It’s always nice for us cyclists to find presents in our Christmas stocking that are related to our two-wheeled passion. However, and without sounding too ungrateful, often the presents can be well intentioned, but not perhaps not what you were hoping for.
There are, of course, a multitude of cycling themed items, from tea towels to pizza cutters; mugs to bookmarks; novelty socks and cycling-themed ties – but they are not always the most welcome gifts. I have an ever-growing cupboard full of cycling mugs and less and less space to put them.
Similarly, more practical items such as a supply of inner tubes may be useful, but are as festive as receiving a stash of vacuum cleaner bags.
So if the cyclist in your life hasn’t already been dropping some mighty hints, what can you give them that will not be gathering dust at the back of the cupboard come Boxing Day?
The popularity of cycling has meant that the shelves of bookshops are now groaning under the weight of cycling-related books of every variety. One book on my wish list this Christmas is Gironimo! Riding the Very Terrible 1914 Tour of Italy by Tim Moore, an account of his attempt to retrace the route of the 3,162km 1914 Giro d’Italia on a bike he built himself.
That sounds interesting enough, but Moore’s sense of humour in his writing makes each of his books a pleasure to read. If you prefer something more practical, then Mastering Mountain Bike Skills by Brian Lopes is one of the best out there and covers every facet of improving your technique. If you are serious about better bike-handling skills and you don’t have this book, then it is a must and one I often refer to.
Subscriptions may not be the most exciting gift to open on Christmas Day, but it might be something the cyclist in your life may love. There are a multitude of cycling magazines out there, all vying for your patronage, and many offer great annual subscription offers that are worth checking out. Other annual gifts worth considering are memberships of apps and official cycling bodies such as Strava Premium which offers additional benefits to the free version of the app; Zwift, the indoor virtual training world which has exploded on to the cycling scene (note, you need additional equipment to use Zwift); Training Peaks for the data and stats hungry cyclist on a training plan; or a British Cycling membership which among lots of other benefits offers insurance for riders.
Whatever you buy, often the unexpected brings the most joy without being the most expensive. A few years ago I spent a week squeezing and shaking a well-wrapped present under our tree trying to guess what was in it. It turned out to be a year’s supply of my favourite energy bar that I was using at the time which made me inordinately happy.
Sometimes the best presents are the ones that don’t cost anything. One year I made an elaborate IOU date for my wife inviting her to a day of mountain biking at Laggan Wolftrax. We hadn’t been out cycling together for a long time, so making it semi-official meant we sat down, put a date in the diary and made it happen.
Whatever you give or receive this Christmas, just make sure you get out on two wheels.
Join the Blazing Saddles Strava Club
Where to Ride? Kemback Woods – Fife
Start: Kemback OS Landranger 1:50000 Map 59 NO 425 155
Distance There are five black graded tracks ranging between “Thunder” at 317m in length to the “Original” at 850m in length.
Description: Featuring mainly blacks-graded downhill tracks this area is one for the All-Mountain and downhill riders among you.
Situated to the west of St Andrews Kemback Woods are situated between the B939, the Ceres Burn and the River Eden.
