I have skin in this game – my dad is the president of St Austell Wheelers cycle club in Cornwall. Over the years, I have bought him everything from a Bart Simpson bicycle bell (which he selflessly attached to his Ribble road bike) to a myriad of jerseys, to Rouleur mugs with his favourite riders’ faces on them. I have got it right and disastrously misjudged it (that bell – sorry, dad).
This year, he says, “There are two things on my wishlist: a new pair of legs, or an electric bike!” He’s in good company; commentating legend Phil Liggett is also a fan of e-bikes. “Young and old alike are discovering the freedom of the roads, lanes and tracks by pedalling with a little assistance,” he says.
Clearly, there are mountains of options out there, so we’ve spoken to a whole host of two-wheeled enthusiasts to find the gifts that cyclists really want for Christmas.
Protective neckwear
Buff Snood, from £20.95
buff.com
£15.99
amazon.co.uk
Laura Laker, cycling journalist, co-host of the Streets Ahead podcast and author of Potholes and Pavements, says protective neckwear is a great gift “because the weather can be unpredictable, and snoods don’t flap around like a scarf”.
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Muscle recovery tools
Pulsio Air Massage gun, £69.99
decathlon.co.uk
Bodi-Tek deep tissue massage gun, £59.99
argos.co.uk
Opti foam roller, £15
argos.co.uk
Maximo foam roller, from £13.99
amazon.co.uk
Massage stick, £13.99
decathlon.co.uk
Muscle roller stick, £10.99
amazon.co.uk
Massage ball, £4.99
decathlon.co.uk
Massage ball set, £9.99
amazon.co.uk
“It’s common for cyclists not to stretch enough, and even commutes can tighten muscles over time,” says Laker. “There’s good evidence that foam rollers reduce muscle soreness after an intense effort (like chasing a rain cloud home), while massage sticks and massage balls are good stocking fillers.”
Luxury bath products
Neal’s Yard lavender bath salts, £17
nealsyardremedies.com
£14.45
amazon.co.uk
Neal’s Yard geranium and orange bath oil, £19
nealsyardremedies.com
£16
amazon.co.uk
“On returning from a ride covered in muck, luxurious-feeling bath products can work wonders, physically and mentally,” says Laker. “Bath salts soothe aching muscles, while oils help get some of the stickier splashes off – and they’re kinder than Swarfega. Neal’s Yard offers some great options.”
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Charity membership
Cycling UK membership, £52 a year
my.cyclinguk.org
“For the cyclist who has everything,” Laker suggests supporting a cycling charity. “Cycling UK’s staff and volunteers are superheroes, fighting for cycling day in, day out. You get free third-party insurance with membership, plus a regular members’ magazine and bike shop discounts.”
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Cycling glasses
Oakley Sphaera sunglasses, £191
oakley.com
100% Slendale sunglasses, £84.99
silverfish-uk.com
£67.99
tweekscycles.com
Are you even a cyclist if you aren’t wearing Oakley glasses? Sam Challis, tech editor at Cyclist magazine, suggests the Sphaera because they have “an oversized lens for an expansive field of view and frames that have been shaped to play nicely with modern helmets”.
A more affordable option, Challis says, is the 100% Slendale glasses. These are a “toned-down update on one of [former Slovak cyclist] Peter Sagan’s favourite models – slimmer, and therefore lighter, with cut-outs in the lens for ventilation”.
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Cycling seat pack
Silca Mattone seat pack, £39
saddleback.co.uk
£45
sigmasports.com
A seat pack is an overlooked accessory, according to Challis, but this one will “protect multitools from rust, and there’s space for everything you’d need”. Neat.
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BMX starter set
7iDP Project 23 ABS full face helmet, £129.95
skatehut.co.uk
£79.99
amazon.co.uk
Triple Eight knee pads, £20.95
skatepro.uk
Triple Eight elbow pads, £18.95
skatepro.uk
Stay Strong body armour, £119.99
sourcebmx.com
Do you have a child who’s into BMX? Ken Floyde, chair and founder of the Brixton BMX Club, suggests a BMX race bike, a full-face BMX helmet, knee and elbow pads, or body armour, as “once they have these, they can go ride at a BMX track”. Floyde’s track in Brockwell Park will be open on Christmas Day for eager riders.
