Dad Bod goes to Interbike: Sweat Management
Originally posted on September 26, 2017 at 12:01 pmWords and photos by Stephen Haynes
Human dominance of the planet is due, in no small part, to the fact that we sweat. Our ability to keep cool by regulating body temperature through our pores is why we succeed at endurance sports. It also helped our ancient ancestors take down larger mammals that have no thermal regulatory system, essentially running them to death.
Nowadays we aspire to these ancient feats by taking on new and more interesting tasks which challenge our dexterity, focus and endurance in the name of sport, or recreation. Our success today, as before, owes its thanks, in part, to our ability to sweat.
Still, just because you can do something doesn’t make it super desirable all the time. As a person inhabiting a body which has a propensity to heat regulate, I was especially keen on checking out products that helped to manage the liquid transfer. Especially given that Interbike is held in a desert casino.
The most interesting product for sweat management was the newly redesigned Sweat Gutr Flex. The Flex builds on an older design, replacing an awkward headband adjustment system with a simple sliding elastic band. Adjust the band to the size of your head, strap it on, and you’re ready to go.
The genius of the Sweat Gutr Flex is its simplicity. As the name implies, it’s a gutter that collects sweat from your forehead and diverts the liquid to the sides of your face, keeping it out of your eyes.
The Sweat Gutr Flex is available in a variety of colors, fits discreetly under a helmet and is made in Texas. Get one for $20 and stop being blinded by your internal heat-management system.
The Multiclava from Krieg is like the cloth equivalent of a multi-tool. Simple in design, yet usable in a number of ways. If you’ve ever used a Buff, then you’ve got the idea. Essentially an open ended tub of moisture-wicking polyester, the Krieg can be employe as a skull-cap, face-mask, turtleneck, or simply used as a handkerchief.
Laid flat the Multiclava measures 20.5” a 10.6” and can be shoved into a bag or neatly folded into a pocket square. Available in myriad colors and patterns from mild to wild for $25.
With a name like Headsweats, you must assume that the folks behind the brand know what they’re doing, and for all intents and purposes, it appears that they do.
With a sprawling collection of headwear, Headsweats offers both direct to consumer and custom collections so you can purchase something from them, or create your own design (minimum order requirements apply).
While they have a number of products in their cycling line, I wanted to focus on their Cycle Caps. Made from a super soft, breathable proprietary material, their caps are light and comfy and sort of stretch to fit. The Cycle Cap is softer and more subtle than cotton versions of the classic style. In addition to the soft caress of the material, Headsweats employs a terry band for sweat collection, which is also soft and effective. The bill is on the long-ish side for cycling caps and may not work with all helmets. Doesn’t mean you can’t wear it all by itself though.
This is a new product for the company, so colors and design options are relatively limited for the time being, but as it gains in popularity, so too will it expand in options. One size fits most. Available from $20.
Dad Bod is a column by Dirt Rag art director Stephen Haynes about the intersection of cycling, parenting and a myriad of other topics that usually appears on our sister site, Bicycle Times. Check out his other humorous Interbike 2017 post about electric motorbikes and scooters here.