It’s that time of year again: Our gift guides for every athlete in your life! This year, we’re focusing on cyclists, runners, travelers, and then some stocking stuffers and last minute gifts for any athlete in your life. So if you don’t have a cyclist on your gifting list, stay tuned for more coming soon! And if you’re not loving anything on this list, do us a favor and quickly head over to our “do not gift” list to see the recommendations we make for what gifts to avoid. (We also asked our audience for their input on this and the results were pretty unanimous.)
OK, here’s what we’re buying for the cyclists we know this holiday season!
Timberbike Bell
We like this inexpensive but shockingly loud bell for anyone who rides on public bike paths or who’s on singletrack, especially in bear country. We love that it has dual modes of ‘bear bell’ and ‘bike bell’ so you’re covered whether you’re trying to warn two-legged or four-legged mammals (or MAMILs) that you’re coming through.
Ryobi Cold Water Pressure Washer
My dad got this for Peter a couple years ago for Christmas and we were a little dismayed at first, because we were convinced it was going to be pretty junky and break instantly, plus it would take up space that we don’t have. NOT THE CASE. This thing is still going strong after being pretty beat up by us, since we’ve dragged it across the country, jammed it in closets, and generally abused it. But it still pressure washes the bikes to perfection, and because it just has a hose that goes in a bucket to pull water, it’s actually pretty space-saving. Great for apartment dwelling cyclocross racers, but it’s a great addition to any garage bike washing setup.
Clip On Fan
If your person loves riding the trainer or travels often to races, this little USB-chargeable clip on fan is our favorite. We have two of them that we use for sleeping in the van, sleeping in hotel rooms or at either of our parent’s houses, which tend to be overly warm, and of course, to clip onto the handlebars or a ledge in front of the bike when it’s on the trainer. The rechargeable aspect is key: This thing runs for 12+ hours at high speed without dying, so it is super convenient to set up anywhere.
Shred Girls Series by Molly Hurford
If you have a young girl (14 and under) in your life that you’re hoping will get into cycling or who’s already a Shred Girl IRL, make sure you’ve gotten her all three books in the Shred Girls series: Lindsay’s Joyride, Ali’s Rocky Ride and Jen’s Bumpy Ride. You can also visit the Strong Girl Publishing web shop for Shred Girls themed tshirts, hoodies, beanies and more!
Suspension Trainer
If your person is reluctant about strength training and has no interest in going to the gym or creating a setup at home that takes up space, we love this budget version of a TRX-style strap setup. Having this set up at home opens up a few key exercises like bodyweight rows, supported squats and hamstring curls. Perfect for the offseason!
Heart Rate Arm Band
Many are learning that they hate using chest straps. Rather then using wrist-based optical (which is basically a random number generator, especially when riding!), try getting your cyclist buddy an arm band. The best option is the COROS arm band, but we have also had several people use the COOSPRO with good success at half the price.
Get the COROS here and the COOSPRO here
Read Books, Ride Bikes Tote
If your athlete is also a bit of a bookworm and is always looking for a new tote bag for stashing some bike gear for the group ride or picking up new library books, look no further than Strong Girl Publishing’s Read Books Ride Bikes tote bag. You’ll also be supporting getting more girls in sport, since a percentage of profits go directly to orgs like Fast and Female.
Bluetooth speaker by Anker
Great for the training room or for on the road, this model balances quality with price, size and features. We got two so we could link them for more coverage around the house and a ‘surround’ sound effect. It is light, has simple controls, recharges easily, waterproof and lasts 24 hours!
In Defense of Big Dreams by Mackenzie Myatt
Molly’s publishing house, Strong Girl Publishing, focuses on books for girls in sport, but this coffee table poetry book is for everyone. Nova Scotia-based elite multi-discipline cyclist Mackenzie Myatt’s first book of poetry, In Defense of Big Dreams, is all about life as an athlete and a creative soul. In Defense of Big Dreams contains more than 50 of cyclist Mackenzie Myatt’s poems along with gorgeous layouts with photos shot by Artúr Sagát. The design elements were carefully chosen to enhance each poem, and the collection focuses on topics ranging from self-confidence to sport to body image, and everything in between. While the target demographic is young women, people of all ages will appreciate the stories contained in these pages.
