Christmas Gift Ideas for the Cyclist in Your Life

Just one of the many wonderful things about having a cyclist in your life is never having to suffer through the old ‘they’re impossible to buy for’ dilemma come Christmas time!

Whether you are looking strictly for stuffing fillers or are going for a more serious investment, the range of options out there is practically without end.

Of course, too much choice can sometimes become a problem in itself. But never fear; we have scoured the internet and spoken with some of our most avid rider friends and whittled the whole thing down to a list of more manageable proportions. 

Budget

1. Rapha Brevet Reflective Socks. £24

Getting socks for Christmas is about as traditional as turkey, tinsel and Tiny Tim. But as any rider will tell you, wearing high quality, cycling-specific socks can make the whole business a lot more comfortable, enjoyable and, if you choose the right pair, fashionable. 

Our favourites are the Brevet Reflective from Rapha. Made from a blend of wool and PrimaLoft, a synthetic microfibre thermal insulating material, they have excellent breathability and were designed especially for long days in the saddle; perfect for endurance rides and multi-day tours. They even feature a reflective strip for added safety.

Not the cheapest, but definitely worth the outlay

2. Crankbrothers M19 Multi-Tool. £34.99

It’s something every cyclist will need at some point, and this multi-tool from leading mountain bike component engineers, crankbrothers is just about the best you can get.

Inside its lightweight, 175g frame, you will find 8mm and 10mm open wrenches, a chain tool compatible with 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12-speed chains, as well as 4 spoke wrenches, 7 hex wrenches, 3 screwdrivers and 2 Torx wrenches. 

Available in four different colourways, there is no side-of-the-road emergency the M19 can’t handle

3. CatEye AMPP 400 & ViZ 150 Bike Light Set. £39.99

High quality lights are more important than ever this time of year, and who better to entrust with your safety than CatEye, true industry pioneers since 1954. 

The AMPP 400 is a USB-rechargeable, superbright 400 lumen headlight incorporating CatEye’s own OptiCube lens technology for an extra wide beam. Offering excellent side visibility, low battery indicator, four light modes and mode memory function, the lightweight 117g unit is held secure with the FlexTight bracket.

CatEye also helped kickstart the LED rear light movement and the ViZ 150 bundled with this set uses 3, covered by a focused lens for maximum visibility and an impressive 300 coverage. The Lithium-ion rechargeable battery gives up to 70-hours runtime in flashing mode and the all-new Snap System mount means the light can be placed on various parts of the bike in either horizontal or vertical orientations. 

Midrange 

4. Muc-Off Ultimate Pressure Washer Bicycle Bundle. £150

Is there anything more satisfying than watching a pressure washer at work?!

UK-based company Muc-Off has produced the first one specifically designed for bicycles and motorbikes, providing all the cleaning power you could need while protecting those all-important seals and bearings.

The Ultimate Bundle includes their distinctive bright pink pressure washer, together with 3 different lances—one purely for bikes with a wider spray to preserve paint finishes, a higher-pressure one for motorbikes, and the clean freak’s dream, the Snow Foam. Just screw in a bottle of your favourite bike-cleaning detergent and the lance transforms it into a thick foam that eliminates dirt from the most inaccessible nooks and crannies.

Muc-Off have even thrown in their Nano Tech Cleaner, their MO-94 protective spray and a branded Snapback cap too   

5. Fitbit Versa 4. £179.99

Cycling Smartwatches are a great alternative to bike computers, but they do tend to be on the pricey side.

That’s where the Versa 4 from Fitbit comes in. It packs a host of health and fitness tracking features into its stylish aluminium case, including an integrated GPS, optical heartrate sensor, blood oxygen saturation monitor, an altimeter, an accelerometer, a sleep tracker and much more. It can also take on-wrist Bluetooth calls, text and app notifications and, thanks to Fitbit’s new parent company Google, it has Alexa Built-in, as well as Google Maps and Wallet.

Up front you get a crystal clear 1.58” AMOLED screen and it is all held secure by a silicone Infinity band.   

In short, there is very little out there offering so much for so little, making the Versa 4 a genuine bargain

6. Garmin Varia RTL515. £130

An absolutely brilliant piece of kit and an invaluable safety device, the Garmin Varia is a powerful rear light with a built-in radar. 

