$5-20 Range
Nutrition Items: Gels and nutrition bars retails for about $1.50 - $2.00 each and are something that every cyclist will use and can be found at any local bike shop (that's LBS for short) and often at places such as GNC, Whole Foods, Target, etc. The idea here is to get a smattering of flavors so that you turn every ride into a culinary adventure! Popular gel brands include PowerBar, Gu, Accel, and Hammer. For solid foods I recommend Bonk Breaker, Clif Bloks, and PowerBar Bites. Purchase an array of these to make a great stocking stuffer.
Tubes: Every cyclist flats once in a while and although tubes aren't the most exciting thing around they're extremely practical. And at $5 a piece retail you can easily replenish your loved one's stock. Make sure to get the right size - if you don't know what size your cyclist uses then carefully check the tires of their bike, it's printed on the sidewall. Look for a number such as "700cx23" or if they're a mountain biker "26x2.2." If their tire size starts with "650" consider getting them an entirely new bike without ridiculous tiny wheels. Write the number down, also note what kind of valve stem is on the wheel (if it looks like your car valve stem or not) and take that info to your LBS. They'll be able to find the right tube for you. Make sure you get standard tubes, anything fancier is really a waste of money.
Bar Tape: This is another practical item every roadie/triathlete can use that runs from $10-$20 retail. Fancy tapes such as "Stitch Wrap" or "Grippy Tape" are popular, and Specialized makes a kind of textured tape that is great for triathlon bikes. You can color coordinate with their rig or just buy white. Repeat after me: "Black is slow, white is fast. Black is slow..."
Wool Socks: Riding in the cold sucks in general but it sucks a little less when you can actually feel your toes. Wool socks start out at about $15 and will keep your cyclist's tootsies from going numb on those miserable winter training rides. Smartwool, Sockguy, Castelli, and many others make excellent wool socks in a multitude of colorways/designways. Make sure you get ones with tall cuffs.
Coffee: Roadies love their caffiene and there are a surprising number of bike-themed coffees available in the $10-20 range. Jittery Joe's, 53x11, and Phil Liggett's are just a few of those available.
$20-100 Range
Cycling-themed Casual Clothing: Cyclists want the world to know that they ride even when they're off the bike (why do you think we shave our legs?) so it's hard to go wrong with cool cycling-related casual clothing. Twin Six currently makes some of the coolest cycling-themed t-shirts around and their quality is top-notch. You can also find cool tees from Rock Racing or Lance Armstrong's Mellow Johnny's bike shop. If you're a big spender then you can drop around $100 for a track jacket from Castelli (remember, Castelli stuff is made for tiny Italian people so order one size up, unless your cyclist happens to be a tiny Italian) or a wool jersey from Pearl Izumi. Wool jerseys are available from many manufacturers and often look as good off the bike as they do on it.
RoadID: For a little over $20 you can get a laser-engraved ID tag for your loved one to wear whenever they hit the road. RoadID offers multiple models in several colors (the RoadID Elite is particularly cool) and you can add up to six lines of emergency info. What better way to show you care? Order by December 14th for Christmas delivery.
Magazine Subscriptions: Give the gift that gives year round! You can look in your cyclist's bathroom to see what magazines they currently read or use my handy guide below.
Your cyclist is a:
- Roadie - If he's a Europhile who rides a Colnago or Pinarello, try Cycle Sport or ProCycling. If he's a Category 1/2/3/4 racer who spends every weekend at an event, then go for Road or VeloNews.
- Triathlete - Triathlete. Doesn't get easier than that.
- Casual/Recreational cyclist - Bicycling magazine.
- Mountain Biker - assuming they're literate, Dirt Rag or Highlights for Children
Blinky Lights: Keep your cyclist safe as the days get shorter with a set of blinky lights. For the ultimate in compact lighting that will delight the gadget/tech geek, I suggest the Blackburn Flea. They're a available as a front/rear combo for about $50. For the casual cyclist/hipster Knog makes compact lights in multiple colors. For the commuter or just the ultimate in visibility I suggest the $25 Planet Bike Superflash (this same light is also sold under different brand names so ask at your LBS).
