Cycling Gifts

Cycling is a great sport if you like socializing with other bikers, enjoying outdoor scenery, and getting exercise at the same time. Cyclists can be of all ages- from the child on his mountain bike, to the avid road-racer.

Cycling Gifts for Mountain Bikers

Mountain biking requires endurance, bike handling skills, and self-reliance. It is an individual sport which can be performed almost anywhere. There are aspects of mountain biking that are more similar to trail running than regular biking. Because riders are often far from the city, there is a strong ethic of self-reliance in the sport. Riders must learn to repair their broken bikes or flat tires to avoid being stranded miles from help. This reliance on survival skills accounts for the group dynamics of the sport. Club rides and other forms of group rides are common, especially on longer treks

Having said that, here are some cycling gifts for a mountain biker:

A subscription to mountain bike magazine, such as Mountain Bike Action
Biking helmet
Mountain biking sunglasses that offer protection from dust, wind, insects, and any foreign objects that can enter your eyes while mountain biking
Mountain biking clothing fabricated from wicking materials (which removes moisture from the skin and transfers it to the outer layer).
Hydration backpack
Survival toolkit
A bicycle bag (saddle bag) to carry the spare tube, patch kit, first aid kit, and other accessories.
Padded gloves
A mountain biking biking-tour trip through GAP Adventures
Mountain biking videos

Cycling Gifts for Road Racers

When it comes to excitement, there is really nothing like being in a road race. Picture the sound of gears meshed with chain, the smell of embrocation in your nostrils and the closeness of other riders drafting behind each other's back tire. In a road race, the action can vary from a casual stroll, where you can chat to fellow riders, to dangerous descents, to heated sprints where elbows clash and yelling can be overheard.

But what type of cycling gift can you get for someone involved in road racing?

Most road-racers require more than just a bike. They require accessories for the bike. These accessories can include bicycle jerseys (yes, road racers prefer the skin-tight variety because it helps to reduce aerodynamic drag), and aerobars for the triathlete (who wants to rest their arms in the most aerodynamic position while biking).

Here's some great cycling gift ideas for the road-racer:

Vintage Tour de France posters
Ride journals
Cycling clocks and picture frames, made out of gears
Cycling books
A bicycle bag (saddle bag) to carry the spare tube, patch kit, first aid kit, and other accessories.
A cordless cycling computer to track the ride
A GPS system
A heart-rate monitor for training purposes
Clipless pedals and shoes
Aerodynamic helmet
A subscription to Bicycling magazine
A indoor trainer (which transforms a bicycle into a stationary bike), to allow them to practice indoors over the wintertime
Spinning classes at the gym