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… or a BMX street bike
Kush 2+ BMX bike, £249
mafiabike.com
The alternative is a BMX Street Bike with stunt pegs, which they can ride at a skatepark, says Floyde, who “would dearly love the [1984] book BMX from Start to Finish by Ken Evans and Andy Ruffell”.
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Cycling book
Coffee First, Then the World by Jenny Graham, £10.44
guardian.bookshop.com
£6.98
amazon.co.uk
Martine Tommis, a cyclist with the women’s club Team Glow in Manchester, suggests the book Coffee First, Then the World by cyclist Jenny Graham about her round-the-world cycle.
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Maps subscription for exploring
OS Maps Premium, £39.99 for 12 months subscription with gift card
shop.ordnancesurvey.co.uk
Chris Boardman, former Olympian turned cycling advocate and National Active Travel commissioner, says: “My ideas of fitness and health now are exploring by bike in the Cairngorms.” He suggests Ordnance Survey mapping software as a gift because it gives him “the confidence to explore widely”.
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Secure phone mount
Quad Lock phone case, from £25.99
quadlockcase.co.uk
From £31.49
amazon.co.uk
Stem Cap Mount, from £39.99
quadlockcase.co.uk
£34.99
amazon.co.uk
Boardman suggests a phone holder and mount so you can safely attach your phone to the stem of the handlebars for “practical visibility of where I am”.
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Waterproof trousers
Berghaus Men’s Paclite waterproof trousers, £150
berghaus.com
£104.99
amazon.co.uk
For all-weather cycling, whether commuting or for pleasure, waterproof over-trousers are a must. While most have a waterproof jacket, these “complete the coverage and stop the weather being a barrier”, says Boardman.
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Mudguards
Mud Hugger mudguards, from £25
themudhugger.co.uk
£37.99
amazon.co.uk
Boardman says these are essential, as “it makes such a difference to have a dry backside!”
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Cargo bike
Omnium Cargo V3 bike, £2,895
paradisecycles.co.uk
Short Haul D8, £1,100
ternbicycles.com/uk
Marlon Plein, of BabyLDN, builds custom bikes from recycled, unloved, discarded bicycles and runs a community bike repair and spares shop in south-east London. He would love a cargo bike. “An Omnium would be a godsend, so I can carry large items and large quantities from A to B with ease. They’re light, sturdy and super-practical.”
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Warm insulated or down jacket
Endura Men’s GV500 insulated jacket, £179.99
endurasport.com
£99.99
amazon.co.uk
Uniqlo ultra light down jacket, £69.90
uniqlo.com
Professional photographer Juan Trujillo Andrades has travelled all over Europe photographing cycling and is a keen rider himself. He loves gravel riding and suggests an “insulated or down jacket that’s warm, comfy and looks the part when going through muddy lanes or hopping around town”.
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Art prints
The Handmade Cyclist Monuments prints, £230
thehandmadecyclist.com
Do you struggle to get out in bad weather? “Sometimes a bit of inspiration is what you need,” says Trujillo Andrades, who suggests “a collection of prints from the Handmade Cyclist dedicated to the five ‘monuments’”.
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Handlebar bag
Wizard Works Lil Presto barrel bag, from £52
wizard.works
For those who take a more relaxed approach, a handlebar bag is perfect “to carry not just essentials like tools and your phone, but also a sandwich or some homemade biscuits. They are easily removed if you want to lock your bike somewhere and take your valuables with you,” says Trujillo Andrades.
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Cleaning kit
Muc-Off pressure washer starter kit + 30l dry bag, £100
muc-off.com
£130
amazon.co.uk
Fran Brown, a nine-time world champion in paracycling, recommends a bike-specific pressure washer as “the easiest and quickest way to clean your bike and kit after messy winter rides without ruining any of the components”.
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Hydration on the go
Deboyo Race stainless steel thermal bottle, £24.99
decathlon.co.uk
£27.99
amazon.co.uk
“An insulated flask-style drink bottle can turn a miserable winter ride into a far nicer experience,” says Brown. She also says that an Audible subscription is perfect for entertainment as you pedal on a turbo on days when outdoor rides are out of the question.
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Energy bars that taste good
Veloforte starter pack, £20.89
veloforte.com
Veloforte protein bars variety pack, from £16.82
amazon.co.uk
Emily Chappell, winner of the 2016 ultra-endurance Transcontinental Race and author of Where There’s A Will, recommends stuffing a stocking with Veloforte energy bars as “unlike most sports nutrition, they’re actually enjoyable to eat”.
