The Bike Tube Presents: 2014 Holiday Cyclist Gift Guide

Everyone at The Bike Tube loves bike stuff. From parts, to tools, to accessories, we have your guide for great holiday gifts in every price range!

We chose the gifts because they're useful, durable, and time-tested items that any cyclist would love to have. Enjoy:

Over $300

Park Tool PK-65 Professional Tool Kit

Do you have a budding bicycle mechanic on your list? Are they looking to start their own shop? If so, this kit full of Park Tool’s most useful tools and will get them well on their way. The price tag is high, to be sure, but you get a huge set of Park Tools-- the industry leading company for all things bike tools.

I really wish my tool bench had all these things. Then I wouldn't have to use vise grips ever!

$791.96, Amazon.com

For a more inexpensive choice, check out the Park Tool SK-1 Home Mechanic Starter Kit. As the name suggests, it’s a great set to start out with--a lot more quality than what most mechanics started wrenching with.

This much simpler set puts you well on your way towards owning quality bike tools.

$87.16, Amazon.com

Mission Bicycle Company's Lumen Retro Reflective Bike

Our friends at Mission Bicycle create some really solid, high quality bikes that are all drool-worthy. They've also created some concepts that take a well-built bike and make it awesome. The one we're talking about is the Retro Reflective bike frame that Mission recenlty debuted. During the day, the frame looks like a sleek, slightly shiny gray frame. By night, though, it really comes alive! The whole frame, fork, and (optional) wheels reflect like crazy.

It's a great design for being seen by everyone around you. When your whole bike is reflective and not just a part or two, you become immenesly more visible for nighttime riding. This design from Mission brings a great level of safety to the designs, and is an awesome concept that would make a great gift. Choose from the frameset, wheels, or put in a deposit to be the first to have one built up for you at Mission Bicycle's San Francisco home.

Being visible, especially this visible, means being safe!

$499.00 (frame + fork), Missionbicycle.com

Under $300

Park Tool Repair Stand

A repair stand makes bike repair go from necessary to enjoyable. If the cyclist on your list doesn’t have one yet, you can’t go wrong with a quality repair stand. Gone are the days of flipping your bike upside down like some eight year-old suburban kid. Once you have your whole bike in front of you, at a level you can work on it, everything gets easier. This is a great gift for the mechanic on your list.

Feel free to scoff at anyone who flips their bike upside-down once you own this.

$159.96, Amazon.com

Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag

There are dozens of companies selling messenger bags these days. Timbuk2 bags have been time-tested by people who put their bags through the abuses of real, hard cycling.

The company makes several models now, from pure messenger bags to cycling backpacks and even laptop sleeves. There’s no reason to mess with the classic bag, though: waterproof, durable, and cavernous if you get anything above a medium size.

Feel free to customize this bag: patches, drawings, scuffs from crashes, etc.

~88.99, Amazon.com

Pearl Izumi Elite Barrier Jacket

When doing foul-weather riding, a good jacket has to do several things. It has to keep you warm and dry. It has to breath well enough to not drench you in sweat. And it has to make you visible! This jacket from Pearl Izumi does all three.

A jacket that’s created with cycling in mind will make riding in bad weather way more enjoyable. The slender design doesn’t flop in the wind, the hi-vis color doesn’t blend in with the traffic around you, and the insulation keeps you warm in all conditions. This is a great jacket for every cyclist on your list.

People will notice you coming in this bright jacket. It's perfect for all cold-weather riding.

$54.90, Amazon.com

Ortlieb Panniers

A bag on your back is okay for most riding, but for serious rides and serious loads, a good pannier is the best thing ever. Ortlieb makes some of the best. These are durable, waterproof, and connect to a rear rack on your bike. Not every bike can accept a rear rack, but there are many ways to make it work.

If the person on your list is logging big miles commuting or touring in all kinds of weather conditions, considers a pannier or two from Ortlieb.

Waterproof, Durable, and Bright. That's what makes an awesome pannier.

