The Best Gifts for Cyclists, According to Cyclists

Those looking for an affordable gift that will please a cyclist can always count on socks, according to bike mechanic Ben Sawyer of CycleMania, who says, “In that world, it’s a style thing as well as a performance thing.” (Several folks echoed this wisdom, which is something other cyclists have told us before too.) While Sawyer notes that cyclists “go through socks a lot,” he says that cycling-specific socks will last a little longer and perform better because they have support in the essential places. Socks made for cycling are “thinner than athletic socks so you get better feedback from shoes and pedals,” Sawyer adds. He particularly likes Swiftwick’s cycling socks, which have been previously recommended to us by cyclist Sebastian Modak, who calls them a year-round essential: “When I’m wearing them, I never even notice if my feet are overheating or cold.”

For a pair of cycling socks with a bit more personality, cyclist Alexa Lampasona pointed us to these. While she and her partner have “both been through our fair share of bad jobs, where we dreamed of yelling this phrase to our bosses,” they instead chose to hold their tongues and now wear the sentiment on their feet. But the knit socks aren’t just fun: Lampasona says they’re “breathable, with just the right amount of support.”

Another giftable pair of cycling socks with personality comes suggested by cycling coach Robert Evans, who promises that these “stay tight to the foot despite the mileage you put on them and help give you the look of the defined cycling calf.” Plus, he adds, “I love how they are reminiscent of a mountain sunset.”

If the cyclist in your life enjoys riding on gravel or dirt, there’s a big chance they’re familiar with the Radavist, a Santa Fe–based blog about all things bikes. The blog’s branding (and the design for this hat) is done by LAND, a design studio based in Austin.

Jeff Selzer, the general manager at Palo Alto Bicycles, recommends this colorful, simple bike lock as a cheery gift for any cyclist. “You don’t need to worry about losing the key, as it uses a combination lock,” he explains. “And they’re surprisingly durable locks for how lightweight they are.”

While decidedly not the most exciting thing to unwrap, any cyclist who will be riding into the night will appreciate a good pair of bike lights — not only so they can see hazards like potholes and puddles but so other drivers can see them as well. This pair is used by Evans, who told us that “with four light levels, I use these on the brightest of days and at nighttime for maximum visibility.” He adds that the lights’ rubber-strap mount makes them “easy to swap from bike to bike” and that their 650-lumen brightness is more than enough for even the darkest ride. “For hardcore nighttime use, I always recommend a front light with at least 500 lumens,” Evans says.

Finally, an accessory for a cyclist’s desk. As much as they would like to be on their bikes, cyclists can’t always ride, Moloon reminds us, for any number of reasons. To remind them of what they’d rather be doing, he suggests a gift of these “iconic” Flandriens hand-painted cycling figurines, which lots of his customers say they keep on their desks. The sets ship from Europe (the price shown includes a $9 shipping fee), and if you’re feeling extra generous, Moloon says the Dutch company can make custom sets featuring your recipient’s favorite jersey upon request.

[Editor’s note: Condor Cycles lists its prices in euros, so the price shown is an approximate conversion to U.S. dollars.]

Steele told us he slathers this balm on religiously to combat the muscle tightness that comes with extensive cycling throughout the week. “It’s the best rub I’ve found for finding and releasing strange tensions,” he promises. “I even put it on my neck because of the tension that sometimes forms there from riding with my backpack.” If a topical CBD rub sounds up your recipient’s alley but you want to shop around, there are several more to choose from in our guide to the best CBD products, according to cool people.

Tokyo-based illustrator Tetsuro Ohno created the character Uncle Rinne, who lives many different cycling lives. Rinne is a road cyclist, a track cyclist, a bikepacker, and a Tour de France winner. Each of these humorous illustrations is simple, but drawn with accurate details that the cyclist in your life will appreciate.

These retro polarized shades come in a bunch of colorful lens and frame designs, and they’re super-customizable: There are two widths to choose from, with the option to add on prescription lenses.

Strategist contributor Ariel Kanter says this sturdy, colorful bike basket earned her respect from cyclists in Highland Park, Illinois — a place that “feels like the biking capital of America,” Kanter says. These baskets are handmade in Ghana and come in small, medium, and large sizes: “Designed in a number of colorful patterns, these baskets have an heirloomlike quality that’s impossible not to notice.”

Tilton told us that after recently starting to use these kneepads, designed by POC, she “wondered how I’d allowed my shins and patellas to endure the wounds they have over the past two decades.” She says they are “lightweight, streamlined, and well ventilated,” adding that “the shape smoothly contours around my kneecap.” According to Tilton, they’re a year-round essential (making them that much more giftable). “They don’t bake me in the summer months, but the extra layer adds a comfortable wall against windchill on fall-season rides,” she notes.

