Rothera Cycling All Weather Cycling Cap

Rothera are based in Philadelphia in that U.S.A and they make nothing but cycling caps. Your standard three panel cap, all-weather caps and Winter caps with lots of designs to chose from. Lots of designs. Each cap is hand made and all of the materials, from fabrics to brims, thread, and sewing machines are bought locally and from other small businesses. Local to Philly that is.

Their All Weather Cycling Cap is made of a supplex material that has the durability of nylon but looks and feels like cotton. It's got a high thread count to keep it windproof and it's coated with DWR (durable water repellant) to make it waterproof too.

Saying it feels like cotton is a bit of a stretch; it's man-made material shiny but it's certainly not a rough fabric and it is comfortable on the head. This model is reversible so has a twin layer of fabric, albeit two thin layers, so it's a little thicker than a standard cycling cap and some might find it tricky to fit underneath their helmet. It's not as close fitting as your traditional cycling cap either which might lead to bunching and rubs as well.

The small/medium is Rothera's standard 'one size fits most' size, while the large is very much so and best left for people with heads over 24 inches round. The strongly elasticated section at the back keeps the cap securely on and while the peak is just as deep as your average cycling cap it wraps around a lot further offering a noticeable amount of extra protection from the sun, or most likely, rain.

Being made of nylon, with a high thread-count and then waterproofed, it's not what you could call a breezy summer cap, there to absorb sweat and keep the sun out your eyes, but then it's meant to be a warmer cap for chillier days and designed to keep the rain out.

And it does that very well. The twin layer of nylon fabric keeps a cool wind off the forehead and the waterproofing means rain beads up and rolls off quickly - and keeps doing so even after a season of misuse.

The Rothera All Weather is a hardwearing little cap that's been abused: forgotten about in the bottom of a bag, pulled out to use in sudden showers and put back again damp, turned inside-out instead of washed, and it still looks fresh.

Verdict

A practical technical twist to the cycling cap - windproof and water repellent and will fit any head.