Cateye Bike Computer: The Cateye Strada Wireless ($60 retail) is one of the best bike computers for its ease of use and installation. It's also available in a double-wireless version that features cadence (very popular with triathletes) for $100.
$100-$200 Range
Really Sweet Kits: It's hard to go wrong when decking your cyclist out with a full team kit. Mellow Johnny's has some of the best looking outfits around, and teams such as Garmin-Slipstream, Cervelo and Rock Racing seem to have realized they can sell more shorts and jerseys if they look cool. You can go with your cyclist's favorite team or try some of the fashionable jerseys from Twin Six (don't forget matching socks). DO NOT purchase anything from Primal Wear unless your cyclist rides either a) a single-speed mountain bike or b) a recumbent.
Carbon Fiber Bottle Cages: Roadies love lightweight fragile things, so if your cyclist doesn't have carbon bottle cages this will make their rig complete. To find if your cyclist already has carbon cages, wait until they're not around then go up to their bike, look at the bottle cages, and make a mean face. If the cages don't crumble under the oppressing weight of your grimace, they're not carbon. Carbon cages can be found at your LBS for about $50 per and are made by just about every bike manufacturer, so you can match them to your loved one's bike. I prefer the RXL Cage from Bontrager; Arundel, Serfas, and many others make nice carbon cages as well.
A Helmet: If your cyclist does time trials or stage races or if they're a triathlete, they need an aero helmet. These are the kind that make you look like a rocket man from a 60's comic book. Specialized, Giro, and Louis Garneau all make nice ones in multiple colors. Make sure you go whole hog and get the carrying case too, otherwise it will suck when that $200 helmet gets crushed in the trunk.
Suppose your cyclist has an aero helmet or maybe doesn't time trial. If their current helmet is over 3 years old, it's time for a replacement. Helmet foam breaks down chemically over time so that it doesn't protect as well. Get a top-o-the-line model from Giro, Bell, or Specialized and you can't go wrong (you can check their current helmet for brand and size preference). Don't know what color to get? You can match your cyclist's team kit, or remember that white, silver and black go with anything.
The Nuclear Option
If you're a corrupt Wall Street CEO or your coffers are just particularly well-lined this season, here a few show-stopping (albeit spendy) ways to make it a Christmas to remember
Rapha Bike Clothing: If your cyclist has a $9000 Italian superbike but only rides it three times a month then consider some bike clothing from Rapha. I've never seen the stuff but it's incredibly expensive and sure to satisfy the snob in them.
Zipp 404 Wheelset: Zipp wheels are the gold standard in aero and the 404 is the most versatile wheelset of the bunch. At $2300 retail they're not cheap, but if your cyclist doesn't have a set, he wishes he did. If you're feeling particularly generous you can get the PowerTap SLC+ version and let your cyclist monitor their power on their rides. If your cyclist is a triathlete then go for the Zipp 808 wheelset instead. Note: wheelsets are component-specific. If the components on your loved one's bike say "SRAM" or "Shimano" make sure you buy a SRAM/Shimano wheelset. If they say "Campagnolo" then consider buying them a complete SRAM component group as well so they can get rid of that Campy crap. And don't forget the Zipp Tangente tires at $110 a pop.
Cycling Vacation: I've heard these exist but have never been on one. Apparently they include sag-supported rides through various scenic locales and plush accommodations. Trek Travel offers several complete packages as do others. For the ultimate gift, make it a European cycling vacation.
Other Ideas
So you say to me "My cyclist isn't a hard-core roady, what do I do?" Here's a short list of things that are sure to appeal to the other riders out there.
If your cyclist is a:
- Triathlete: Visit your LBS and ask for the most complicated hydration system they have. The more tubes, bottles, and mysterious hardware the better
- Cyclocrosser: Beer. Anything from Belgium in a 750ml bottle
- Mountain biker: Beer. Anything from Wisconsin/Colorado in a 12 oz. can
- Commuter: Home composting starter kit
- Recumbent rider: Personal grooming kit
- Hipster: Carton of Camel Turkish and the new Animal Collective CD
- The Bike Critic: Cannondale Slice Hi-Mod Ultimate size 54cm with SRM cranks, Hed Black Dog aerobar, SRAM R2C shifters and Look Keo 2Max Carbon/Ti pedals
Happy Holidays and happy hunting!
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