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Cycling Gift Guide

Cycling Gift Guide

Do you become overwhelmed when you have to find a gift for that certain someone? Especially a cyclist. At Crofton Bike Doctor we’ve got you covered and are here to assist you.

Gift buying for the cyclist should never be a challenge. 

Pro Tip: We are just a phone call 410.451.6901 or visit away to assist you with any questions you have.

There are certain things a cyclist can never have enough of. Then there are the things the cyclists’ wants but often won’t treat themselves to. In many cases they simply aren’t aware of what they are missing by not having the item. Riding is much more enjoyable with the right items. Even getting to the trail is easier with the right accessories. Some gift items fall into both of the categories.

Having the right accessories can make all the difference in riding enjoyment.

Cyclists can be defined in many ways for simplicity we broke them into three groups and included a category for small gifts such as stocking stuffers’ office gifts or those for friends.

Must Have - MH – A great starting point that every cyclist should have. It is going to bring enjoyment and peace of mind to the cyclist.

Beginner Cyclist - BC– Essential Accessories – A person who is just getting started. Maybe they recently bought a bike or are getting back into it. The right accessories can really increase the cycling enjoyment

Frequent Cyclist - FC– A person who’s cycling is a regular activity for them. Riding a few times a week or several times a month. Might do an organized ride or two in a season.

Cyclist Who Has Everything- CE– This is the cyclist who rides several times a week and it is a big part of their life. If you have a cyclist friend you’ll know if they fit this category.

Stocking Stuffers Small Gifts - SS – When you need a gift for a cyclist but don’t want to spend a lot.

Cycling Gift Guide:

Some items may show up in multiple groups. Certain items you can never have too many of.

Must Have

MH - Helmet – Need I say more? It’s a law for children under 16 years old in Maryland. Helmets should be replaced every 3 – 5 years. PRICE RANGE: $40 - $200

                                   Shop Helmets

MH - Bell or Horn – In Maryland it is a law that you have a bell or horn on your bike. Many will say that your voice counts, but it doesn’t meet the requirement of the law. A bell is such an easy way to let people know you are approaching them. PRICE RANGE: $7 - $20

MH - Hydration – You need to stay hydrated while you ride. A water bottle and cage is a small investment. Need to carry more water? A hydration pack can allow you to carry up to a hundred ounces of water and provide you with additional carrying capacity for stuff. PRICE RANGE: $20 - $100

                       Pro Tip: There are insulated water bottles and they really do work. Keeping the contents cooler longer.

MH - Floor Pump – Proper tire inflation is one of the keys to avoid flat tires. A floor pump is the easiest way to inflate your tires. PRICE RANGE: $40 - $200

                                 We love the Bontrager Charger Floor Pump  

MH - Daytime Lights – Increase rider visibility by 240% and something every cyclist should have. The lights lens are specially designed for increased visibility of the rider during daytime hours. Greatly increasing the chance the cyclists will be noticed. Most have a minimum visibility of ¼ mile which is the distance a driver needs to react properly. Some rear lights have visibility up to 2km. PRICE RANGE: $30 - $100

                                One of our customers favorite daytime light sets


MH - Fix a Flat Kit – Seat Bag, Inflation Device (pump or CO2), Patch Kit, Spare Tube, Tire Levers and a multi tool. Even if you don’t know how to fix the flat yourself (Pro Tip – we are more than happy to teach you.) you’ll have the right stuff for someone to help you. PRICE RANGE: $50 - $75

                                We love this Flat Pack

Items for these kits can be bought separately by a group to compile a kit. Great for co-workers, family members and stocking stuffers.

Seat Bag PRICE RANGE: $20 - $35

Inflation Device: Frame Pump PRICE RANGE: $15 - $50 CO2 Inflation PRICE RANGE: $15 - $30

Patch Kit PRICE RANGE: $3

Spare Tube PRICE RANGE: $9 - $12

Tire Levers PRICE RANGE: $4

Multi Tool PRICE RANGE: $10 - $35

Beginner Cyclist

BC - Helmet – Need I say more? It’s a law for children under 16 years old in Maryland. Helmets should be replaced every 3 – 5 years. PRICE RANGE: $40 - $200

BC - Bell or Horn – In Maryland it is a law that you have a bell or horn on your bike. Many will say that your voice counts, but it doesn’t meet the requirement of the law. A bell is such an easy way to let people know you are approaching them. PRICE RANGE: $7 - $20

BC - Hydration – You need to stay hydrated while you ride. A water bottle and cage is a small investment. Need to carry more water? A hydration pack can allow you to carry up to a hundred ounces of water and provide you with additional carrying capacity for stuff. PRICE RANGE: $20 - $100

BC - Floor Pump – Proper tire inflation is one of the keys to avoid flat tires. A floor pump is the easiest way to inflate your tires. PRICE RANGE: $40 - $200

