oh so shallow.. but what the heck to do you do with your hair?

[Jolt]

ps...I saw your sig....lol I'm an RN working ICU

In that case, it figures you'd appreciate that kind of humor! I'm an RN as well, currently working on a dementia floor in a nursing home b/c that is all I could find as a new grad last year and I am STILL trying to get into the hospital (I do NOT belong in long-term care!). How do you like the ICU? I am hoping to work cardiac or ER.

[KnottedYet]

I'm probably not the best person to ask.... I cut my hair very very short when I began commuting by bike

Me, too. At least, short-er.

Baby-fine, very thin, and dead straight. Fluff it up with my fingers and it's good to go and actually has some BODY for once!

Bandanas are good: full coverage for really bad hair, headband for passable hair. I love my bandanas (I have more of them than I have bikes, even!)

[Becky]

Your hair sounds exactly like mine, Knott!

[Laterider21958]

I've not been able to find a resolution to the hairstyle/helmet hair problem and have resorted to walking to work instead. Only have to go just over 2kms each way and takes only 25 minutes of fast walking. My hair is much like Oprah's natural curl and volume, and if I pull it straight it would reach about 2 inches above my waist. I keep it up in a French roll while at work - just to keep it under control. Some days it goes up easily and on others it fights me, so riding with hair down and then trying to tame it at work could take up too much time. Hence the walking. If only there was a helmet designed for "up-do's".

[shootingstar]

I've not been able to find a resolution to the hairstyle/helmet hair problem and have resorted to walking to work instead. Only have to go just over 2kms each way and takes only 25 minutes of fast walking. My hair is much like Oprah's natural curl and volume, and if I pull it straight it would reach about 2 inches above my waist. I keep it up in a French roll while at work - just to keep it under control. Some days it goes up easily and on others it fights me, so riding with hair down and then trying to tame it at work could take up too much time. Hence the walking. If only there was a helmet designed for "up-do's".

True for that commuting distance one can walk easily..but unlike you when one of my previous jobs was same distance one-way from home (2 kms.), I quintupled my cycling distance with a 9% hill for workout, on my way to work deliberately just so I could get some fitness mileage. I deliberately added that hill in my route.

Jenn72: I refuse to remove my helmet when I'm out cycling. My hair looks like crap since it gets soaked with sweat. I'm always amazed when other women take a rest and pull of their helmets and their hair looks halfway decent. I couldn't commute to work on bike unless they did have a shower so I could get completely ready there

How about: some of us don't care what we look like when taking off helmet after a ride. I usually got into work earlier than the regular start time because I had to change etc. So not that many people even saw me regularily, with messy hair but..glowing in the face.

I worked for several employers where there were alot of men in the organization or senior managers saw me. Plus all the dressed up women. I did have various jobs where also there was a dress code where I had to wear business attire, jacket, dress shoes, etc. when I did cycle-commute.

You may be surprised: They will respect you a great deal for being committed to regular daily fitness. I had a number of employees express approval or it resulted in them asking me about more about cycling. Obviously they don't see /care about the sweat because I myself cleaned up. Yes, several directly attributed my regular cycling to my weight control in a positive manner. I even was introduced to an organization by email to all 400 employees that I cycled to work regularily.

I am intrigued though....obviously there maybe alot more women out there who just won't cycle regularily because of helmet hair. How unfortunate. Please look beyond and not worry so much.

My health/fitness is worth 20x times more to me than how my hairstyle looks. I credit regular cycling for keeping my weight the same as ...25 years ago when I wasn't cycling at all. It has been the only way for me to fit in regular fitness activity that served as transportation too, during long days of work and little evening hrs. left.

Thank God for cycle-commuting. (and other types of cycling done over the years).

And I agree for some women, long hair in ponytail/1 braid works. I just don't look good in long hair anymore...long hair on some women's faces....accentuates aging (lines, any time when not enough sleep, etc.).

[Crankin]

Well, I totally understand how someone would not want to take her helmet off. If you have straight hair, you can't imagine how having frizzy, clown like hair can truly invoke the meaning of "bad hair day." I never cared if someone saw me when I got into work early, for all of the reasons you stated, Shootingstar, but, also because it took me about five minutes to clean myself up and do my very short, spiky hair.
I sweat profusely and also am envious of anyone who looks like haven't exerted any energy after a 50 mile ride or a long/steep climb. I sweat when it's hot out and I sweat when it's cold out. Once my hair gets wet, that's it. I have side bangs now and it is not nice... I went to the beach today and by the time I got home I had a matted head of frizz, with my bangs curling backwards. I actually see my sweating as a badge of work, but I sure don't like looking like I stuck my finger in a socket. If that's vain, well... my DH and my riding buddies don't sweat like this, or at least their hair looks the same as usual when they finish a ride.

[shootingstar]

My dearie tells me, that he hears alot of complaints about helmet hair from some women as it relates to getting more people (including women) to cycle. I do agree with him and others here, that naturally curly hair causes problems.

But doubtful that a guy even thinks about this..at all. And some guys have a real mop of curly hair also.

Things always look greener on the other side of the fence. How much I wanted to have naturally wavy hair when I was young. Here I am tonight ...at around 6:30 pm after a 10 min. cycle. Earlier today at 7:30 am I went for a 42 kms. cycle, went grocery shopping with my helmet off and on. Then after some computer work at home, then I spent 3 hrs. lifting dusty boxes before evening mini-bike ride.