Coffee Ride Mug
Based on one of the poems in elite multi-discipline cyclist Mackenzie Myatt’s first book of poetry, In Defense of Big Dreams, this mug is great for any rider who ALWAYS needs that mid-ride coffee stop. (There are some other great cycling poetry inspired shirts and other goodies on Mackenzie’s author page as well.)
Maxxis Rambler
This gravel tire has been around for a long time and still ends up on a lot of fast bikes, so simplify the ‘tire talk’ and get a set (or two!) for the cyclists you ride with, especially the ones who constantly are flatting or stressing over tire choice. Comes in 38,40 or 45 c versions.
How Bad Do You Want It? by Matt Fitzgerald
An oldie but a goodie, this book by one of our fave podcast guests, Matt Fizgerald, is a great “sports psych that isn’t actually sports psych” book for the cyclists and triathletes in your life. Rather than being dry and entirely you-centric, it’s packed with stories and case studies that demonstrate principles of sports psychology without feeling as though you’re hinting too much.
Rest Day Sweatshirt
Our favorite reminder for the cyclist you know who just will not take a damn day off. Enough said.
This is My Rest Day Sweatshirt
For the friend who needs the reminder.
Rock a classic sweatshirt silhouette with ribbed crew neck, long sleeve cuffs, and a flat hem. Layer it up or wear it on its own for a contemporary streetwear look. With the soft fleece inside and comfortable fit, it’s sure to become your favorite everyday sweater right away!
• 100% cotton face
• 65% cotton, 35% polyester<br…
Squirt Chain Lube
Upgrade your lube game ! WE love the simple, long lasting wax chain lubes, and Squirt is our current go-to. This isn’t the ‘chain waxing’ you have been hearing about but more akin to ‘normal’ chain lube with a few slight differences in application and cleaning (less really!) The difference in how long this lasts through tough conditions is WILD and WORTH IT.
Skills Session (Collingwood area)
We love the idea of gifting experiences. So… If you’re in Collingwood or the Greater Toronto Area, why not gift a bike skills session (or a group bike skills session) with Peter? Learn more here
Bivo Bottles
These plastic bottle alternatives make great stocking stuffers—the stainless steel bottle comes in a ton of colors now (though obviously, I love the black) and they last FOREVER, which is really nice. I like them for travel in particular, since they’re nice to drink out of as regular water glasses if you take the top off, and they’re great for riding as well!
Garmin 840 Bike Computer
We’ve tried many of them, but the Garmin 840 is still ranked our ‘Best Bike Computer.’ And there are a lot of options these days. Our favorite is still Garmin and the 840 is an excellent balance of size, features (touchscreen/maps), price and ease of use.
Gregory Collapsible Bin
This is one of the most weirdly useful things I’ve gotten in a long time: This bin is about the size of a laundry basket, made of canvas, and collapses down on itself when not in use. It is AWESOME for organizing cycling gear, especially if you need to be organized for a weekend, but then won’t need it again for a while. (And if you’re like us and live in a spot with minimal room for storage, having a big bin like that that doesn’t take up space when not in use is SO nice. Great for a messy cyclist who always ends up with their shit spread out all over the back of your car when you ride to races together.
Velocio SOMETHING
We unabashedly love Velocio for the quality and cut of their clothing. While we do say that getting an athlete anything sized is a big no-no, if your cyclist already owns some Velocio, steal the sizing out of their stuff and order them some more. Or stick to some of their non-sized but still awesome staples, like a waterproof cycling cap (personal favorite).
3-Month Custom Plan Gift Certificate
If your cyclist is training for something big but doesn’t have a coach, consider gifting them a three-month custom plan created by us!
Gift Certificate for 3-Month Made-for-You Training Plan
Want to give a fully custom 3-month Made-for-You Training Plan to a partner, friend, riding buddy or family member?
Purchase a Gift Certificate and kickstart their training now!
You will be provided a digital gift card that will allow them to use a QR Code to apply for their plan after you gift it to them!
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inGamba Bike Tour
Easily the highest ticket item on our list but if you’re looking for THE present for a cyclist in your life, an inGamba trip is the nicest thing you could possibly do for them. We recently went on their Chianti Classico trip and it did not disappoint. Anniversary, retirement, holiday—honestly, the trip is so worth it. You’ll ride the best roads with the best guides, eat the best food, drink the best wine… and the daily massage doesn’t hurt either (nor does the gorgeous B&B you’re staying in if you do any of their Tuscany rides).
Check out their trips here—and gift certificates are available
