Christmas gift ideas for cyclists - 1

We are less than a month away from Christmas - yes that December celebration that I assume won't be cancelled by Covid-19. 

There might be restrictions on mass gatherings, but that won't stop people from enjoying a bit of turkey dinner (or a vegetarian/vegan alternative), overindulging on Quality Streets while watching the Queen's Speech or Home Alone, and of course exchanging gifts. 

So here are a few ideas:

Sealskinz waterproof socks

 

These are actually waterproof and windproof. The socks have a specific lining which helps to keep your feet warm at this time of year. I have worn these in wet conditions a few times, and I can say they do work. The material is significantly thicker than an ordinary sock, as it is triple layered with a mixture of merino wool, acrylic, and polypropylene. Some might feel the socks are slightly bulky within the shoe. It is important to get exactly the right size, or else your foot won't fit comfortably in the shoe, and you won't get that snug fit that you get with ordinary socks. It's that snug fit that helps to keep your feet warm too. What I like is that the socks are seamless and smooth, to avoid rubbing or blisters. 

Size: S, M, L, XL

Colours: Black/Grey Marl; Grey/Grey Marl; Navy Blue/Grey Marl; Red/Grey Marl.   

Price: £30

Website: www.sealskinz.com

 

Sealskinz cold weather gloves with Fusion ControlTM 

With three layers, including a merino inner layer, a waterproof membrane, and a goatskin outer layer - altogether know as Fusion ControlTM these Sealskinz cold weather gloves aim to keep you warm throughout the winter months. The goatskin on thhe palms of the glove also offer better grip when holding the handlebars. I found these gloves did the job of keeping my fingers warm, when I was out on my rides into the country lanes of Kent. Again, they felt slightly bulky compared with other fabric gloves that I am used to wearing. But that could also have been because they were new. In any case, I would recommend them as they are good quality gloves that do what it says on the tin.

Sizes: S, M, L, XL

Colour: Black, Grey/Black

Material: Outer lining - goatskin leather and softshell; Palm - Goatskin leather plam; Middle layer - 100% hydrophilic membrane; Inner layer - Merino wool.

Price: £75.00

Website: www.sealskinz.com 

Rapha + Outdoor Voices jersey

               

I was lucky enough to receive one of these Rapha + Outdoor Voices jersey earlier this year. It was the first Rapha jersey I have had that is not in their signatory bold colours with the band across the chest. This is a much more laid back kind of jersey, with an association more akin to leisure bike riding and relaxing while off the bike. It's a nice light jersey in a silky-style fabric. This shade, like the other shades in the range are more around a rustic kind of look. It may be a little cold to wear this, but it can still be a good gift for when the weather turns fair or even for use while cycling indoors - which I understand many people do.

Sizes: XXS, XS, S, M, L, XL

Colours: Red, green, blue

Price: £120

Website: www.rapha.cc

Canyon Precede:On E-Bike

As this has been the year for people to take to two wheels you might want to consider this as a very special gift for a very well-deserving person. This isn't just an E-bike. It's a Canyon E-Bike. That means it's a high-end piece of kit that will be a cut above other e-bikes. Why? Because it's got automatic gear shifters, so you don't have to change gear when you ride - like with an automatic car. You just set the cadence that you would like to ride at - 85, 80, or 75 rpm - and then the motor programmes itself to find the right gear and power (or torque) to move the bike along via it's Shimano 12-speed derailleur and a belt instead of an ordinary chain. There are other modes to choose from, like Tour, Sport or Turbo. It is all powered by the highest spec Bosch motor that gives a range of around 65 km when ridden in Tour mode. You can get a full-carbon fibre bike, like the one I tried, or you can go for an aluminium version. They also come as step-through or step-over versions. I generally like a step-through as it's handy for if I am wearing a skirt. The bike has other useful touches to it, like mudguards, and a rack that can also attach to a trailer, built-in front and rear lights, a bell, and a kick-stand - which I found especially useful.

This is a high-end bike, and with that comes a higher price than you might usually spend on a bike. In fact, for what the Canyon Precede:On offers it is reasonable value for money. But it is true that for whoever you buy this for, that person will probably mean a lot to you - and that might person might even be you!