These cycling gloves have Gore-Tex’s water- and wind-proof technology but, as Andrew Crooks of bike store NYC Velo says, come “straight from the source” because they’re designed and sold by Gore-Tex. “They have a bike division called Gore Bikewear, which these are from,” he explains. “It’s the cycling glove of choice for our staff.”

For riders who like to track their heart rate (whether for health reasons or as part of a fitness goal), Selzer recommends giving this Wahoo armband. Lots of similar trackers will wrap around the chest, which can be problematic — especially “for women, because everyone is a different size,” Selzer says. In addition to being more comfortable to wear, he notes Wahoo’s armband monitor “won’t move or bounce around like a chest band.” The tracker comes with two different-size straps to accommodate the thinnest or thickest of arms and features a rechargeable battery that Selzer says goes “for well over 100 hours” on a single charge.

New York City bike messenger Paul Solis told us that his “favorite thing right now” is this saddle bag, which “fits right under your saddle but expands out really big.” He says the nice thing about this bag is its size, explaining that, while it looks small, it expands so widely that he can ditch his backpack on shorter rides because he can fit everything he’ll need inside. “It rolls up and snaps in and is the sweetest thing I’ve got,” Solis says. “The other day, someone gave me a bagel; I put it in, and it still had space.”

Although it’s designed to be worn while hiking or walking with dogs who would rather get a lift than use their feet, this backpack works just as well for cyclists who want to give Fido a ride, according to Candy Godoy, who uses it to bike with her influencer pug, Boogie, on her back. (She’s one of four dog owners who recommended the backpack to us but the only one who wears it while cycling.)

While the cyclist you’re shopping for may already own a helmet, that doesn’t mean you can’t give them a better one. Onyia says that after going through a few helmet brands looking for the right one, he was thrilled to discover POC. “Their main focus is safety, whereas other brands are focused equally on performance and aerodynamics,” he says. “They have the most up-to-date impact-absorption technology, and the strap is much more comfortable than other helmets’, with a really nice padding.”

Selzer told us about these ingeniously designed wireless cycling headphones that allow you to safely ride while enjoying music. They “don’t get into the ear canal but sit outside it, so you can still talk to people and hear cars,” he explains. And because they use bone-conduction technology, which delivers sound through vibrations against your skull, only the wearer can hear what’s being played. He told us he uses them all the time (and sells a lot to his customers), promising that “you don’t notice them, and they never make you sweat, unlike earphones.” After trying a pair ourselves, we found all this to be true — and discovered the headphones work just as well for listening to real-time directions from Google Maps.

[Editor’s note: The OpenRun is just one model in the newer line of Shokz (formerly AfterShokz).]

Sacks tells us that even if your recipient already owns dedicated cycling shorts, their inner padding “definitely has a limited life, so a new pair always makes a great gift.” Her favorite bike shorts are these ones from Machines for Freedom. “Their cycling clothes are super well made and fit amazingly,” she promises.

“Durable, properly structured, waterproof, and weight distributing” is how Steele describes this backpack that would surely get lots of use from cyclists who ride primarily to commute. He goes on to explain that “the extended cargo net on the back of it” can be stuffed with “your shoes, helmet, or lunch,” noting that it’s a “rare, great thing” to be able to pack so much and “still not have an enormous backpack that’s wider than your shoulders.” Adding to its appeal is the fact that the back of the backpack is padded, ensuring that it never digs into your back, no matter what’s inside, according to Steele.

For the cyclist who wants even more on-bike storage, Evans says this frame bag would make for a very functional gift because its design allows it to neatly slot into the awkwardly shaped empty space in the center of a bike frame. “If you don’t use or don’t have water-bottle mounts, this holds water, tools, and food and is perfect for long days in the saddle,” he assures.

If you’re looking to give the cyclist in your life a bike-light upgrade, go with the 1,200-lumens version of the Lumina, our top recommendation. “This light will work for road bikers, gravel bikers, in traffic, and trail users,” we wrote. “It holds up in the cold, and at 172 grams, it can be worn on a helmet without feeling clunky.”

The Kickr comes recommended by Earl Walton, head coach and owner of triathlon training studio Tailwind Endurance. When it’s nasty outside and you’re itching to ride, you can connect your bike to the Kickr for a full at-home workout. You can sync the Kickr to cycling apps like Zwift, which give you access to workouts, training plans, and virtual races.