Meanwhile no shower nor brushing of hair since 7:00 am. --or past 12 hrs. (Helps that I live with dearie who is a cyclist also.)
Will be getting a haircut next wk., hair too "long" for me. My hair has grown 4+ inches since early May.

2nd photo shows my backward cowlick...which causes a natural hair split..according to hair stylist. One thing I strongly recommend to anyone: make sure you find and keep a skilled, precision-cut hairstylist..this is why back of hair looks good with no brushing for many hours and vigorous activity, every hair strand cut in a way to fall naturally into place...even after taking off helmet.

[OakLeaf]

One thing I strongly recommend to anyone: make sure you find and keep a skilled, precision-cut hairstylist.

+ a million!!!!

Like yours, my haircut looks simple, but when I moved I learned the hard way that it takes a lot of skill to cut. I'm on my sixth stylist now, and I've stuck with him despite a lot of problems just because I wanted a break from haircuts that left me in tears (really, I'm not one who cares a lot about my appearance, especially now that I'm not working, but five stylists in a row left me looking truly hideous).

[lph]

Here I am tonight ...at around 6:30 pm after a 10 min. cycle. Earlier today at 7:30 am I went for a 42 kms. cycle, went grocery shopping with my helmet off and on. Then after some computer work at home, then I spent 3 hrs. lifting dusty boxes before evening mini-bike ride.

Ok. There is no way in hell my hair would look anything like this good after that. Not that I don't usually look like a hobbit, but at least it's curly all over. After a ride where I sweat it's flat on top, parted in the middle, Art Garfunkle-style curly hair on the rest. No, I'm not posting pics

[Crankin]

I'd be happy if my hair was actually curly. But, to put it bluntly, I have ugly Jewish wavy, frizzy hair. It's OK for me to say that . I do have an excellent stylist. It takes her 45 minutes to cut my hair. But, unless I cut the top off again, which just looks too masculine for me, this is it. I had a perm for like 20 years, so I could deal with it, and then I just wanted to stop having to have a perm. My hair is fine, as long as I have time to let it dry naturally for awhile (30 minutes), quickly blow out the side bangs, and then run the flat iron over them. Once I sweat, it's over.
Naturally, this has not stopped me from riding at all. If I was commuting now, I guess I'd have to have a flat iron at work. But, it still amazes me that some people look as good as they do after riding. Shootingstar, your picture looks like my "before" picture.

[Selkie]

Ok.... After a ride where I sweat it's flat on top, parted in the middle, Art Garfunkle-style curly hair on the rest. No, I'm not posting pics

Oh please, do! "Hello darkness my old friend... " LOL

My hair looks like shite after wearing my helmet---doesn't matter the length and frankly, I don't care. The only person I want to impress is my husband and trust me, he wouldn't notice how it looked (LOL -- it'll be 21 years since we eloped this Saturday). I always wear a buff on my head under my helmet (mops up sweat, keeps me warm in cold weather, etc).

I have fine, curly/wavy hair. Since I started swimming, I cut it short. Think it looks bad after being in a helmet? You should see it after I take off my swim cap following an hour in the pool! That's why I keep a baseball cap in my swim gear bag.

[shootingstar]

Like yours, my haircut looks simple, but when I moved I learned the hard way that it takes a lot of skill to cut. I'm on my sixth stylist now, and I've stuck with him despite a lot of problems just because I wanted a break from haircuts that left me in tears (really, I'm not one who cares a lot about my appearance, especially now that I'm not working, but five stylists in a row left me looking truly hideous).

Hope you find someone in the end, that is super-good, not just good. It's costly to try different stylists and to live with their mistakes for awhile/try to grow out one's hair for the next stylist.

You're right -- a simple-looking style is actually layers all over the head to give it abit of shape and (small) amount of volume. Alot of women I know with dead straight hair just live with the reality of flattish looking hair ...unless they get a perm or spiky/pixie cut. Which is what my cut was this past May. My entire ears were shown, it was that short. Having 1 hair colour and straight hair means that a cutting error where there is millimetre difference on left vs. right hand side of cut, becomes noticeable, even annoying over time.

At beginning, I do specify to hair stylist that it must be a cut that I can manage in less than 5 min., and will grow out still looking decent over 3-4 months (not 6 wks.) with bike helmet use. I bike to the hair salon..and bike slowly back with the helmet on. She knows all this and more so when I show up at the salon in cycling wear. This makes her not deviate too far because of cycling helmet reality. It still works...

[spazzdog]

So, this is the thing I used when I had my motorcycle. It kept the "helmet head" look to a minimum AND kept the inside of the motorcycle helmet clean. It's coolmax so not hot to wear, breathable, wicks the sweat away, etc.

I joking referred to it as my Quaker hat because the one I had had ear flaps.

This one is more a skull cap and you can velcro it in your helmet.

http://www.cbxmanmotorcycles.com/Bro...met-Liner.aspx

[GLC1968]

holy cow, shootingstar - If I could get my hair to look that good walking out of a salon, I'd be amazed! Never mind after hours of activity!

[cylegoddess]

shooting star, wow you have great legs too! You could be a shorts model

I have long straight fine hair, and it pretty much looks crap no matter what I do so I just wash it at the gym, before I go to work and lucky, we have showers to( but cant use them on my early days, sadly.)
Also , maybe you could try ladies, that dry shampoo that famous people get used on by hairdressers . It is used without water and seems to fluff up hair.

I also love bandannas!!