It can be difficult finding holiday gifts for cyclists on your list. Hunting through the Black Friday deals, searching for the perfect item to put a smile on their face can be fraught with peril when you don't have much of an idea of what this cycling thing is all about. How can you expect to get the perfect gift when you don't know the difference between a cassette and a headset, but you don't want to lame out and get them a Visa gift card with the directive “go buy what you want?”
That's why I'm here to help you out.
In this holiday gift roundup, I'm including a little of everything from the low cost to the lavish. There's something for everyone from the beginner to the lifelong rider. So check through the list and check out the links. In many cases, you'll find something that you hadn't thought of before, or maybe you'll not only find something for that special cyclist, you'll find something for yourself too.
Holiday Gifts for Cyclists of all kinds:
If you've got a cyclist on your list, check out these gifts: you're sure to find something to tickle their bike fancy.
Socks
“Socks maketh the kit” opines Sean Sakinofsky, the creator of Sako 7 Socks and purveyor of Sako7.com. While it seems trivial, a mis-matched pair of socks can ruin an otherwise cohesive look. But socks aren't just for the road or the trail: more and more people are wearing their cycling socks during the day. The comfort factor and coolness factor of a slick pair of socks can't be understated, and new sock designs are popping up every day from companies like The Athletic Portland, Handlebar Moustache, Alpine.cc and DeFeet International.
For the cyclists on your shopping list, stuff their stocking with…stockings…by checking out these links:
Links:
- Sako7
- The Athletic Portland
- Handlebar Moustache
- Alpine.cc
- DeFeet Socks (Amazon link – biggest selection of new and discontinued lines!)
MIPS Helmets
In the past few years, the prevalence of concussions, how to prevent them and how to treat them has hit center stage. With protecting kids in sports situations the primary concern, we often forget that adults are susceptible to concussions during a bicycle crash as well, often with devastating consequences. In the interest of protecting our noggins, a group of biomechanical specialists from Sweden formed MIPS AB and brought us a revolutionary new helmet technology.
MIPS, or Multi-directional Impact Protection System is a specially designed slip plan technology designed to reduce rotational impact forces on the brain during a crash. MIPS helmets are specially designed to integrate a Brain Protection System, or a low friction layer of material between the helmet and the liner. When subjected to an angled impact (such as those which are common in cycling crashes) the low friction layer allows the helmet to slide relative to the head, reducing the risk of brain injury.
At this point in time, pretty much all major helmet manufacturers have some MIPS equipped models, from Bell and Giro to POC and (my personal choice) Lazer.
Link: MIPS Equipped Helmets
Mad Alchemy Embrocation
Also known as “Belgian knee warmers,” embrocation is as much a statement of personality as it is a cold weather accessory. Mad Alchemy is a company that deserves massive credit in promoting embrocation and the “Belgian lifestyle” through their innovative, hand made embrocation blends and their dedication to cyclocross, on-bike style and everything Belgium. And it's not just their embrocation either: their selection of socks, chamois cream, shave cream, etc is all worth a look.
Whether you're heading out for a long summer spin or you're planning on slogging through the mud during a cyclocross race, Mad Alchemy has an embrocation designed to fit the bill.
Link: Mad Alchemy Embrocation
Chamois Cream
There's nothing worse than chafing on your chamois during a ride. Sure, if it's an ill fitting pair of shorts or an ill fitting saddle, you're in for a rough ride. But if your rear is just a little bit sensitive, a slatering of chamois cream may be in order to prevent a case of “monkey butt.” Designed to reduce friction between skin and shorts and lubricate and hydrate your skin while killing any nasty bacteria, most chamois creams can improve your in-ride comfort exponentially.
With a myriad of varieties to choose from, you'll find something to fit every cyclist's needs.
Link: Chamois Cream
Coffee and Espresso Makers
Coffee and cycling are inextricably linked together, as I've discussed plenty of times before. With that in mind, it's a pretty safe bet that the cyclist on your holiday list is also a coffee lover. And while it's impossible to replicate that coffee shop experience at home, you can come close with a few well chosen gifts.
First off, you'll have to have something to actually brew those beans into a deliciously extracted brew. My two personal favorites in terms of espresso machines are the Gaggia Evolution and Gaggia Classic. The Evolution is a reasonably priced, yet fully featured espresso machine that produces a high quality shot of espresso with nice flavor characteristics. The Classic is the big brother to the Evolution, with a stainless steel build and high quality finish that produces a beautiful shot (as demonstrated here).
Once you've got your machine, you'll need some beans. I'm particularly fond of Grimpeur Bros with their cycling theme and support of a number of racing teams (including the Amy D. Foundation) and Monument Coffee Roasters, who supported the World Championships in Richmond VA. Check out their River Road single origin #2 and Colombian Popayan, respectively. Both coffees offer different unique characteristics and are a perfect starting point for a coffee lover to test their new machine.
However, if you want to get the best out of your coffee (and espresso machine) you'll need a decent quality grinder. While it's said that you should spend as much on a grinder as half the cost of your machine, some lower model grinders do just fine, such as the Baratza line of grinders. They offer a lot of adjustability and high-quality parts and craftsmanship at a very reasonable price.
