Selecting the perfect gift for the athlete in your life can be troublesome, frustrating, and tiring. Even if you know exactly what hobbies your friend or family is into, it can be hard to predict whether or not they’ll actually enjoy a gift. Sports equipment is so personal, and you wouldn’t want to risk getting something that adds difficulty to their routine. Even if there’s an item that you think the cyclist in your life would love, sometimes it’s better to check with them and find out their personal preferences, which admittedly ruins the spirit of gift giving! If you’ve ever struggled with what to get your ultra-athletic cyclist friend or family member for the holidays, fear no more. This article is designed to help you pick the perfect cycling gifts for your loved one, and after reading it, you’ll feel much more confident about what to buy. First, we’ll talk about some good (and not so good) ideas for cycling gifts. Later on, we’ll actually review a few products, providing inspiration and a possible shopping list! Finally, we’ll talk about what to do if you’re still stumped in your search. By the end of the article, it wouldn’t be surprising if you wanted to take up cycling yourself!
Gifts For Cyclists Should Be Healthy
By this point, you may be wondering ‘why cycling gifts?’ Well, why not? The holidays, typically seen as a time of overindulgence, often don’t include very many healthy overtures. You can probably count on one hand the amount of junk food or dessert-related gifts you got last year alone! And while everyone loves to indulge sometimes, putting all diet bets off the table during the holidays is a surefire way to gain lots of New Year’s weight. If you’ve got a friend with a healthy habit or love of exercise, why not capitalize on that for their gift? If they’re anything like you, chances are they’re also pretty tired of receiving the same tins of caramel popcorn. Instead of getting them something unoriginal and traditional, why not give them something to make their hobby even better? And who knows, if you start giving healthy cycling gifts, you may just start a trend among your friends and family! Instead of just wishing for a change to the gluttonous holidays, you can start one yourself. Cycling gifts are also a great idea because they take some of the stress out of gift giving. Even if you’re unsure about your relative loving a handmade craft, if they’re a cyclist, they’re much more likely to love (and use!) a gift relating to cycling. Gift giving can be nothing short of harrowing at times, even with the advent of online shopping, so sticking to someone’s interest or hobby is a great way to make sure you won’t be spending hours thinking of the perfect gift.
So, what’s a non-cyclist to do when your bike-loving friend has a birthday coming up? For starters, you’re going to want to think about how well you know the person. If this is just an acquaintance or a distant family member, it’s unlikely that you’re going to want to give anything too personal. Seat covers and gloves may not be a good idea for these people because you’re unlikely to know their individual preferences. For a casual friend, it’s definitely a better idea to think about more general gifts, like a bike-centric guidebook for a location your friend is planning to visit, or a multi-purpose tool that can be used on all types of bikes. Likewise, if your cycling friend is a close relative or spouse, you’re probably comfortable enough with that person to buy them cycling clothes or something slightly more personal. Rest assured, there’s a perfect cycling gift for everyone you can think of!
Tour de Mall
Even if you don’t know very much about cycling, you’ll still be able to grab a great gift for your friend or relative. In this section, we’ll go through and review some products that any cycling fan would love. Before reading through the reviews, think about how well you know the person who will be on the receiving end of the gift. It may be a good time to ask yourself some questions, such as the ones below:
- Has my friend or relative recently talked about anything specific they’d like?
- Or have they complained of a cycling-related problem that a gift would help?
- How frequently does this person cycle? Are they a hobbyist or very serious?
- How well do I know this person, and what would they feel comfortable receiving from me?
- Is this person able to cycle year-round? Just in the summer?
- Does my friend take cycling trips, like camping? Or do they use a bike for commuting?
Now we’re going to look at some individual products of different types. Remember, these reviews are completely objective, and the goal of this article isn’t to sell you anything. We’ll be quoting things mentioned by real users, so you know you’ll always be getting an honest opinion. When in doubt, it may be a good idea to do some of your own research after reading, but these reviews should serve as an excellent base for getting you on the right track. Happy hunting, and good luck!
4 Recommended Cycling Gifts
Bike ‘Gooj’ Multifunction Tool with 18 Functions with Chain Breaker / Pin Splitter / Cutter and Carry Case by VeloChampion
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The Gooj Multifunction tool by VeloChampion would be a perfect gift for the avid cycler or commuter alike! This would be a great present for almost anyone who loves cycling, regardless of skill level. The Gooj tool features 18 different functions, including a chain cutter, and will definitely come in handy for long and short rides alike! It also features 3 of the most common spoke wrench sizes, two screwdrivers, a tyre lever, and a torque, among many other tools. ‘Gooj’ stands for ‘get out of jail,’ which would be possible to do with this tool! Since it’s compact and well designed (it even arrives with a carrying case), it wouldn’t take up too much room or hinder a cyclist’s movement. This tool can be stored in the smallest of bags, and it doesn’t have any sharp edges so it won’t lead to snags. User reviews report really loving this tool, for both professional cyclists and casual cyclists alike, with one reviewer stating it they purchased it after a 20-year break in cycling! Be warned that this tool is in metric sizes, so if you’re not familiar with the metric system, it may not be the most ideal. This is one of the top best-selling cycling accessories, and it’s easy to see why: it’s extremely functional, compact and ideal for almost everyone! The only problem with the Gooj multifunction tool is that once you give it, you may not be able to top your gift next year!