SS, BC - Gloves – Gloves make holding the grips a lot more comfortable. Offering protection to your hands should you fall. PRICE RANGE: $15 - $40

BC - Car Rack – A car rack will make it easier for you to get you and your bike to all of the great places to ride. Make it easy to ride and you’ll ride more often. Transporting your bike inside your car can damage both the bicycle and the car. (Check out my post about car racks.) PRICE RANGE: $80 - $400

BC, FC, CE Daytime Lights – These are rather new and something every cyclist should have. The lights lens are specially designed for increased visibility of the rider during daytime hours. Greatly increasing the chance the cyclists will be noticed. Most have a minimum visibility of ¼ mile which is the distance a driver needs to react properly. Some rear lights have visibility up to 2km. PRICE RANGE: $30 - $100

BC - Fix a Flat Kit – Seat Bag, Inflation Device (pump or CO2), Patch Kit, Spare Tube, Tire Levers and a multi tool. Even if you don’t know how to fix the flat yourself (Pro Tip – we are more than happy to teach you.) you’ll have the right stuff for someone to help you. PRICE RANGE: $50 - $75

Items for these kits can be bought separately by a group to compile a kit. Great for co-workers or family members.

Seat Bag PRICE RANGE: $20 - $35

Inflation Device: Frame Pump PRICE RANGE: $15 - $50 CO2 Inflation PRICE RANGE: $15 - $30

Patch Kit PRICE RANGE: $3

Spare Tube PRICE RANGE: $9 - $12

Tire Levers PRICE RANGE: $4

Multi Tool PRICE RANGE: $10 - $35

Frequent Cyclist

FC - Cycling Computer – It’s always fun to know how far you’ve gone. Did you ride your twenty mile loop faster today then last week? If you are riding in an organized ride you’re going to need a computer so you know where you should be turning. Wireless options to GPS Options with features galore. PRICE RANGE: $40 - $800

Electronics – Garmin and Heart Rate Monitors – For the Frequent Cyclist who wants more information or for the Cyclist Who Has Everything. There is a wealth of data and information you can capture about your ride. The most popular devices now are GPS enable units that tell you where you rode, how much you climbed how fast you did it and much, much more. Pair these tools with some of the on-line apps that help you track your rides and your friends riding and there is a whole new level of enjoyment. PRICE RANGE: $120 - $800

FC - Lock – If you are going to leave your bike somewhere while you are riding a lock is going to give you peace of mind. Great gift for kids who are riding to school or just around the neighborhood. Adults who love to explore will enjoy the freedom and peace of mind offered by a lock, especially if they like to run errands or commute. PRICE RANGE: $25 - 60

SS, FC - Chain Lubricant – Keeping your chain properly lube will keep your bike shifting smoother and increase the life of your chain. PRICE RANGE: $8 - $16

FC, CE - Shorts – A good pair of cycling shorts is critical to the success of a ride. The contact points at the saddle, pedals and handlebars are the key areas for the comfort of the cyclists with the shorts making the most difference. With having to be washed after each use having a collection of cycling shorts is never a bad thing. For the casual cyclist we carry baggy shorts that have a padded liner and will offer the cyclist a lot more comfort then if they wore regular shorts. The most comfortable style of cycling short for the road cyclist is a cycling bib. Many cyclists are reluctant to purchase them for themselves but once they try them they’ll never wear anything else. PRICE RANGE: $50 - $200

BC, FC, CE Daytime Lights Increase rider visibility by 240% and something every cyclist must have. The lights lens are specially designed for increased visibility of the rider during daytime hours. Greatly increasing the chance the cyclists will be noticed. Most have a minimum visibility of ¼ mile which is the distance a driver needs to react properly. Some rear lights have visibility up to 2km. PRICE RANGE: $30 - $100

MAINTENANCE

Repair Stands –A repair stand makes it much easier to work on and clean the bicycle and is a great way to store a bike if you have the space. PRICE RANGE: $170 - $300

Bike Cleaning Supplies – A clean bike is a happy bike. A wide variety of cleaning products and tools are available to make cleaning your bicycle even easier. Special brushes to get in those hard to reach places, like in between the gears, there is even floss available to clean the cassette. PRICE RANGE: $10 - $35

Cyclist Who Has Everything

BC, FC, CE Daytime Lights – These are rather new and something every cyclist should have. The lights lens are specially designed for increased visibility of the rider during daytime hours. Greatly increasing the chance the cyclists will be noticed. Most have a minimum visibility of ¼ mile which is the distance a driver needs to react properly. Some rear lights have visibility up to 2km. PRICE RANGE: $30 - $100

SS, BC, CE Gloves – they wear out they get nasty and need to be replaced on a regular basis. One can never have too many pairs to rotate through the wash or match to their kit. PRICE RANGE: $15 - $40

