Like a strong tailwind, rich coffee and a smooth road without cars, here are ten gifts guaranteed to make any roadie smile, with options starting at less than £10.
The best Christmas gifts for road cyclists in 2019
- Castelli Gregge 15 Sock: £16
- dhb Windslam neck tube: £6
- Silca Sicuro titanium bottle cages: £70 / $70
- Continental Grand Prix 5000 tyres: from £59.99
- Breaking Away film: from £3.49
- Garmin Edge 530: £259.99 / $299.99 / AU$449
- Topeak Ratchet Rocket Lite DX multitool: £27.99 / $33
- Park Tool SK-3 Home Mechanic Starter Kit: £89.99 / $115.95
- X-Tool workstand: £35
- US Pro Tools tool chest: £60.99
Castelli Gregge 15 Sock
In any other scenario, buying socks as a Christmas gift is likely to be met with rolling eyes or outright offence – not so for the typical roadie.
Socks are a way of life for road cyclists, and varied colours and designs are always welcome, as long as they’re not too short. (Ankle socks are an absolute no, and will be met with a polite grimace.)
At this time of year, something slightly warmer is ideal. Castelli’s Gregge 15 socks are made from a cosy Merino blend and they’re designed to be snug without being too thick to fit in cycling shoes.
- £16 / $20
Latest deals for Castelli Gregge socks
dhb Windslam neck tube
Buying kit for someone else can be tricky, but there are certain accessories every rider will appreciate. A neck tube is all but essential in the depths of winter, when freezing air will do its best to find a way in.
dhb’s Windslam neck tube is made from a fleece backed windproof fabric, with a mesh panel that lets you breathe if you’re using it as a mask.
Latest deals
Silca Sicuro titanium bottle cages
Bottle cages come in all manner of designs and they don’t have to be expensive. However, a set of posh titanium cages can be the finishing touch to an exotic build, and few are more elegant than the Sicuro from Silca.
Weighing 31g each, there isn’t a roadie on the planet who wouldn’t delight in these. Note that it’s customary to buy cages in pairs…
- £70 / $70
Latest deals for the Silca Sicuro titanium bottle cage
Continental Grand Prix 5000 tyres
Okay, so tyres might not sound very exciting, but they’re arguably the single most affordable way to give a bike a real performance upgrade, and any roadie will delight in a new set.
The Grand Prix 5000 is the latest and greatest do-it-all tyre from Continental, the successor to the all-conquering GP4000S II.
It’s available in a range of sizes as well as a tubeless (TL) option, so make sure you surreptitiously check the spec before ordering a set on someone else’s behalf.
Latest deals for the Continental Grand Prix 5000
Breaking Away film
There aren’t many decent cinematic representations of cycling, but Breaking Away is a true classic, combining some good old fashioned cycling with a heartwarming coming-of-age storyline.
Breaking Away is a good film in its own right, not just because it happens to include bikes, so it’s one non-cyclists will still enjoy.
- From £3.49 / $3.99 (rental) or £5.99 (DVD)
- Buy now from / Amazon.com
Garmin Edge 530 GPS bike computer
This entry is sponsored by Garmin
The Garmin Edge 530 is an extremely capable GPS computer that meets the needs of the typical enthusiast rider.
Garmin’s mid-size Edge packs a huge amount of functionality into a small package, offering every performance metric under the sun and a wealth of connectivity. It’s perfect for performance-focussed riders.
We like the 530 for its physical buttons (rather than a touchscreen), which makes it easier to operate on the move and when you’re wearing gloves.
- £259.99 / $299.99 / AU$449
- Buy now from Wiggle
Topeak Ratchet Rocket Lite DX
Some multi-tools suffer from quantity over quality, packing too many functions into a small package, but not actually being good at anything.
Topeak’s handy little ratchet sets keep things simple and as a result they’re very effective. The bits provided cover most eventualities, but your giftee can always swap them for alternatives if they have an unusual fastener on their bike.
The Ratchet Rocket set is highly portable and it includes an extender and two small tyre levers for emergencies too. The perfect stocking filler?
- £27.99 / $33
Latest deals for the Topeak Ratchet Rocket Lite DX
Park Tool SK-3 Home Mechanic Starter Kit
A few basic tools can make working on bikes a pleasure but it can be hard to know where to start because there are so many options.
This kit from Park Tool has some really useful essentials including cable cutters, a chain tool, quick-link pliers, a screwdriver and more, all contained in a neat and portable tool box.
- £89.99 / $115.95
Latest deals for the Park Tool Home Mechanic Starter Kit
X-Tools workstand
A workstand is an absolute essential if you’re doing regular bike maintenance because it raises the bike to a comfortable working height and lets you operate brakes and gears as you make adjustments.
The X-Tools folds down when it’s not in use, and it includes a magnetic parts tray so you don’t lose small parts mid-job.
Latest deals for the X-Tools Bike Workstand
US Pro Tools tool chest
Fed up having cycling maintenance miscellanea strewn about your house? A full-sized tool cabinet is a great way to tidy up living space, with enough storage to even hide away spare parts.
The price range for a tool cabinet is basically limitless, but for those looking for something simple and affordable, it’s hard to pass up these generic chests from US Pro Tools.
This is a UK-based seller on eBay, but countless re-badged alternatives exist worldwide.
- £60.99 (prices vary)
