wear a cap under my helmet year round because:

a) I'm bald and it keeps my head warm in winter and unburnt in summer.

b) Helmets are compulsory here.

c) It's fucking badass. Buck (and VeloVita) knows.
Gianni says:

Nov 20 2014 at 10:49 am

@wiscot

Damn, Bugno looks PRO beyond belief in that lead pic - the cap, Italian champs jersey (was there ever a better complement to those Gatorade shorts?), the gloves and the Diadoras. For what it's worth, I don't think it's a regular cotton cap he's wearing, it's a kind of rain cap - soft nylon and almost insulated. I had a Peugeot one in the 80s. It was ace.

Yeah, that is about as squared away as a pro can look on a wet chilly climb.

@Rob

On the other hand Buck and Gianni are the epitomes of bad ass cool when they use it to cover the bald spot.

A back handed compliment is still a compliment. My head is much too huge to wear cycling caps unless under the helmet in shiet weather. One size fits all...baaaah!
Buck Rogers says:

Nov 20 2014 at 11:54 am

Just reading the 1990 edition of Winning's Fabulous World of Cycling and the intro has Merckx and the other author wondering in amazement about how the Italians came out of "nowhere" to dominate the year, winning nearly everything except the TdF and how amazing it was and a real Renaissance for the Italians. Of course, Conconi's name was not to be found within the pages anywhere. Funny to read literature from that time with the hindsight that we have now.
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 12:33 pm

@VeloSix

I love cycling caps. Not so much I wear them while not riding, but dam they are cool looking on the bike, that's for damn sure! Except the dumbasses who wear them backwards. That looks fucking stupid to me.

Its all about execution.
ruudi says:

Nov 20 2014 at 12:33 pm

Sorry to be pedantic but it should be "Les maitres...", not "Le maitres". It's plural innit :)
frank says:

Nov 20 2014 at 12:40 pm

@The Grande Fondue

The Chiappucci vs Bugno vs Mig tour was when I first got into cycling in a big way. I was a Bugno fan because he looked so good on a bike. I still own an original Gatorade jersey.

I was a Bugno man myself; that was a fantastic Tour, despite the heartbreak of LeMond "faltering". Chiappucci also went from dodgy looking weirdo to totally Pro looking stud. He even looked good in those blue denim spandex shorts.
brett says:

Nov 20 2014 at 12:59 pm

@frank

@Mikael Liddy

You know the real questions though, where the fuck are the V-caps?

It will be part of the 2015 V-Gear reboot; in the mean time, meditate on this fucking cap.

Oh, we're so stealing that!
PeakInTwoYears says:

Nov 20 2014 at 1:02 pm

Cap under helmet in the rain, just to keep the lenses clearer. Otherwise no, because I've realized that since I can still grow some hair I might as well have a bit of insulation up there in winter.
unversio says:

Nov 20 2014 at 1:18 pm

@ChrisO

Some of us carry on l'esprit de casquette.

For example, riding our bikes wearing just a cycling cap.

Try it someday, you might not die.

Until then I refuse to listen to the opinions of anyone who either:

a) doesn't wear a cycling cap when cycling or;

b) wears a cycling cap under their helmet when not obliged to do so e.g. by event or UCI regulation. Worse than the non-cap wearer. They want to suck up the sangfroid of the cap, but are afraid to do it without the helmet. Be one or be the other, not both.

I wear my cycling cap anytime I please because I've earned it.

Okay you earned your cap... ?? Pretty sure cycling caps were simply designed to keep sweat and sun from the eyes -- and they work under helmets too. A good cotton cycling cap is all that is needed throughout the winter as well. Skull caps don't work unless you have the essence of Pantani.