The Best Gift Ideas for Road Cyclists

Have you got that one cyclist friend or family member that is absolutely impossible to buy for?! What a pain! Luckily I’ve put together a list of some awesome cycling-related ideas to get you ready for this year’s Christmas shopping.

Table of Contents

• Bicycle Tools for On-The-Go or your Home Workshop
• Indoor Trainers for Year-Round Cycling
• Parts and Upgrades
• Gadgets and Cycling Tech
• Bicycle Care and Maintenance
• Lifestyle Cycling Products
• Gift Certificates
• Bicycle Security

 

Bicycle Tools for On-The-Go or your Home Workshop

Whether we're ensuring we can keep riding if something goes wrong or doing some home mechanics, we all drool over fancy new tools.

WolfTooth Axle Multitool Coloured

This WolfTooth axle handle is a great way to add some colour to your bike, but it’s also a multitool for those mid-ride adjustments. It’s made from aircraft-grade aluminium for a strong and lightweight frame. It’s designed, engineered, and machined at WolfTooth in Minnesota.

Compatibility

This fits on almost all bikes with an Allen/hex key thru-axle.

Bits

2, 2.5, 3, and 4mm hex; flat head #3.5 and Phillips #2 screwdrivers; and T10 and T25 Torx-compatible.

Pro Pressure Gauge

Indoor Trainers for Year-Round Cycling

Australian weather can range from a chilly, rainy Winter day straight to an almost dangerously hot Summer day. Indoor trainers give cyclists the options to ride at any time of day, no matter the conditions.

Trainer resistance

The ability to adjust resistance is important for an indoor trainer. It allows the trainer to simulate hills and declines which simulates a realistic cycling experience requiring the rider to use their gears. Variable resistance comes in multiple forms from automatic resistance in smart trainers or manually adjusted with dumb trainers.

“Dumb” trainers

Dumb trainers are entry-level indoor trainers. They are generally manually adjusted using a mechanical dial if they have variable resistance. A few high-end dumb trainers have electronic variable resistance, but they still aren’t able to be linked to an app, hence the name 'dumb trainers'.

Smart trainers

What makes smart trainers stand out so much are the apps like Zwift and Bkool which offer a game-like multiplayer experience.

Other features and differences

Indoor trainers are a surprisingly complicated subject, and they can quickly get very expensive. The differences between direct drive vs wheel-on, smart rollers, and full smart bikes – there is too much to cover in this article so we suggest you do some research or come see us in-store.

 

Wahoo KickR Direct Drive Smart Trainer

Wahoo has been a leader in smart indoor trainers for a good reason. They've built a reliable direct-drive trainer that has all the small touches to make the experience perfect.

• AXIS feet for a more natural feeling experience
• Up to 20° gradient simulation
• Accurate reading up to 2,200 watts
• Controlled resistance through software like Zwift
• Heavy-duty steel construction to stand up to years of use
• Supports all modern smart connections

 

JetBlack S1 Magentic Indoor Trainer

Not everyone needs the latest and greatest. The Jetblack S1 offers a more affordable indoor trainer experience.

• Magnetic Resistance mechanism.
• Fixed Resistance perfectly tuned for fitness riding.
• Folding frame for easy storage.
• Lowest profile of any trainer.
• Includes with training skewer.
• Soft feet and a wide, low stance for safety and stability.
• Wheel Compatibility 26″, 27.5″, 29″, 700C and many 24″.
• Includes JetBlack Lite App for iOS and Android
• 1 Year Limited Lifetime Warranty

 

Parts and Upgrades

While not the easiest gifts at times as you'll need to take more care checking compatibility and be careful to colour-match where applicable, a cyclist will always appreciate new parts, whether an upgrade or just to freshen up their bike.

 

Ultra-light and Fast-Rolling Tubes from Tubolito

Bike upgrades are one of the most important things to a road cyclist. Having a worse bike than your friend is absolutely unacceptable.

A simple inner tube upgrade can greatly reduce rolling resistance and weigh less than 1/5^th of butyl tubes*

*assuming one spare tube at 150g per tube vs 23g per tube

Do you know one other super annoying thing about carrying spare tubes? They’re HUGE. I’d normally have to carry a large-sized saddle bag to just squeeze in everything I need. Tubolitos allow you to save space in your saddle bag or get a smaller saddlebag, saving weight and drag.

Compatibility

You need to check a few things to make sure you buy the right tube.

Tube Size – to check the size you need, refer to the sidewall of the tyre. It’ll be something like 700x25C, 700X28C, 700X30C, etc.

Valve Length – We recommend getting the 60mm valve for most people. A really shallow rim would be fine with the 42mm valve. You may need an 80mm valve if you have deep dish rims.

S-Tubo vs Tubo – The S-Tubo is as puncture resistant as a normal butyl tube, while the normal Tubo is twice as puncture resistant. The S-Tubo is also only compatible with disc brakes, not rim brakes – the normal Tubo works for any type of brakes. The S-Tubo technology is indicated by the ‘S’ prefix, e.g. S-Road, S-CX/Gravel, etc.

 

Shiny New Bartape

Bartape is one of the first parts of a bike that looks grimy and old, and it's often impossible to clean after a few months of use.

New bartape will get a bike looking fresh, and a colour match is always a bonus.

Our range of Guee bartape is some of our favourite:

• Black tape looks good longer - black flaking into colour for long-lasting colour-matching tape
• Microtex surface is breathable, comfortable, grippy, and resistant to sweat and climate changes
• Triple-layered for increased durability and comfort
• Superlight at only 60g for a pair
• Premium lock-tight end plugs

 

Gadgets and Cycling Tech

A new year, more new cycling tech. There are thousands of cool gadgets on the market. A cool piece of tech or a new gadget is always awesome to fine.

