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uncle pete's handmade casquettes

daniel wakefield pasley, the very man who invented the rapha continental in portland's fair town almost twenty years ago, was once very much of the opinion that the casquette (cloth cycling cap) should be worn with the peak positioned upwards, an opinion with which i wholeheartedly disagreed. it may be that our disparity of choice was heavily influenced by meteorology and socialisation, but the disparity existed nonetheless.

the pacific northwest, in which portland town exists, does have a notional reputation for being on the receiving end of substantial precipitation. after all, it's none too far from seattle, a town with an even stronger reputation for rain. however, it's hard to convince anyone that scotland's west coast is not the historical home of rainfall; along with ravaging winds, even during the sunny period currently being experienced in the hebrides, i doubt there are many who book a holiday here in order to acquire a tan. more likely rust.

the hebrides is in receipt of more rain than seattle or portland, and for the intrepid velocipedinist, it's the peak that offers succour to the brave, particularly if, like me, you wear prescription glasses. but even if your shades are of a neutral disposition, usually worn to fend off sunlight, there's still a bonus to be gained from keeping the precipitation at bay. and in the days between the onset of winter and the arrival of spring, the sun is frequently low in the sky, reflecting off wet roads. once again, the peak assists in such matters, at least partially deflecting the glare from disintegrating road surfaces.

the majority of the sunday peloton, on these shores at least, are in the encouraging habit of wearing a helmet, 'neath which, it has become customary for one or two of us to wear a casquette, occasionally undecorated by sponsors' logos, but in truth, just as likely to feature those of the professional peloton, or those of the manufacturer. i certainly subscribe to such practices, as much for delusions of flandrian attributes as pragmatism. for the above mentioned helmets are frequently replete with air vents into which all sorts of flying insects are wont to travel, corraled by the imperious velocities at which we travel (more likely driven by a galeforce headwind, but that's considerably less admirable).

hence the casquette.

but what is often seen as a simple marketing tool, either handed out by the publicity caravan preceding a grand tour, or acquired from retail to ascribe clandestine fandom of a professional wearer, has rarely been on the receiving end of specialist care and attention. the majority are one-size-fits-all, though it turns out that's not always true. for many, it's a trivial item of apparel, upon which it is deemed not worth lavishing too much attention. unless, of course, your name's uncle pete.

pete van der woude features an impressive range of highly decorous, handmade cotton caps on his etsy store. the only input needed from eager customers is a choice of fabrics and the necessary head measurement to build a custom cap free from bunching elastic and pressure points. uncle pete very kindly offered this service to thewashingmachinepost, returning a beautifully made blue casquette lined with a red and white striped fabric. i am a confirmed wearer of casquettes (peak down at all times) at all times of the year; in fact, though i would sensibly never leave home without my helmet, the same applies to a casquette: belgian winter style in colder climes, and the more regular offering at other times of the year.

uncle pete's handmade cap can be summed up by stating i more or less forgot it was there; the peak is of a dimension that is easily the equal to hebridean sunlight (it hasn't rained yet - remember where you were when i said that), but not so large that it interferes with forward vision. many of us pay close attention to the jacket, jersey and bibs worn on each ride, yet simply grab the nearest casquette when leaving the room.

time to offer the humble cap some love.

uncle pete's handmade cycling caps

wednesday 7 may 2025

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