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review
Dashing Tweeds reflective cap - side£55.00
VERDICT:
A tweed hat to be seen in - literally
Weight:
0g
Contact:
www.dashingtweeds.co.uk
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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This cap is made of a wool mix tweed but there is more to it than just that. The fabric isn't that stuff you see country folk camoflaged in. This tweed has been removed from the fields and urbanised to make it something special. It uses Lumatwill, a woven fabric created by photographer Guy Hills and top fashion weaver Kirsty McDougal, the people behind Dashing Tweeds.
Lumatwill combines a reflective filament within the traditional tweed wool yarn. It is only when it is dark and has a light shone on it that the reflective pattern jumps out like the first time you do one of those 'magic eye' pictures, You really have to see it in the flesh to fully appreciate it. The reflective properties are so well hidden in the fabric that I can't understand why more clothing manufacturers don't start making this sort of fabric more universal and incorporate it into many different types of garment.
The duo behind Dashing Tweeds also create some other incredibly stylish garments using the Lumatwill tweed including capes and whole riding suits, completely bespoke like at Saville Row, with prices to match. Henry Holland did his whole autumn/winter collection using Lumatwill a couple of years ago which bagged him a gong at the Scottish Fashion Awards. So, the material is pretty special and it's constructed in England.
The wool tweed will keep your head warm during those cold rides home yet works extremely well at wicking sweat if your head gets too hot on your competitive commute. This cap is top quality – what you might expect from such a fine pedigree – and at £55 an absolute steal in my opinion.
Verdict
This could be the finest bit of tailoring you'll ever buy. If you are the sort of person that suits a hat then this one is a treat – and it'll help get you seen at night
If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website
road.cc test report
Make and model: Dashing Tweeds Flat cap with reflective weave
Size tested: to fit 58cm head
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
They use the word dandy at it would appear fitting to such a fine hat.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Made in England using Lumatwill reflective yarn wool tweed.
Available in: Small about 7″, Medium around 7 1/2″ and Large about 7 3/4″
You can go for a completely bespoke size for £135
Rate the product for quality of construction:
10/10
You don't get better than this!
Rate the product for performance:
9/10
It wicks away sweat, it dries quickly, it keeps your head warm, it covers those receded bits and it manages to stay on your head. Plus, it shows traffic where your head is when it is dark.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
This cap, even if worn every day, will last a few years. There aren't many other garments that would hold out that long.
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
8/10
Not really a hat to be worn during the warmer months, the wool is thick enough to keep your head warm on cold winter night rides back from the pub.
Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
9/10
This is the best fitting cap I have ever put on my head. It stays put even at speed yet doesn't feel tight or leave lines on your forehead. The wool does a good job of wicking sweat and also keeping your head warm.
Rate the product for value:
9/10
This garment is handmade in England by a real textile genius. I would like to see them signed and numbered because they have that unique, bespoke quality.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
When you see this cap in normal daylight then see it at night with a light shone at it you will realise how effective the reflective yarn is. It is amazing.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
It looks and fits great and the wool tweed works so well at regulating heat. Plus, it is a great safety garment!
Also, it is handmade in England by real designers.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Dry clean only.
Did you enjoy using the product? Absolutely
Would you consider buying the product? Definitely
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Of course
Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?
I now want a suit to go with the cap but can't afford it 
About the tester
Age: 37 Height: 180 Weight: 80
I usually ride: Bike that I am testing at the time My best bike is: Giant CFR pro. Old school carbon converted to fixed. Kinesis Convert 2 fixed. Shorter cafe racer
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed, bare back
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