Connect it via Bluetooth or Ant+ to your bike computer, watch or Smartphone and the Varia gives an early warning of vehicles coming up behind you to overtake. With a range of 140m, the radar is usually able to detect approaching traffic long before you are, and even gives you a green, amber or red alert to tell you how fast they are travelling.

Not only that, the rear light reacts too, flashing more quickly when it identifies incoming cars, all in the name of making you more visible on the road.

Priceless piece of mind at a great price, the RTL515 is a definite winner this Christmas.

7. The Bike Project. £10-£150 

For something a little different, why not consider getting involved in the great work being carried out by The Bike Project.

This U.K. charity’s mission is to offer help to those in dire need by refurbishing second-hand bikes and gifting them to immigrants and asylum seekers. Since 2013, they have donated over 11,000 bicycles to people fleeing persecution, giving them transportation, health, independence and hope. 

£150 pays for a full-size, fully restored bike, while £75 will buy a child’s bike for a young refugee. But you can also contribute in the form of gift cards from as little as £10 

Luxury

8. Wahoo KICKR ROLLR Smart Bike Roller Trainer. £549.99

Nothing beats being out on your bike in the winter, with its freezing temperatures, fleeting daylight and lashing rain. Actually, quite a lot beats that, which is why the KICKR ROLLR from Wahoo makes such a great gift.

Easy to set up, you simply attach the trainer to your bike’s A-frame front wheel mount and sit the rear wheel on the rollers. 

The KICKR can then be used as is or, if plugged-in to a power supply, becomes a Smart trainer, able to connect to bike computers and indoor cycling apps. 

With the front wheel held secure, there’s none of the tricky balancing problems you get with other roller systems and it will accommodate just about any size and type of bike.

An ideal introduction into virtual racing and indoor cycling, or just for those colder months when you can’t face the outdoors, Wahoo’s KICKR ROLLR ensures you can always get in the saddle

9. Go Pro Hero12 Black. From £399.99

The first and last word in action camera manufacturers, GoPro’s newest creation, the Hero12 manages to top even the brand’s own best efforts.

The 5.3K, feature-stuffed camera was released just this year and boasts a number of key upgrades over its predecessor, including GoPro’s Emmy Award-winning HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilization and horizon lock, a new super wide-angle lens, new editing tools for content creators and, for the first time, a vertical capture mode to let you record vertical-frame video for TikTok and Instagram. Best of all in many people’s eyes though is an improved battery life that doubles the runtime of the Hero11.

The camera is also compatible with more than 50 different mounts, so it can be attached to your bike or cycle helmet to immortalise your greatest journeys.  

Quite simply the best in the business

10. Kask Elemento Cycle Helmet. £335

As far as bike helmets go, this flagship offering from leading Italian firm Kask, designed in collaboration with the INEOS Grenadiers Cycling team, is about as good as it gets.

The Elemento brings with it two innovations we’ve never seen before. The first, known as Fluid Carbon 12, is the name given to a series of thermoplastic carbon composite panels Kask has built into the shell of the helmet to offer improved impact energy distribution and enhanced breathability. The second, Multipod, consists of 3D printed pads around the interior that give linear and rotational impact protection. 

It all adds up to a revolutionary helmet devised for the serious cyclist and those who know that when it comes to protecting your head, it absolutely pays to buy the very best.

11. Custom Paintwork From Kustomflow. From £595

Everyone wants to stand out from the crowd, and giving your bike a wholly unique paintjob is a perfect way to do it. 

Kustomflow, based in Kingston-Upon-Hull, has been one of the leading custom paintwork specialists in the U.K. for over 15-years now, and works with everyone from independent riders all the way up to major brands such as Muc-Off, Wahoo and Factor Bikes. 

They offer a full consultation service and can talk through any design you have in mind, or you can visit their extensive gallery for inspiration. Working with only the best materials from the most reputable suppliers, you can be assured of incredible results

Extra Bonus

There’s no better cure for the winter blues than having a trip to look forward to all organised. 

At Wild Atlantic Cycling Tours, we run a wide variety of long-distance, point-to-point tours in Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Portugal, Croatia and the Balkans.

All fully supported, our highly experienced, friendly and knowledgeable staff take care of everything, transporting your luggage to each stop along the route to let you just get on with riding and enjoying the incredible scenery. Every itinerary is meticulously planned out so you get to experience the best each location has to offer, with great stopovers in high quality hotels.   

Our schedule for 2024 is out now. Check it out here and book yourself some much needed sunshine