SS, CE - Socks – You can never have to many pairs of socks. Great as a gift or a stocking stuffer. Can you ever have to many pairs of socks? Sock technology has come a long way. Compression offering your feet great support, moisture management, extra padding, wool socks for warmth. They are an important element of the cyclist kit because they keep your feet happy. PRICE RANGE: $12 - $25

Electronics – Garmin and Heart Rate Monitors – For the Frequent Cyclist who wants more information or for the Cyclist Who Has Everything. There is a wealth of data and information you can capture about your ride. The most popular devices now are GPS enable units that tell you where you rode, how much you climbed how fast you did it and much, much more. Pair these tools with some of the on-line apps that help you track your rides and your friends riding and there is a whole new level of enjoyment. PRICE RANGE: $120 - $800

FC, CE - Jersey’s – Many cyclists own cycling shorts but haven’t experienced the beauty of a cycling jersey. It is just more comfortable to wear a jersey when riding. They help manage moisture, body heat and have pockets to stash stuff in. Jersey’s come in different cuts and fits so be sure to consider that when selecting a jersey. PRICE RANGE: $50 - $200

Lots of cyclists own cycling shorts many don’t make the investment in a jersey. This is why a jersey can be a perfect gift for the cyclist. The jersey plays a key role in moisture management, keeping you dry and not causing you to dehydrate because you are over perspiring. The body judges its temperatures in many ways and one of them is by how much moisture is on the skin. Jerseys are made for different seasons of riding and come in different colors which is why the cyclist can never have too many jerseys. PRICE RANGE: $50 - $200

FC, CE - Shorts – Never can a cyclist have enough pairs of shorts. Shorts will have compression to increase the comfort, antimicrobial pads with multiple densities. With having to be washed after each use having a collection of cycling shorts is never a bad thing. The most comfortable style of cycling short for the road cyclist is a cycling bib. Many cyclists are reluctant to purchase them for themselves but once they try them they’ll never wear anything else. PRICE RANGE BIBS: $100 - $250

SS, CE - Nutrition – Nutrition products are gels/chewables, bars, drinks and supplements giving the cyclist the energy they need to finish their ride. A cyclist can never have too much nutrition on hand. A favorite of our customers are the Honey Stinger waffles. You can mix and match the flavors and the brands to make your own little care basket of nutrition for the cyclist. My favorite way to gift nutrition is to create a “gift basket” using a water bottle as the “basket” PRICE RANGE: $1.30 - $4

CE – Waterbottles – Waterbottles wear out or get nasty. Fresh water bottles are always welcomed. The water bottle comes in many forms now. Different sizes, different nozzles and even insulated bottles are available. PRICE RANGE: $5 - $20

Indoor Trainers - Once the weather cools down many cyclists put away their bicycles until the warm weather returns. For the cyclist who wants to maintain their fitness level through the cooler months there are two options. One is to invest in the proper cycling apparel. The other is to invest in an indoor trainer. Indoor trainers allow you to ride your bicycle in the warmth of your own home. Offering you perfect training weather year around for those hot days, cold days or days that are too wet and you just don’t want to venture outside. With the advancement of technology the rider can ride their favorite course or explore rides in faraway countries. We currently have a SMART trainer set up in the store, stop by to take it for a spin. PRICE RANGE: $180 - $1200

CD – Bicycle Fit – A properly fit bicycle can often feel like a new bike. Increasing rider comfort, speed and power. A bicycle should never be uncomfortable to ride. Rider’s positions change over time and checking fit or addressing issues is never a bad thing.

STOCKING STUFFERS

SS, CE - Nutrition – these make great stocking stuffers. For rides longer than an hour and a half in duration cyclist will need to be consuming calories to perform at their best. Gels, blocks, waffles and drink samples make perfect gifts for the cyclist. Once a cyclist figures out their nutritional needs they will enter a whole new level of performance. PRICE RANGE: $1.30 - $4

CO2 Cartridges - PRICE RANGE: $4 - $8

Tubes – another great stocking stuffer item. A cyclist will always have a need for spare tubes. You’ll need to know the size and type of valve. PRICE RANGE: $9 

Patch Kit – the glue often dries out once they are opened PRICE RANGE: $3

Tire Boot – Used to patch large cuts so the rider can get home. PRICE RANGE: $4

Multi Tool – Very handy to make basic adjustments while riding or at home. PRICE RANGE: $9 - $30

Chamois Cream – Not often talked about. Chamois cream is almost a secret among cyclists. Used to reduce chafing and saddle sores. PRICE RANGE: $8 - $25

Gift Certificates – if all else fails there is always the Gift Certificate. Want to jazz up the Gift Certificate? Pair it with nutrition products, socks or tubes. Available in any dollar amount

We hope this helps and we look forward to helping you select the perfect gift for the cyclists.