As it’s getting colder here in New England, I’m pulling out and dusting off my go-to winter riding stuff, which mostly starts with hats and gloves, since the first things to get cold are hands and ears. I’ve written a lot about gloves, here and here and here and here, but not much about hats.
Well, my number one, winter riding hat is the Ibex Shak Beanie.
A long time ago, Ibex was a local-ish New England company, a bunch of Vermont hippies making stuff from domestic wool. But Ibex has changed hands twice since then that I’m aware of, and now it’s owned by an investment group who say they were drawn to the bankrupt company by its community and ethical values. I’d wager the brand equity and the very, very low price had something to do with it, too, but I’m a cynic.
Now they have a pretty recognizable global supply chain and a long explanation of the efforts they make to do things ethically and in an environmentally responsible manner. These things are important to me. They may not be to you. I’m always skeptical of “investment groups,” but Ibex looks like it’s still on the path of eco-righteousness.
Fortunately, they are also still producing the Shak beanie. It’s a close-fitting, merino wool beanie that breathes as well as you’d imagine and fits nicely under a helmet. It’s double knit for extra insulation, and because it’s got flat lock seems, there aren’t any bunchy spots that irritate your head under a helmet.
On occasion, if I’ve sweated a lot and my helmet has shifted around a little, I’ve experienced a little itchiness, but that’s a quibble. I wear these to ride and to ski too. It’s one of those everything-you-need-and-nothing-you-don’t products.
In short, it’s a great hat. I have two of them. They’re $50, only come in black currently, and one-size fits all. I have a hard time seeing how you’d wear one out.