 

Garmin Edge 530 Cycling Computer

“It never happened if it’s not on Strava” – cyclists are all about the numbers.

• GPS navigation
• Record advanced statistics such as speed, cadence, ascent stats, jump distance, and more
• Upload rides to Strava to compete with your mates
• Don’t worry about battery life, it lasts that long

 

iGPSport 620 Cycling Computer

While very basic, you can get full GPS functionality from a budget cycling computer like the iGPSport 620. It lacks many of the features that the Garmin or Wahoo computers have but is significantly cheaper.

• IPX7 Water Resistant
• 22hr battery
• 2.2" colour screen
• Electronic shifting compatibility
• Speed, cadence, and heart rate monitor capabilities (with addons)
• And more

 

Cateye Micro Wireless Cycling Computer

The fancy features of smart cycling computers aren't for everyone.

If all you want is basic speed and distance measurements, you might be better off with something like this Cateye Micro Wireless computer.

 

Shokz Bone Conduction Earphones

Shokz is a big name in the sports world, selling the best sports earphones on the market.

They're bone conducting so not only do you hear your audio perfectly clearly, but you can still hear the outside world for safety.

• Water-resistant
• Long battery life
• Lightweight
• Rapid charging
• Built-in microphone

*please check the exact model to make sure it has all these features

 

Quadlock Phone Mounts

If a bike computer isn't your thing, QuadLock makes the lightest, strongest, and most secure smartphone bike mount on the market.

• Secure mounting compatible with all Quadlock products
• Quick and easy to attach and detach
• Protective and impact-resistant case

Just be aware that using maps on your phone will drain the battery quickly. Bike computers are optimized to last much longer (20+hrs vs 1-2hrs).

 

Bicycle Care and Maintenance

A clean, like-new bike is every cyclist’s dream. Cleaning a bike is really hard without the right products, and using the wrong chemicals or brushes can quickly damage paintwork and bearings. Get a kit with all the bike cleaning essentials, they’ll never go to waste.

 

Muc-Off Bike Care Essential Kit

Muc-off's all-in-one kits provide most of what you need to keep your bike sparkly clean.

• Nano Tech Bike Cleaner
• Bike Protect
• Micro Cell Sponge
• Wheel & Component Brush

 

Muc-Off 8 in 1 Bicycle Cleaning Kit

Looking for something a bit more thorough? The Muc-Off 8 in 1 kit provides even more brushes for detailing your cassette, chain, and frame.

It also has a storage bucket which works as a cleaning bucket as well.

• Nano Tech Bike Cleaner
• Expanding Microcell Sponge
• Soft Washing Brush
• Detailing Brush
• Claw Brush
• Two Prong Brush
• Bike Spray
• Storage Tub

 

Muc-Off Tool Bicycle Chain Clean Machine X3

We've already spoken about how common worn chains are - the best way to keep chains lasting as long as possible is cleaning and lubricating them.

Cleaning a chain without a tool is next to impossible with the amount of crevices dirt and grime finds its way into.

 

• Includes 75ml chain degreaser
• Release button to control the amount of degreaser used
• Abrasive cleaning teeth for a deep and thorough clean
• 120 points of contact for a 360° clean
• Dirt separation system to avoid putting dirt back on the chain

 

Muc-Off Silicon Shine & Protect

Ever wonder why even after cleaning your bike, it never looks as good as it did new? Bikes all have a coating that protects the paint and keeps it looking fresh. This quickly washes off and has to be replaced. Silicon shine restores the protective layer which makes it shine like new.

• Adds a silicon glossy finish
• Protection from the elements
• Reduce friction on suspension
• Reduces grime build-up

 

Muc-Off Matt Finish Detailer

A matt frame doesn't always look good with silicon shine... it's too... shiny

MucOff's Matt Finish Detailer offers a gloss-free protective layer. Similar to Silicon Shine, it reduces grime build-up and helps with hiding fingerprints.

 

Muc-Off Disc Brake Covers

We've all done it at least once. Our disc brakes are super sensitive to contamination and any over-spray when cleaning your brake will cause a nasty squeak or squeal with your brakes. A disc brake cover is a no-brainer to avoid this time consuming problem.

 

Lifestyle Cycling Products

"Bike" tools for home, mugs, t-shirts, etc. They're always great gifts and luckily you don't have to worry about your lack of cycling knowledge.

 

Parktool Pizza Cutter

You call yourself a cyclist but you don't even have a Parktool Pizza Cutter??? If I could pick one tool to keep in my saddlebag, it'd be the Parktool Pizza Cutter. You never know what kind of emergencies could happen out on the road. Always be ready to cut a pizza.

 

Parktool Bottle Opener

After a long day of working on your bike, you may find yourself needing to pull out one last tool for beer o'clock.

 

Bicycle Security

Keeping our bikes safe and secure is second only to a hot coffee after a cold morning ride - very important.

 

Knog Scout Bicycle Tracker & Alarm

Using Airtag technology, know has developed the best solution to keeping your bike safe.

• Easy mounting
• Motion alarm
• Airtag tracking
• IP66 water resistance
• Super lightweight
• Custom app for tracking, remote arming/disarming, and more

 

Still can't find what you're looking for?

You know your friend or family member likes cycling, let them buy their dream gift. You can purchase a gift card in-store at Bike Force Joondalup.

 

Think of any other great ideas?

Leave a comment on what gift ideas worked for you so we can keep extending this list. We all need as much help as we can when buying for our cyclist friends.