Fifty Places To Bike Before You Die by Chris Santella
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Almost everyone loves to read, and this book is perfect for the cyclist in your life! This book, in addition to featuring stunning photographs, covers many and obscure places perfect for cycling. Users report loving the photographs and travel ideas, as well as noting that Fifty Places To Bike Before You Die makes an excellent coffee table book. One person said he loves browsing through the book so much that he ordered a second copy for his office! It would be a great idea to purchase this book for a friend or loved one, maybe alongside a ticket to one of the places listed in the book! If your friend has talked for years about cycling through Indonesia but hasn’t had any idea where to start, this would definitely be the gift for them. Additionally, there are several bike tour companies mentioned throughout the book, which is a great add for anyone who wants to travel but isn’t feeling independent enough to do it on their own. Pour a glass of ice water, sit back, and relax with Fifty Places To Bike Before You Die—chances are if you weren’t a fan of cycling when you picked the book up, you will be when you put it down! This book portrays cycling in a relaxed and beautiful way, so it might not be the best gift for the avid racing cycling you know in your life. Remember, consider the feelings of everyone when decided what to purchase!
Bike Chain Coffee Mug by Plug Industries
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If you know a cycling fan who spends a great deal of time working in the office, this would be the perfect and casual gift. The bike chain coffee mug is made of stoneware and hand painted, so unfortunately it’s not safe for the dishwasher or the microwave. However this would be a perfect gift for the cycling enthusiast in your life who you don’t know all that well yet, like a co-worker or a new friend. This mug would also be a great stocking stuffer for the cycling enthusiast who you do know very well! Even though it’s a smaller gift, everyone appreciates a thoughtful gesture, and catering that gesture to someone’s individual taste is always well received. Check out this bike chain mug today, and the cyclist in your life is sure to be pleased!
Protege 9.0 9-Function Bike Computer with 4-Line Display and Temperature by Planet Bike
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If you’ve got a dedicated and tough cyclist in your life, a bike computer might just be the perfect thing. This Protégé bike computer by Planet Bike is made with ultrasonic technology, making it completely weatherproof! It arrives with a mounting kit for the front handlebars, and measures current speed, speed comparator, ride time, trip distance, and a dual odometer (for two wheel sizes). The Protégé bike computer is perfect for the dedicated athlete cyclist as well as the commuter. Want to know how much time you’re saving on your trip to work? Check out the Protégé! Want to figure out how long it’ll take you for a bike race? Again, the Protégé will help you out much more easily than using a pen and paper. This bike computer auto-starts when your bike begins moving, and the mileage and time stops recording when you stop, it really is that simple! Users report loving the ‘buttonless’ design that arrives with auto start and stop, as well as the long battery life; it’s lasted some customers over a year on a single battery! It’s reported as being extremely easy to use, and helpful for cyclists undertaking any task. Unfortunately, the Protégé isn’t backlit, so using it at night will require a flashlight, but customers are still extremely satisfied. If you know a tech junkie who loves to cycle, they’re going to be thrilled when they unwrap this gift!
Grab Your Helmet, Get Set, Go!
Deciding to purchase a healthy cycling gift for your friend or loved one is a huge step in the right direction; you’re confronting the indulgent idea of a holiday or birthday extravaganza head on! You’re also catering to a friend’s hobbies, which is a sweet and often-appreciated thing to do. Plus, shopping for cycling gifts is maybe even likely to inspire more fitness and activity in your own life! It’s really a win-win situation all around.
If you’re still feeling stumped by what to buy for the cyclist in your life, remember this article as inspiration, not literal direction. We intended this to be a guide, in order to show you the array of items that can be purchased for cycling enthusiasts; it definitely wasn’t meant to be the be-all, end-all for gift ideas. Think about all of the other items you can buy for the cyclist in your life, like socks, fun t-shirts, and bike decorations. Above all, remember to have fun! You’re shopping for a leisure activity that people enjoy, so try to think about that if you’re really stumped. Shopping for the holidays can be stressful, but when you’re shopping for cycling gifts, it doesn’t have to be!
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