Price: £4,699

Website: www.canyon.com

Biography of racing legend, Beryl Burton

To add to your Christmas reading least, how about the life and times of one of Britain's greatest female cycle racers, the unstoppable Beryl Burton. 

This biography by respected cycle journalist, William Fotheringham looks at the life of the Yorkshire woman who got into cycling after accompanying her husband to races. The book about what her drove her, in a world where women's cycling was a marginal sport, with fewer opportunities for aspiring women racers than there were for men. Nevertheless this didn't stop Beryl Burton from clocking almost 100 victories during the 1960s and 70s and holding the 12-hour record for both men and women! All this was against a backdrop of her having overcome lengthy spells of illness - an inspirational read.

The Greatest: the Times and Life of Beryl Burton (Hardback)

Written by William Fotheringham

250 pages - Published by YouCaxton Publications

Available at Waterstones - Price: £20.00

Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 4

Stay warm and dry when cycling

I was sent some items from the Dhb range of Aeron Rain Defence gear to test out earlier this year. I had hoped to use the gear during a cyclosportive, but in fact the weather just wasn't cold enough!

Having said that, the short-sleeved jersey was really useful because it protected me against the rain. So I wore it when I rode to Paris on a very wet day in June, and it was also useful when I rode across the windswept South Downs on a ride down to Brighton.

So even if the gear may seem a little warm for mild weather such as what we are even experiencing now, something like the jersey (and the accompanying arm warmers, leg warmers and bib shorts) are great for wet and windy days - which you get at any time of the year.

As for the Aeron Full Protection Softshell this has everything that other garments have, though it is properly toasty to wear.

When wearing this with the rain defence shortsleeved jersey you are so warm. It was useful against the sea breeze on the Brighton coast, but it really comes into its own in wintry weather.


In fact, a couple of weeks ago when the temperatures were barely above zero in London I was almost overheating on my ride in to work! When the temperatures dropped to -5 degrees celsius I felt much more comfortable.

So basically, this gear is great for the winter. Even if the weather isn't that cold right now in the UK, proper winter won't be far away and I'll be even happier to have this gear to fall back on.


Related Posts
Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 3

Review: Proviz Reflect 360 Rucksack

Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 2

Christmas Gifts for the Cyclist - 1

Joining the global commute on two wheels

Last Tuesday week I joined the tens of thousands of in 180 countries around the world for the Strava Global Bike to Work Day. I don't normally join these different challenges, but I fancied this one because it was really something that sits firmly within an activity I do a lot, and enjoy doing.

Disappointingly, in typical British style the sun shone on the Monday when I rode in, and it shone on Wednesday too. But on the Tuesday, the day of Global Bike to Work day it was tipping it down!

As it's a 10-mile ride from my house to the office in Clerkenwell I normally give myself a rule that I won't ride in if it's raining, given the distance (although I still ride in if the evening forecast is for rain).

So, really I would have abandoned my bike for the day. However, because it was Global Bike to Work Day and I had even gone to the trouble of signing up for it, I made a special effort to do my bit.

I took the Overground to Shoreditch High Street and then picked up a Santander Cycle (formerly a Boris Bike) for the 3km bike ride through Shoreditch to my office in Clerkenwell. It's handy that there was a docking station right outside my building, and even handier that I had no difficulty picking up a bike or finding space to drop off my bike at the end of my journey!

Because I knew it was going to be a wet ride I was well kitted out - in waterproof trousers, and also a new top from Wiggle - a dhb Aeron rain defence short-sleeved jersey. This was a great little number as the weather was quite mild so I didn't really need a heavy jacket with long sleeves. But the waterproof properties of the top kept me nice and dry.

In fact, I didn't find the rainy weather that bad at all, and ended up making a couple more journeys to enjoy London in all its glory through the dampness! Lunchtime saw me ride along the Regents Canal through Islington, and then in the evening I rode down through the City of London to get to London Bridge.

At the end of the day, my mileage was only 10km - a third of what I would do when cycling to work, but I was glad to have been part of this global phenomenon and to have registered my rides among the almost 80,000 cycle commutes and 1,350,000km made on 10th May. Better still, the UK was the country that garnered the highest level of participation, ahead of USA and Brazil. Look forward to doing another of these days - hopefully with a full commute to work in lovely sunshine.

Related Posts

Richmond Park - the UKs cycling Mecca!

Ride London!

Cycle Superhighway proposal