If you’re shopping for the athlete in your life, we have a ton of gift ideas coming in the next week or two. But we also have seen a lot of well-intentioned gift giving go completely sideways, so for the sake of the athletes you know, here’s what we recommend not giving UNLESS you are specifically asked for these things. (Hint: If you’re the athlete in question, send this guide to your friends/family to gently hint that the bike themed WHATEVER is not what’s topping your wishlist.)
PS: Before we get into it, yes, some of you may really, really love bike-themed jewelry and vehemently disagree with us that it’s not a great gift for cyclists. We get it! If that’s the case for you, put that stuff on your gift list… but before gifting it to others, maybe do a vibe check and make sure that your gift-ee is on the same page. If they are, go forth and gift to your heart’s content!
Race Entry
Race entries are really sweet gift ideas—they’re thoughtful and suggest that you’re excited to have a great experience with said athlete. But unless this is something you’ve agreed on, dropping something like a race onto a friend/spouse/family member’s calendar is a major commitment. You may think of it as being similar to tickets to a concert for a band you both love, but with a concert, there’s no training commitment involved. You can suggest events to do together, but avoid actually signing your athlete buddy up without their consent.
Instead: A coaching consult or 3-month custom plan, so that your athlete can plan out the season that they truly want!
Shoes
You may be feeling very sneaky, having checked the tag on your friend’s running or cycling shoes so that you could purchase them a new pair for the holidays. But pause on that! Cycling and running shoes are so, so hyper-specific that they’re never a good gift idea. Even if you get the right size (and that’s questionable since size from brand to brand and even style to style may vary), it may not be the right fit.
Instead: Gift card to a local bike or run shop, or to the actual shoe company (Norda, Hoka, etc.) so that your friend can choose their own shoes.
Any Sized Clothing
Again, unless your athlete has been mega-specific about their preferences, skip this. And by mega-specific, I mean even more so than “size medium bike jersey.” Don’t trust it: Sizing is so funky from brand to brand, so it’s better to avoid this route altogether. Unless they say “Size Medium in the Velocio Ultra-Thin Long Sleeve Jersey in Moonstone”—hint, hint), just don’t do it. If you are dead set on it because the jersey is just perfect for your cyclist buddy, at least include a gift receipt.
Instead: Gift cards to the clothing companies that you know they like, or options like cycling caps and buffs that are size agnostic
Any Athletically Themed “Cute” Decor/Tchotchkes/Jewelry
Again, the caveat here is always ‘unless they ask for it,’ but as people who all too often are gifted well-intentioned but not-our-thing cyclist decorations and jewelry, we… don’t love it. (Though, shout out to my ninth grade boyfriend who made me a bracelet out of a bike chain. Hope you’re doing well!)
We’re pretty picky about our interior decor and I’m insanely picky about my jewelry, and here’s the thing: Athletes don’t always want to be/appear athletic all the time.
Instead: If you’re dead set that you want to give some type of decor or jewelry, make it a) subtle and b) useful. Instead of bike-themed jewelry, why not look for a brand making high quality items that can be worn while riding (i.e ones that are designed to hold up to sweat and water)? Or if you must lean into the bike life stuff, an oversize tshirt with a bike pun is a useful sleep shirt. Ahem…
Cross-Training is Not a Crime
The 100% cotton men’s classic tee will help you land a more structured look. It sits nicely, maintains sharp lines around the edges, and goes perfectly with layered streetwear outfits. Plus, it’s extra trendy now!
• 100% cotton
• Sport Grey is 90% cotton, 10% polyester
• Ash Grey is 99% cotton, 1% polyester
• Heather colors are 50% cotton, 50% polyester
• Fabric weight: 5.0–5.3 oz/yd² (1…
