It may be a little unusual, but for this review I'm taking a look at a company as a whole instead of just one measly article of clothing.
The cycling cap is a very interesting piece of gear. It's hard to define a market for it, since it straddles the lines between fashion, utility, and novelty item without any clear indication of what it's supposed to be doing. Does it shield a cyclist's eyes from the sun? It's good at that without hindering vision of the road, but then so is a visor on the helmet that many legislative bodies now require. Does it shield you from the elements? To a degree, but then you have to worry about it fitting under your helmet. So who's it for?
This ambiguity in the size and shape of the cycling cap market makes it that much more impressive when a company goes all in and hedges their bets on people wanting to buy their caps.
Walz is a US manufacturer of cycling caps and only cycling caps. No, you aren't reading an article from the 50's, they really do manufacture in the US.
The cycling cap is a very interesting piece of gear. It's hard to define a market for it, since it straddles the lines between fashion, utility, and novelty item without any clear indication of what it's supposed to be doing. Does it shield a cyclist's eyes from the sun? It's good at that without hindering vision of the road, but then so is a visor on the helmet that many legislative bodies now require. Does it shield you from the elements? To a degree, but then you have to worry about it fitting under your helmet. So who's it for?
This ambiguity in the size and shape of the cycling cap market makes it that much more impressive when a company goes all in and hedges their bets on people wanting to buy their caps.
Walz is a US manufacturer of cycling caps and only cycling caps. No, you aren't reading an article from the 50's, they really do manufacture in the US.
Walz is a relatively small company, perhaps as expected since their manufacturing is housed in the US, but they have a surprisingly large range of products aimed at the niche cap market. The folks at Walz very effectively bridge the gap between hipster-caps and performance cycling headwear without missing a beat. In essence, they've made the cycling cap market a lot more cohesive in their own lineup.
Summer Caps
Walz divide their caps by materials and season; "Classic Cotton," "ProGrade Technical," and "Wool & Winter." The first cap that I tried from Walz was of their "Technical" variety. Essentially, these caps are the performance based, moisture-wicking racing caps with some added style-points. The brim does a great job keeping your face free of the elements and your own sweat, and as a rider with generally unmanageable hair, Walz caps do a wonderful job keeping all of your luscious golden locks in check and out of your face.
In terms of aesthetics, there's little doubt that these sleek caps are made to be under your helmet before, during, or after a race, but they're just as effective at head-management for any ride on a particularly hot day, Unexpectedly, I found my head to be cooler when riding with the cap than without, probably because of its tendency to wick away the water and heat quickly from the moisture-trap that is my hair. Most of Walz's caps follow a standard 3-panel design with a central stripe available in an assortment of color combinations. It's comfortable, it does the job, and for a US-made product, $21.99 is certainly not a bad price. Over my time of use I've had no problems with durability of any of Walz's products, so choose your colors wisely - they could last you several years at least.
I have yet to try the classic-cotton style caps, but their construction is similar to the Technical caps albeit with a more casual material, so probably best for more casual riding since cotton is usually not so great at wicking moisture.
I have yet to try the classic-cotton style caps, but their construction is similar to the Technical caps albeit with a more casual material, so probably best for more casual riding since cotton is usually not so great at wicking moisture.
Winter Caps
Walz's winter caps provide equally impressive performance for a product that many treat as a novelty item. With the same 3-panel construction, this time out of wool, this caps will definitely save your brain from becoming a gelled bowl of slush on a chilly ride. Your head will feel nice and toasty under this cap, which is made more impressive by how thin the material seems to be, one of the allures of cycling's holy grail of winter materials. You can also choose a cap with ear-flaps to keep your hear-holes from falling off.
The fit on these winter caps I was less impressed with than Walz's summer caps. Firstly, the elastic band that keeps the cap on feels tight and digs into my head after an hour or so, and the ear-flaps (bound to the same elastic band) tend to ride up and thus not cover my entire ear and even let cold air up and underneath the cap in lower temperatures. One of the downsides of purchasing from a small company is that they only have two sizes available, so if your cap is uncomfortable your options are limited. That said, the cap is great for temperatures that hover around and just below freezing, and Walz for their part offers re-fittings, replacement or reimbursement for any caps that you aren't 100% satisfied with.
At $39.99, these caps too are a good buy for the price.
The fit on these winter caps I was less impressed with than Walz's summer caps. Firstly, the elastic band that keeps the cap on feels tight and digs into my head after an hour or so, and the ear-flaps (bound to the same elastic band) tend to ride up and thus not cover my entire ear and even let cold air up and underneath the cap in lower temperatures. One of the downsides of purchasing from a small company is that they only have two sizes available, so if your cap is uncomfortable your options are limited. That said, the cap is great for temperatures that hover around and just below freezing, and Walz for their part offers re-fittings, replacement or reimbursement for any caps that you aren't 100% satisfied with.
At $39.99, these caps too are a good buy for the price.
Custom and Colorful Caps
One of the coolest things about Walz, and perhaps part of how they bridge the gap between performance and hipster-appeal so elegantly, is their broad range of colors and styles, including the ability to make custom caps to order. Walz has location themed "Map Caps" featuring more than a dozen US states, cities, and a few countries. They also have a "Signature Collection" of caps featuring various slogans and designs to please just about any kind of cyclist. These caps share the same general price-structure as the normal caps, maxxing out around $39.99 for wool.
If none of these caps please you, you can design your own with relative ease - choose colors for each of three panels, the brim, even the stitching, and add a message or club-name with embroidery. If you're really serious, you can get completely custom silkscreened or team caps in bulk starting at 6-11 caps with a month or two of lead time. Custom caps for now are only available in the cotton-technical blend, but Walz seems to be ready to add more options in the near future. Prices start around $34.99, and only fall as you buy more caps.
If none of these caps please you, you can design your own with relative ease - choose colors for each of three panels, the brim, even the stitching, and add a message or club-name with embroidery. If you're really serious, you can get completely custom silkscreened or team caps in bulk starting at 6-11 caps with a month or two of lead time. Custom caps for now are only available in the cotton-technical blend, but Walz seems to be ready to add more options in the near future. Prices start around $34.99, and only fall as you buy more caps.
Summary
Walz makes some excellent caps at great prices, especially considering the niche-market that they're operating in. They sincerely seem to be invested in their business and their belief that performance, style, and value don't have to be mutually exclusive.
Find out more about Walz and their caps here.
Find out more about Walz and their caps here.