$136.00, Amazon.com

Under $50

Topeak Alien III Multi Tool

Not every multi tool is created equally; in fact, most of them suck. Like, almost all of them. They’re usually made from cheap parts that don’t hold up to the everyday abuse of keeping them in your bag and they’re never made so you can get any leverage for repairs. This Topeak Alien III Multi Tool is one of the best. It will never replace your shop tools, but it will help you out when you’re just trying to get home.

This is the best bicycle-specific multitool I've tried, and I'm really judgemental when it comes to multitools.

$30.35, Amazon.com

Cyclopedia by William Fotheringham

Here at Bike Tube, we advise using our tutorials for all your repair needs; however, we also really like a good book. Cyclopedia is a really great resource for everything you might want to know about bikes-- and not just about repairs. This books dives into a lot of the history, culture, and oddities that the cycling scene has been through over the years.

This makes for a great read for the bike lover on your list and a great coffee table book once they’re done!

More than you ever thought you'd want to know about the world of biking, in one book.

$16.24, Amazon.com

Bicycle Diaries by David Byrne

David Byrne describes his adventures, stories, and random thoughts about cycling all around the world in his book, Bicycle Diaries. This is an engaging and leisurely read, making it a perfect gift for any cyclist. He goes from major cities to far-away wilderness, and everything in between in this meandering account of bicycling adventure.

This really is a wonderful read. You'll feel like you've biked around the world without ever leaving home.

$12.99, Amazon.com

Planet Bike Superflash

When you talk think about bike lights, you want them to be: bright, durable, and not break the bank. The Superflash does all three of these very well and has been a staple taillight for cyclists of all disciplines for years. You can’t go wrong with this small, sturdy, and ridiculously bright little light!

For such a good price, this light is blindingly bright.

$25.00, Amazon.com

Planet Bike Full Fenders

Remember back to our winter riding tips, about how fenders are great? Keep your friends and family free of gross water and road grime with this excellent set of fenders! Make sure you pick out the right size for their wheels and bike, though.

Plastic Fenders are less expensive than metal, and less noisy. It's definitely a win-win.

$28.50, Amazon.com

Smartwool PhD Cycle Socks

Not all socks are created equally. Smartwool socks are awesome. Made from warm and soft merino wool, these socks keep cyclists warm and happy mile after mile. You can’t go wrong with wool: it wicks moisture, stays warm even if it’s soaked, and won’t stink nearly as fast as acrylics and cotton. These socks compress in the right places, breath well in the rest, and will keep your feet happy for a long time to come.

$17.90, Amazon.com

Schwalbe Studded Tires

It might be too cold on Christmas morning to go try out new bike swag, but the cyclist on your list will surely go brave the cold to try out these Schwalbe Winter tires. These are excellent, mid-range studded tires that perform well in adverse conditions. If you’re planning to bike on a frozen lake, you might need to get something with a big more grip, but for most conditions these winter tires will give riders excellent traction and confidence to ride all winter!

Studded tires are awesome, but remember: ice is still really hard if you fall on it.

$40.76, Amazon.com

Stocking Stuffers:

Honey Stinger Waffles

Most energy bars are gross. The dense, tasteless bricks are the last thing you want when you’ve been logging serious miles in the saddle. Honey Stinger Waffles actually taste good. Seriously. The thin, sweet waffles are great when you really can’t choke down another protein bar but need to get back home fast. These are great stocking stuffers for any hungry cyclist.

We promise these taste really good. You'll want to start eating them off the bike as well.

$18.53 (Box of 16), Amazon.com

Camelback Podium Bottles

Everybody that rides a bike always needs new water bottles. Camelback’s Podium bottles are a well-priced water bottle that satisfies a cyclist’s needs. The spout makes it easy to drink one handed, they’re made to fit snuggly in a bottle cage, and they’re durable enough to survive a few crashes.

Warning: Do not buy this for someone who races a lot. Chances are they have a cabinet of water bottles and will quit talking to you.

$5.85, Amazon.com

Park Tool Mug

Are you shopping for someone who already has a stable of bikes, a nice set of tools, and already knows how to fix everything on them? They probably don’t have the mug to go with it! Nothing looks better on a workbench than a mug with everyone’s favorite tool’s logo right on it.