Still looking for gift ideas for the cycling-obsessed party in your family/workplace/life? Here are a few last-minute ideas to spare your blushes come Monday morning... all currently still available with UK shipping in time for the big day.
Merry Christmas!
Stocking fodder:
1. Flamme Rouge Board Game - £37
Christmas is peak season for board games, so what better than a cycling themed game to unite the family?
Turn your tabletop into the Tourmalet; guaranteed to help the long winter nights pass a little faster.
2. Attack the Pack Card Game - £15
Game for more? Attack the Pack is a beautifully illustrated and highly portable time-killer that emulates the drama of a pro bike race in card form.
Well, that's the idea. What you lose in adrenaline and glory, you gain in the ability to eat turkey sandwiches while contesting a sprint finish...
3. Flandriens Cycling Figurines - £17.99
There comes a point on Christmas Day when even a cycling-themed game is too much mental effort. Maybe something a little less strenuous... How about shuffling some neat hand-painted model cyclists around the scattered remains of dinner?
Let's see if Sagan can bunny hop into the gravy...
4. Fancy Bar Tape - from £14.99
Like gift-wrapped socks, bar tape may not be the most thrilling of presents but you can't deny that fresh sock feeling. And bar tape doesn't have to be dull: just look at this Cinelli bar tape illustrated by graffiti maestro Mike Giant. £14.99 at Wiggle. Wiggle also have a clever and uncannily intuitive gift finder on their website if you need further inspiration.
If you're after a cushioned bar tape with fantastic grip, we were really impressed by the Fabric wrap on the Mason Bokeh we tested a few weeks ago - £15.99 from Sigma Sport.
Is your cyclist a bit fussier than the average bear? Hipsterish inclinations, maybe? Sounds like just the type to appreciate some Sanahadimo cotton bar tape. Handcrafted on Japanese looms for generations to wrap the grips on Samurai swords, it can be yours from £14.99 at Planet X.
5. Clug Bike Holder - £15.99
We haven't done a proper study but if Sportive HQ is any indicator, bike storage ranks high in the top 10 causes of domestic dispute. Help get the new year off to a harmonious start with Clug, an ingenious little clip that turns any wall into a storage rack for your bike.
Here's a little video explaining how it works. Why not try installing it in the kitchen after Christmas dinner?
Tis the season:
1. Assos Winter Survival Kit - from £24
As a Swiss brand we might have guessed Assos know a thing or two about dressing for winter cycling. And sure enough, you'll find a full complement of weather-defying arm warmers, hats, gloves and more at assos.com, or in their new concept store in London's West End.
Prices are at the premium end, but you know it's been battle tested in worse conditions than we're likely to see in the UK. If it's good enough for the Matterhorn, it's good enough for Marylebone.
2. Aura LED Snapband - £6.99
Be seen on the roads this winter, with this smart little wrist or ankle bracelet. It's got LEDs inside which, combined with the movement of your legs while pedalling, ought to increase your visibility to other road users.
3. Hackney GT Camo Neck Warmer - £14
If flashing lights aren't your style, hide in plain sight with this playful camo-not camo print snood from Hackney GT - just part of their sizeable selection of festive apparel.
And if you live in the London area, why not join Hackney GT for LDN Gravel - a 100km post-Christmas ride out on 27th December. Perfect if you're doing the Rapha Festive 500.
4. See.Sense Bike Lights - from £29
With the ability to sense approaching hazards and react in real time, See.Sense bike lights are so smart they should probably be negotiating Brexit. But in the mean time, they'll do a cracking job keeping you lit up on your winter rides.
The new Ace light is currently available on pre-order, while the acclaimed See.Sense Icon is available right now at the discounted price of £64.99.
5. Rapha Winter Embrocation - £20
We can't let a gift guide pass without mentioning Rapha - and frankly, you can't really go wrong with anything bearing the stamp of the Saviours of Cycling Style (TM).
Since it's winter, how about some fiery, herbal embrocation to warm up those legs pre-ride? It smells nice too.
The gift of Sportives future:
1. Experience the Tour de France with Le Loop
It's the biggest race in cycling, watched by a TV audience of millions worldwide - but what if you could ride the Tour de France? You can with Le Loop: the UK-based charity offers amateur cyclists the chance to ride the same route as the Tour de France each summer, raising funds for disadvantaged young people along the way.
With options ranging from two or three stages over a weekend, to riding the entire three-week tour - and fully supported all the way - Le Loop is the cycling holiday of a lifetime for any passionate cycling fan.
Find out more at rideleloop.org.
2. Ride a Classic with Sportive Breaks
Paris-Roubaix, Liege-Bastogne-Liege, the Tour of Flanders... cycling's Spring Classics are eagerly awaited each year with thousands travelling to the cycling-mad heartland of northern France and Belgium to ride the sportive and then watch the pro race amid a carnival atmosphere the next day.
A trip over is a must for any cycling fan, and if it's your first time why not let an experienced tour operator handle the logistics. Sportive Breaks offer package tours including accommodation and sportive entry from just £145; check out their 2018 programme at www.sportivebreaks.com.
3. Girona Granfondo
Discover why so many pro cyclists make their home in Girona. Just an hour from Barcelona and with mountains and sea on its doorstep, the pocket-sized medieval city welcomes hundreds of cyclists to its annual cycling festival each June.
With a nocturn crit, hill climb challenge and daily social rides, culminating in the Gran Fondo on the Saturday, a fantastic week is guaranteed.
4. UKCE Sportive Season Pass
You don't need to travel far to enjoy a cracking bike ride. We're blessed with some stunning countryside right here on our doorstep, and UK Cycling Events run a packed programme of popular sportives across the country.
With a range of Season Passes on offer for 2018, treat someone to their pick of three, five or 10 sportives - saving up to 25% on entry costs.
5. Epic Sportives for Hardcore Heroes
Is your giftee a sportive veteran, who chews cobbles for breakfast and laughs in the face of century rides? Maybe they'll appreciate a real challenge... Why not sign them up for one of these five UK sportives, guaranteed to test even the fittest cyclists:
- Dragon Ride L'Etape Wales - Sunday 10 June 2018
305km - The Monster - Saturday 23 June 2018
300km, 6500m climbing - Fred Whitton Challenge - Sunday 13 May 2018
180km - Struggle Dales - Sunday 27 May 2018
174km, 2874m climbing - Wales in a Day - Saturday 21 July 2018
298km
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