Holiday shopping is tough. Sometimes, it’s downright brutal (like the fight for the last Tickle Me Elmo or Hatchimals toy on the shelf).
But if you are shopping for a cyclist, don’t fret! Here is a quick guide on what your cyclist will love, based on their rider personality type!
(The items listed here are either new enough that they probably don’t have it, or cool enough that they’ll be happy to have two!)
1. For the Indoor Training Enthusiast.
If the cyclist on your list… rides his bike inside for hours each day,
Then They Might Want: a top of the line stationary trainer that is compatible with Zwift and Trainer Road, like the Wahoo Kickr Power Trainer. It’s as close as you can get to making riding indoors exciting!
Because: it’s a smooth, durable machine that will make those hours of going nowhere go that much faster.
2. For the Hard-core Endurance Mountain Biker.
If the cyclist on your list… is an endurance mountain bike racer,
Then They Might Want: ESI silicone grips, like the Chunky or Extra Chunky (best price at Amazon.com),
Because: their innovative material that conforms to your hand makes them comfortable for hours, and they’ve become a favorite among endurance racers and all-mountain riders.
3. For the Energy Bar Connoisseur.
If the cyclist on your list… devours the same old energy bar on every ride,
Then They Might Want: a blueberry muffin Lara Bar, a lemon lift SoLo Gi Bar, a mint chocolate chip NuGo Dark bar, or a peanut butter and jelly Bonk Breaker bar,
Because: these energy bars actually taste good.
4. For the Embrocation Addict.
If the cyclist on your list… enjoys rubbing various creams on their body and admiring themselves in the mirror,
Then They Might Want: fancy embrocation cream, chamois butter, or pain relieving gels. Perhaps the “Pre-Cyclist Kit” from Qoleum, which contains a pain relieving gel, warm-up oils, and chamois cream, for $63 (or to keep under a $20 budget, grab a tube of DZNuts In-Heat embrocation cream),
Because: it comes from Europe, so it must be the epitome of style.
5. For the Coffee Lover.
If the cyclist on your list… carries her coffee mug while riding,
Then They Might Want: specialty coffee from 53×11, Jittery Joe’s, Peet’s, or my local favorite, Rothrock Coffee,
Because: when the coffee has cycling in its culture, it tastes that much better.
6. For the Exercise and Fitness Buff.
If the cyclist on your list… hits the gym all winter and typically ends up sore or burnt out,
Then They Might Want: some relaxing yoga DVDs, sore muscle cream, or my personal recommendation, a massage tool like the Moji Mini,
Because: recovery time is just as important as training time.
7. For Anyone Sick and Tired of Doping.
If the cyclist on your list… quit watching the Tour de France due to all the doping scandals,
Then They Might Want: a “Dopers Suck” t-shirt or “Dopers Suck” socks,
Because: peer pressure will convince dopers to stop. Oh, and the shirt looks cool.
[Note: More cool t-shirts can be seen here.]
8. For the Outdoor Adventurer.
If the cyclist on your list… ventures outside no matter what the weather,
Then They Might Want: wool socks, like the super comfortable DeFeet Woolie Boolie, or anything by Darn Tough Vermont (although really, you gotta love their World Champion stripe sock),
Because: wool hiking and cycling socks are comfortable, cool, and very warm at the same time.
9. For the Stylish Roadie.
If the cyclist on your list… coordinates their outfit with all their bike parts,
Then They Might Want: aftermarket rubber brake hoods from Hudz,
Because: they come in 11 colors, and surely one will complement their handlebar tape better than the standard black hoods.
I can almost guarantee that one of those gifts will fit the cyclist on your list.
If you have any suggestions for cool gifts, leave them in the comments below!
Levi Bloom is an experienced endurance athlete who has been training and competing for over 17 years. A former Cat 1 road and mountain bike racer (professional class on the regional circuit), he is now a cycling coach (USA Cycling Level 3 Certified) and sports nutrition coach (Precision Nutrition Level 1 Certified).
Christmas Gift ideas’
The Bicyclespokesman blog had some suggested christmas gifts for bicyclists. with links to good prices – especially for bicycling magazine.
I just received a gift from a friend of mine, and I thought I’d share my thoughts as far as a Xmas gift goes. It is a new kind of rear light for bicyclists. I can’t find it in my hometown, but I found their website. It is called the FlashBak. It is so bright! I’m not sure, but I think my new Flashbak is brighter than my old PB Super Flash. I’ll check sometime soon, in a side-by-side test. Either way…I use both of them together. I googled it and found several reliable sources who have reviewed it, and had great things to say. Oh, well. Christmas is coming and the cyclist is getting fat. That’s my suggestion. Merry Christmas.
@Jay
Impressive! Because Planet Bike’s Super Flash is a solid light!
Merry Christmas to you, too!
There’s no shortage of bicycle-related coffee! No one has ever complained about getting that even if someone else bought them the same thing.
‘Big Maggy’s’ coffee is great stuff. (Magnus Backstedt’s company. Readily available in U.K… hopefully U.S. too! 😉
@Mitch
I heard about that company starting up but forgot about it – I’ll see if I can find it here in the US.
I just bought my husband a golf ball muscle roller, got pretty good deal on it, hes been wanting one for awhile and i finally found one! 🙂
zzathletics.com/Golf-Ball-Muscle-Roller-Massager-GBMR1.htm
@Paige
That’s neat, I bet golfers would love it!
I’m not sure how to make anything like that more cycling-specific. Chainrings and cogs on a stick would be a little too harsh!