Got a cyclist on your holiday shopping list? We’ve sifted through hundreds of bike-related gift items to bring you some top picks. Whether safety or style, nutrition or entertainment, our list has something sure to make your bike-adoring bud or loved one do a wheelie with delight. —T.C. Worley
Knog Frog Strobe Bike Lights, $12 and up. These days the sun is down before some people even get off of work. Don’t let your friend or family member be that guy riding home without lights. A set of front and rear Knog Frog “blinkies” is the minimum requirement to make sure a rider can be seen. Knog’s tiny, silicone-bodied blinkies are water resistant and about as simple to use as lights come. Available in 12 colors for the image-conscious pedaler. More info/purchase gift
Pixl Bike Tool, $60. A bike tool is something you hope not to need, but you’d better have a good one when something goes wrong. The Pixl is a primo tool from Crank Brothers, including cast stainless steel parts and an indexing feature where the wrench you want to use clicks into place and stays there. A handsome aluminum body holds hex and torx wrenches and two screwdriver heads. More info/purchase gift
2011 Tour De France DVD, $75. It’s going to be a long winter. Keep a loved one’s cycling stoke going with the re-watching of the 2011 Tour de France. Relive all the spills, drama and triumph that make the TDF the race even non-cyclists like to watch. The six-disc set should keep any cyclist entertained for a full 12 hours (770min). It’s the perfect gift for the cycling nut that trains indoors during the winter months. More info/purchase gift
Valve Stem Zipper Pulls, $8. What happens to old valve stems? Some of them become Valve Stem Zipper Pulls made by the Boulder, Colo., based Green Guru company. This outfit has a knack for making recycled, sustainable products from things we usually throw away. While you may not want to add these to your favorite hoodie, other items like luggage, hydration packs, or race-day duffels would look stellar sporting a pair of these pulls. Thin nylon thread and a few up-cycled valve stems are all it takes to make ‘em, so the asking price is a reasonable $8 for a pair. More info/purchase gift
Kuat Bike Bottle Lock, $34. If there’s a bike lock that is easier to transport and stash, we haven’t seen it. The Bottle Lock offers protection and maximum convenience — its five-foot, 8mm braided steel cable coils into a bottle-shape housing that sits on your frame in a regular bike-bottle holder. Keys stash in an under-bottle compartment. Color options include white, black or pink. More info/purchase gift
Supermarine Storm Cap, $75. New York’s Outlier sells one of the better cycling caps we’ve come across. What makes it special? The fabric, a dense cotton hybrid that’s waterproof, was formerly used by the World War II British Navy to keep downed pilots alive in the North Sea. The stylish cap offers weather resistance via the complex weave and a coating of DWR. This longwearing, finely tailored hat is head and shoulders above the average cotton cycling cap. Available in four colors. More info/purchase gift
The Feed Zone Cookbook, $25. With a goal to “make eating delicious and practical” Dr. Allen Lim and chef Biju Thomas collaborated to compile 150 sensible, nourishing recipes for the busy athlete in their “Feed Zone Cookbook.” Lim’s search for information took him inside kitchens of Tour de France riders, with feedback from pro cyclists like Levi Leipheimer and Christian Vande Velde. Recipes for “portable” meals for those long days in the saddle are included in the 300+ page book. Eating real food and being fueled for performance is the theme of the book. Examples? Sweet potato cakes. ‘Nuf said. More info/purchase gift
Timbuk2 Mission Wallet, $29. Clean, compact and elements-resistant, the Timbuk2 Mission Wallet is straight genius. The small product keeps your smartphone, ID, credit card and cash all in one spot while you ride — no more loose items flopping around in a jersey pocket. Hewn from ballistic nylon, the $29 wallet features a touch-screen-compatible window so your gifted friend can still text to see where his or her riding buddies are rolling at any moment. More info/purchase gift
—T.C. Worley is an unabashed cycling dork and amateur racer.
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