Crossword Genius

Anonymous man left opera in cycling gear (6)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

helmet

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'gear' is the definition.
(I have seen 'Top Gear' mean 'helmet' so perhaps 'gear' could also mean 'helmet')

'anonymous man left opera in cycling' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'man' could be 'he' (he refers to a man) and 'he' is located in the answer.
'left' could be 'l' (common abbreviation) and 'l' is present in the answer.
The remaining letters 'met' is a valid word which might be clued in a way I don't understand.
This may be the basis of the clue (or it may be nonsense).

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for helmet that I've seen before include "Biker's headgear" , "Protective head-covering for armour or motor cyclist" , "Protection for top" , "Protective covering for head of motor-cyclist" , "Top Gear" .)

I've seen this clue in the Sydney Morning Herald.
Want a hint initially instead of a full solution? Install my app