Caps Not Hats... Back to it's Lofty Heights

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All Smiles!
Matteo Trentin, 2013 Tour de France
via roaddiaries.com




The Tour de France was a turning point for the ubiquitous cycling cap.

I love cycling caps, as you know, Carolle and I design and make exceptional caps under the name Red Dots Cycling. This morning, I was pleasantly reminded from my friend Stuart from the UK that today is #Throwbackthursday - #CAPSnot HATS update via cyclr.com



In fact, Stuart has purchased many caps from us and coined a memorable testimonial...

"Richard and Carolle are passionately preserving and promoting the classic cycling cap!"

We take it a step further making all of our caps with a Haute Couture sense taking the time to tailor every one of our caps is akin to our love for cycling. Our handmade caps are made for everyone: for the racing cyclist to the weekend cafe warrior because every cyclist deserves a well handmade cycling cap.


Best young rider and cap supporter,
Michal Kwiatkowski.


I also tip my cycling cap off to Omega Pharma Cycling Team for their many appearances on the podium; Cavendish, Martin, Trentin and Kwiatkowski all wearing the cycling cap. It was so refreshing to see them proudly wearing it, almost brought tears to my eyes. And, it wouldn't be anything without the steadfast work for the love of the cycling cap by Bicycling Magazine editor, Bill Strickland. I first wrote about it here.

I agree with the fine points from Strickland that the 'baseball cap on the podium is annoying and that cycling caps belong on the podium.' Basically, wear cycling caps instead of baseball hats on the podium... please!



King Merckx made the cap look dapper cool.




It's a gesture of respect for the long history of the sport, and of 'personal sartorial acuity.' His campaign, 'CapsNotHats' is pushing a movement bringing the cycling cap back to it's lofty heights. It's more than refreshing for me. I'm a cyclist, first discovered the cycling cap racing in the eighties and quickly fell in sartorial love. Whilst it's difficult to trace the origins  when the cycling cap first appeared I sift (lovingly) through historical photos and found the 1920s could be the humble beginnings...




 Philippe Thys, 1920 Tour de France winner.



During the 1900s, many Tour riders wore a pageboy cap, perhaps that's all they really had and more out of necessity...



Page Boys...
Lucien Petit-Breton (left) & Jean-Baptiste Dortignacq,
1905 Tour.



Let us all who are supporters and cycling cap lovers, I know there are many out there, and raise our caps to the Capsnothats movement and hasten the growth and re-birth of the cycling cap... Chapeau!





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