Like a strong tailwind, rich coffee and a smooth road without cars, here are nine gifts guaranteed to make any roadie smile.
- Cycling gifts: the ultimate Christmas gift guide for cyclists
- 8 of the best tech gifts for cyclists
- Christmas gift ideas for road cycling women
Christmas gifts for road cyclists in 2018
Socks
In any other scenario, buying socks as a Christmas gift is likely to be met with rolling eyes or outright offence — not so for the typical roadie.
When it comes to socks for road cyclists, we’re of the opinion that the louder they are, the better.
Sick lookin’ stockings are available from a vast number of boutique and mainstream brands. Our particular favourites include Tenspeed Hero, The Athletic, Sako7 and dhb.
- Tenspeed Hero socks from $15
- dhb socks from £6
- The Athletic socks from $15
- Sako7 socks from £18.99 / $20 (also available from Pro Bike Kit UK)
Garmin Edge 130
A GPS-equipped bike computer is a great tool for road cyclists looking to track progress, structure training and brag to their mates.
The Garmin Edge 130 strikes a good balance between features and price, offering all common metrics such as distance, speed, elapsed time and more, and with the addition of sensors, it will also monitor cadence, heart rate and power.
- £169.99 / €205 / $199.99 / AU$299
New lights
Inner tubes (yes, really)
Inner tubes are not a fun gift, but are exactly the sort of thing that will be appreciated.
They’re actually pretty expensive when you need to fork out for them too, so having a bundle at home will mean pennies saved for things the cyclist in question actually wants.
You can always wrap them up in some nice paper and a bow if you’re worried about presentation!
- Buy an inner tube bundle from Tredz at £25 for 10
A fancy pump for those inner tubes
Now you’ve saved a bundle of cash on the inner tubes, you can splash it on a really, really nice pump.
The Silca Impero pocket pump has class, heritage and a grand-sounding name, so it’s perfect for impressing your riding mates when the time comes. You can tell them all about the 101-year history of the brand, starting in Italy in 1917 through to the new developments today at its new home in Indianapolis.
Or you could just enjoy the smooth and effective pumping action. It’s up to you.
- £115 / $120
Park Tool Advanced Mechanic tool kit
You may have a multi-tool or two, maybe a torque wrench but now it’s time to get serious!
A home workshop is a dream for any passionate cyclist, and Park Tool has just the quality bundle to get you started.
Bundled in the branded box are 40 tools including cone wrenches, spoke wrenches, a chain whip, crank puller and more, plus a handle bottle opener so you can celebrate a maintenance job well done.
- £249.99
US Pro Tools tool chest
Fed up having cycling maintenance miscellanea strewn about your house? A full-sized tool cabinet is a great way to tidy up your living space, with enough storage to even hide away spare parts.
The price range for a tool cabinet is basically limitless, but for those looking for something simple and affordable, it’s hard to pass up these generic chests from US Pro Tools.
This is a UK-based seller on eBay, but countless re-badged alternatives exist worldwide.
- Prices vary
Strava Summit gift membership
If your giftee plans to get serious about cycling next year or has set some serious goals to smash, then Strava has a new set of packages designed to help them achieve just that.
There are three options available: safety, training and analysis.
The Safety package offers tracking and notifications to a contact of their choice if they get into difficulties.
Training will help them set goals, track their progress and use a selection of training programmes.
Analysis does, funnily enough, exactly what it says, giving your recipient the chance to delve into the nitty-gritty of their performance and output.
- All three packs are available as an inclusive package for: £47.99 / $59.99 / €59.99 per annum
- Individual packages (Safety, Training or Analysis) come in at: £18.99 / $23.99 / €24.99 per annum
- Monthly memberships are available at: £6.99 / $7.99 / €7.99 for full the package or £2.49 / $2.99 / €2.99 for an individual pack