Do you get tired of seeing Christmas gift ideas on websites and magazines that are clearly beyond the purse strings of the normal, average person? While my kids always ask me what I want, the latest Garmin is going to be well out of their price bracket. So in the n+1 cycling tradition we bring you 10+1 affordable and desirable gifts from £7.95 to £40 to put on your wish list.
1. Rouleur subscription. From £38 for 4 issues (6 months)
I have a long standing agreement with my mother in law that she’ll get me this every year without fail. Split between my birthday and Christmas to cover the whole year it costs £72 which is generous (thank you Susie) but remains an affordable gift and one that you know you actually want! I look forward to its arrival (8 issues per year) with great anticipation and aim to settle in for a couple of hours without distraction to devour it from cover to cover. Brilliant.
2. Cycling Socks £16
You may not be an out and out sock doper, but everyone needs some decent cycling socks. It’s been a longstanding joke with my kids that I always ask for a pair. Make sure you’re absolutely specific about which ones you want though. Nothing worse than a crap pair of socks. These will do. Pongo, £16.00
3. Cycling Cap £7.95
Prendas have a great range. If you’re feeling brave the Houndstooth is kind of natty while Tutto Scritto is strictly for those of you under the age of 25 and riding a fixie round Shoreditch. A safer bet (and more in fitting with the Ride Velo readership) is to go for the retro range. My favourite is the Z Vetements. Iconic! But they also do Peugeot, Bianchi, 7-Eleven, Brooklyn….
4. T Shirt £25
And speaking of Peugeot, Brooklyn and Bianchi, Ride Velo’s Ts have been selling well all year. Top seller is the Molteni, closely followed by the Bianchi. Go for the Brooklyn if you want to look like you know your cycling history. These are a great cut, excellent quality and will survive countless washes. Even the tumble drier struggles to shrink these!
5. Books up to £40.00
My favourite book of the year has to be Anquetil, Alone by Paul Fournell, a romantic homage to one of cycling’s greats. Read the review here. The new Tom Simpson bio by Andy McGrath looks sumptuous. If you missed Hardmen: Legends of the Cycling Gods by Velominati, put that down on your list now. Higher Calling by Max Leonard is worth it just for the chapter on the search for Rene Vietto’s amputated toe. But if you’re after a classic and you’ve never got round to reading it, choose The Rider by Tim Krabbe.
6. Prints from £15 to £40
For sale from Monday 11th December in the Ride Velo Art Shop is Eurosport commentator’s Carlton Kirby’s Tour de France 2017 ‘Kirby Codec’ an ingenious record of all the stages from this year, giving you details of jersey winners, stage winners, highlights and more. Only 100 printed, signed and numbered by the irascible Kirby himself and only £15! We also have limited edition prints from Sam Smith, Gareth Lllewhellin and Richard Long. Love the Merckx print, Richard.
7. Cycling figures £25
Hurry! For £25 you can get a hand-painted zinc cycling figure from Rowleyrides in any theme you want, from your favourite kit to a Tour de France rider.
8. Vintage Bidon €18
If Eroica is on your list for next year, a vintage bidon is a must if you want to look the part. Steel Vintage have ‘new old stock’ of unused aluminium water bottles with a cork top. Ignore the metallic taste, you know you’ll only use it once. Nice accessory though.
9. Altum Multi Tool From £24.99
You may not be delighted to unwrap this by the tree, but, put simply, every cyclist has multiple multi tools. This one is really good. Read the review here.
10. Wine Holder £35
Perfect for the post prandial sloth that awaits you on Christmas day. What better way to get through the alcoholic fug than putting your feet up in front of a classic cycling film. Breaking Away will amuse everyone from the monosyllabic teenager through to your deaf Granny. If you and your family have a simple sense of humour Tour de Pharmacy is an easy slapsticky laugh and both old and young will hopefully not get the wiener jokes. More comedy from Le Velo de Ghislain Lambert with the bonus that its subtitles will make you all feel European. More French cool stuff is available in Belleville Rendez-Vous, an amazing, extraordinary animation. Meanwhile if you want a bit of private time, retreat to a quiet spot to enjoy A Sunday in Hell or The Armstrong Lie.