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Portable pump
Lezyne micro pump, £61.99
allterraincycles.co.uk
amazon.co.uk
“This is simply the best portable pump I’ve come across,” says Chappell. “A foldable foot peg turns it into a track pump, and it’s more comfortable to use than any other I’ve tried, meaning you don’t find yourself giving up before the tyre’s properly inflated.”
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Lightweight headlamp
Petzl Bindi 200 headlamp, £47.99
ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk
£30.99
amazon.co.uk
For bikepacking, “the beam can be red or white, meaning that [this headlamp] can make a good addition to – or emergency substitute for – regular bike lights. They’re tiny and lightweight, and the drawstring means they attach easily to almost anything; body, bike or bag,” says Chappell.
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Tracking tech
Wahoo Elemnt Rival smart sports watch, £199.99
wahoofitness.com
£158.99
amazon.co.uk
Garmin Edge 530 GPS cycling computer, £189.99
tredz.co.uk
£199.99
decathlon.co.uk
St Austell Wheelers member Dave Bulled started cycling two years ago. “To begin with, I only went on short 10km rides, but I enjoyed it so much that I joined a club and started to record my rides on my smartwatch, which was super useful for keeping track and improving my fitness,” he says.
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Winter warmers
Proviz gloves, £34.99
provizsports.com
£39.99
amazon.co.uk
Sealskinz socks, from £30
sealskinz.com
£24.99
amazon.co.uk
Pedaled Odyssey women’s base layer, £70
uk.pedaled.com
Clare Taylor, a fellow St Austell Wheelers club member and GP, wants accessories to keep warm on winter rides, so suggests waterproof gloves, overshoes, warm waterproof Sealskinz socks and merino wool base layers.
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Chamois cream
Muc-Off ladies chamois cream, £11.49
planetx.co.uk
£14.49
amazon.co.uk
In her stocking, Taylor would love “a big pot of the ultimate chamois cream, an essential for a comfortable ride as it minimises chafing between your skin and the pad in your cycling shorts. This brand is known to be a cyclist’s favourite.”
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A coffee lock
Kryptonite Evolution Mini-5 lock, £74.99
condorcycles.com
£35.99
amazon.co.uk
Taylor is also after a decent “coffee lock”, cycling lingo for a lock to secure your bike while you enjoy a reviving shot of caffeine mid-ride. “After all, cycling is all about the cake and coffee stops,” she says.
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Turbo trainer for cold weather
Zwift Ride indoor bike with Wahoo Kickr Core, £1,199.99
uk.zwift.com
Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One indoor turbo trainer, £449.99
uk.wahoofitness.com
For Mani Arthur, founder of the Black Cyclists Network, a “Zwift indoor bike is the best way to get you through the winter”. The Wahoo Kickr Core Zwift One indoor turbo trainer is a cheaper option.
Heating for hands
Sealskinz Upwell waterproof heated cycle glove, £175
sealskinz.com
For those whose extremities run cold, whether on the road or up a mountain, heated gloves may be the ultimate luxury. This pair has leather palms, breathable insulation, a waterproof layer and a rechargeable battery with up to six hours of toasty time.
For more gear to keep you safe and cosy, see our guide to winter cycling essentials.
Pogačar’s helmet
Trenta 3K Carbon Mips helmet, £290
sigmasports.com
£221.19
amazon.co.uk
Every cyclist needs a helmet, but for Arthur, it has to be this one, which is “currently worn by [Slovenian cyclist] Tadej Pogačar”, who won the Giro d’Italia, Tour de France and the men’s elite race at the Road world championships in 2024. I think we can call that tried and tested.
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Emergency tools
Topeak Mini P20 multi-tool, £36.99
merlincycles.com
£26.52
amazon.co.uk
This nifty piece of kit “will get you out of most emergencies”, says Arthur. It includes various allen and torx keys, Phillips and flat-head screwdrivers, a chain split link breaker, spoke keys and a small knife with a part-serrated blade.
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Personalised stickers
Name decals, £6.99
namedecals.com
Finally, Arthur says you can “make your loved one feel like a pro by decorating their bike with a personalised sticker”.
