I really wish my family was as obsessed with cycling as I am. It would make Christmas shopping a hell of a lot easier for one thing. As it stands I have to deliberate for hours on the latest interests that currently hold their attention and plan a gift around that. They are lucky because buying a present for me usually involves, asking if I need any cycling stuff, asking for a link to said stuff, ordering and then wrapping (sans the free Haribo I might add) the stuff.
Gift satisfaction with zero risk. The true spirit of Christmas.
Sometimes people go rogue and although aware that all you really want is lovely new cycling stuff they try to be original. The result is that you get a pizza slicer but in the shape of a penny farthing. How droll.
This blog is for people who like to keep up the pretence of surprise without buying a novelty bottle. I am not sponsored by any of the products listed here or receive any sort of endorsements so you can rest assured it is completely independent.
Inner Tubes
If you have been drawn a cyclist in your secret Santa then you could do no worse than buy them inner tubes. Unglamorous for sure but utterly useful for any road cyclist. Gifting inner tubes shows an appreciation of the sport and a deep understanding of the cyclists needs.
Most road bikes will use the size shown below as they cover a range of tyre widths and 700c wheel size is by far the most common amongst road cyclists to the point where I have never seen a smaller wheel. But the ones with long valves to ensure universal compatibility no matter the wheel.
Degreaser
Another essential tool in any road cyclist arsenal is the mighty degreaser. If you are buying for a road cyclist like me then cleaning the bike brings almost as much satisfaction as actually riding the thing. A good degreaser goes a long way towards this satisfaction.
Again it is not glamorous but it is what they will want deep down.
Garmin Edge 130
Maybe you actually love your cycling partner and want to show that love through an excellent cycling computer. My partner did this for me once and apart from the kids, the house and the undying love it is probably the only reason we are still together.
The new Garmin Edge 130 offers an entry level cycling computer with everything a road cyclist needs. An update over the predecessor is the ability to receive call and text notifications on the screen to save you fishing into your jersey pockets to check if that text alert is worth stopping for.
Latest Cycling Book
When they are not on the bike then the next best thing is to read about cycling. Actually the next best thing is drinking beer. Ok, reading with a cold beer in hand.
As the 2018 Tour de France winner the new autobiography from Geraint Thomas is a worthy gift. Unlike some sports stars he actually has a personality and hopefully that shines through on the pages (I haven’t read it yet but will soon, hint) plus there is always the added intrigue of the rivalry at Team Sky which by all accounts was not as rosy as they managed to portray during the actual race.
Another, perhaps more controversial recent book release has been that of Icons by Bradley Wiggins. Although his legacy since becoming the first Brit to win the Tour de France has been somewhat tarnished recently there is no denying his continued love of the sport. He is a proper student of the cycling world and this combined with having actually lived in the thick of it makes him uniquely qualified to right such a book. It is also nice to see sports stars do something a bit left-field like this. Spoiler alert, Lance Armstrong is one of the Icons as Wiggo sees him as the perfect Tour winner according to the original Tour manifesto.
Having listened to his Wiggin’s views on his podcast recently I am looking forward to reading this one (another blatant hint).