I keep my hair shaved nearly down to the skin from May through about September, so any sweat channels directly into my cloudy and stinging eyes. On hot and/or humid days, I have to wipe them frequently just to see how large the gap is that I've let open in front of me. It was after hitting a pothole at Bunny Hop and going airborne with one hand on the bars and the other in my eye that I concluded some sort of sweat management system was necessary.
After that race I found a couple of Sweat GUTRs in the GamJams Service Course. They were left from Sweat GUTR's sponsorship of our inaugural CompuTrainer Throwdown. I'd used the HALO bands in the past but was willing to give the Sweat GUTR a go, largely because they took a chance on GamJams by sponsoring our event. Sometimes sponsorship actually works.
I'll admit though, I had my trepidations at first. The guy on the Sweat GUTR site (the rugby guy, not the Matthew McConaghey looking guy) looks kinda dorky in his Sweat GUTR. Mabye it's his 1998 country club hair, but the Sweat GUTR doesn't help. As any man who shaves his legs can tell you, appearance is as important to self-perception as performance.
As it turns out, the Sweat GUTR all but disappears with a helmet on. I'm wearing one at Crystal City in this picture and you can only see it if you're looking for it. Yeah, you still look like a cast member from A Chorus Line when you're in the parking lot without your helmet, but it wasn't far to go since you're wearing a full lycra suit anyway, with suspenders. Put on your compression socks and you're a singular sensation.
Anyhoo, I raced with the Sweat GUTR at Crystal City for the first time. It works. Beyond that, it works great. There's a little channel running across the center of the forehead that catches sweat, allowing it to pour out openings in the sides and away from your eyes. I find it's more comfortable than my HALO since it's much slighter. I don't have to adjust my helmet around it and it doesn't wrap my head with a 1.5" band of fabric. Better still, because it's not fabric it doesn't start to stink or need to be washed with any sort of rigor. And (there's more) because it doesn't hold the water - instead channeling it away immediately - it works even with the prodigious sweat our 100-degree races have been generating lately. I've also used it in the pouring rain (quite by accident) and I was amazed at how well it continued to function.
I think I've worn the Sweat GUTR in every race since, and also on most training rides. It's become a fundamental of my riding on any day above 80 degrees. Helmet, shoes, bazooka, Road ID, Sweat GUTR.
Worth trying out if you get sweat in your eyes, and/or want to keep your hands on the bars during technical crits. You can order them directly from their US Distributor ProNet Cycling, and you can find them in some local shops, or backstage in select Broadway theatres.
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