So if the cyclist on your holiday list is a coffee lover as well, you'll have the upper hand in selecting the perfect gift.
Links:
Gaggia Classic Espresso Machine
Gaggia Evolution Espresso Machine
Holiday Gifts For the Competitive Cyclist:
Maybe you've got a really competitive cyclist on your shopping list. These gifts will help to give them a competitive edge come spring time.
Kinetic Trainer
If the cyclist on your list is a competitive type, chances are they'll need some way to train during the winter so they can hit the spring ready to roll. With a quiet magnetic unit or a completely sealed, linearly progressive fluid unit providing resistance, Kurt Kinetic trainers are a fantastic choice for a realistic road feel and progressive resistance curve that will handle all the intensity you can throw at it.
Whether you're doing heavy interval work or testing your FTP inside, the Kinetic can take thousands of miles of abuse with not a whisper of complaint. It's a perfect investment in that cycling fanatic's fitness.
Link: Kurt Kinetic Trainers
Stages Power Meter
Ask any competitive cyclist what single thing they would purchase to improve their performance and a power meter would probably be number one. A power meter is a hefty investment, and there are a ton of options, as I detailed in my “choosing a power meter” podcast. My personal favorite power meter is the Stages power meter, both for its reliability and simplicity. You can read my in-depth review of the Stages unit but suffice to say, the ease of bolting on a crank arm, pairing it to your computer and riding out the door can't be beat. As an added bonus, Stages is one of the most economical, well tested power meter solutions on the market today, so you won't break the bank by putting power on your bike.
Link: Stages Power Meter
Holiday Gifts For the Beginner Cyclist:
If someone on your shopping list has just caught the cycling bug, check out these holiday “must haves” to help get them started on their way to cycling obsession.
Lezyne Port-a-Shop Tool Kit
For the beginner cyclist on your list who may not have a wide selection of equipment on hand, this portable tool kit is the perfect solution. Including everything you need to do most bike repairs, the Lezyne Port-a-Shop kit is the perfect way to start a home workshop. You'll get a T Block (Torx wrenches), Allen Block (allen keys), Multi Block (screwdrivers), a Classic Kit and Smart Kit (patch kits), Saber Levers and Power Levers (tire lever sets) as well as a chain drive and spoke wrenches.
That's a LOT of tools in a very small package, for a very respectable price (around $125), and is the perfect gift for the new cyclist.
Link: Lezyne Port-a-Shop
Finish Line Pro Care Bucket 6.0 Cleaning Kit
One thing that every beginner cyclist should know is that a dirty bike is an under-performing bike. Finish Line makes it easy to clean and care for your bike by packaging everything you need to clean and lube into a convenient package (which just happens to be a bucket you can use to wash your bike.) Inside the bucket you'll find multi-degreaser, bike wash, and a “grunge brush” to get your bike shiny, squeaky clean. To ensure “squeaky clean” is the only kind of squeaky your bike is, you'll also find wet lube and dry lube in the bucket for post-wash lubrication.
While it may seem odd to put a bucket under the tree, the beginner on your list will thank you this year.
Link: Finish Line Pro Care Bucket
Holiday Gifts For Cyclists That Love Gadgets:
Lots of people love to play with gadgets, and cyclists are no exception. Check out these gadgets that will delight a technogeek cyclist.
Garmin Edge 520
The newest entry into the lineup of Garmin cycling devices is the 520. Coming with a bucketload of new features such as a built-in base map, recovery advisor, FTP testing/tracking, VO2 max estimation and of course, Strava integration, the Garmin 520 is one of the most well sorted GPS devices on the market. Taking what the 510 did right and correcting what it did wrong, the 520 now has button navigation instead of touch screen to put a myriad of useful features at your fingertips.
The $299 price tag isn't a back breaker, either. Considering the next most feature loaded device is the Edge 1000, you're saving nearly $200 by going with the 520. If you've got a techie or data hungry cyclists on your list, this is sure to be the highlight of their holidays.
Link: Garmin 520
GoPro Hero 4 Camera
If you're the type of cyclist who loves to record every detail of your ride, from power numbers, to GPS coordinates to audio and video, the GoPro Hero 4 is the camera for you. Shooting up to 4k video (black edition) at 60 FPS and with a myriad of mounting options, the Hero 4 is a top notch action camera that is only limited by your creativity. You can even pick up a ton of accessories from remote controls to external microphones, making the Hero 4 hugely expandable and customizable. With some thought, you can create the ultimate cycling video rig and record your rides in professional quality.
Check out all the options and let your favorite cyclist show you video evidence of why they love their rides so much.
Link: GoPro Hero 4
So there you have it! A selection of some of the best holiday gifts for cyclists in 2015. If you're looking for a gift for yourself, you can always start building strength for the upcoming season and increase your performance when the weather warms again. If you're in the market for a complete training solution, you can pick up your training plans by checking out my modular training plans in my online store. Let me help you build towards your best ever season with my season long training solutions and modular plans!
