The Best Gifts for Cyclists, According to Cyclists

If the cyclist in your life is aCiti Bikeenthusiast, they’ll proudly wear this pin.

This reflective pizza flag hangs from the seat, so approaching vehicles and other cyclists can see you.Burnt slicesandextra toppingsare also on the menu.

Bike mechanic Ben Sawyer of CycleMania says that cyclists “go through socks a lot,” but that cycling-specific socks like these Swiftwicks will last a little longer and perform better because they have support in the essential places. Cyclist Sebastian Modak calls these cycling socks a year-round essential: “When I’m wearing them, I never even notice if my feet are overheating or cold.”

Grin27 makes some of our favorite new cycling apparel, and these Tencel socks add a nice pop to monochrome kits.

If anyone asks me forwool-sock recommendations, I tell them to buy a pair of these DeFeet cycling socks and to not look back. They keep my feet dry even when I’m ten miles into a ride (or when I’m wearing them in suffocating leather shoes, in which other socks make my feet feel clammy).

CRCAathlete Chris Ick agrees that socks make an excellent gift for any cyclist. He likes these “high-end” socks from Ostroy, which he received as a gift and are now his “lucky race socks.”

Cycling coach Robert Evans promises that these socks “stay tight to the foot despite the mileage you put on them and help give you the look of the defined cycling calf.”

I always keep thesehandy packsof anti-chafe cream on me in case I get a hot spot under my bib during a ride. It’s a small gift that can be a lifesaver on longer treks.

Ick says that a high-quality set of Allen keys is a nice, useful tool for any cyclist to have in their kit. He recommends this color-coded set from Wera, which makes it easy to pick the right size for each hex screw.

New York City–based adventure cyclist Todd Nisbet (a.k.a.Concrete Trails) likes this lightweight titanium mug forbikepackingbecause he can use it for both drinking coffee and eating meals from. Hooray, less dishwashing!

A cycling cap will shield their eyes from harsh sun and rain while preventing their helmet lining from getting soaked with sweat. This one from Rapha comes in a variety of bold colors.

A Buff can add a boost of warmth on colder rides, while also wicking sweat and keeping you dry. Plus, it comes in a bunch of colors and adds flair to any cycling kit.

Ick of the CRCA says more of his teammates are carrying a ride wallet, which allows them to store a few important items (credit card, ID, keys, etc.) while they ride — and also keeps them dry.

I use this magnetic setup instead of a water-bottle cage on mygravel bike. The bottle snaps off and onto the frame with an easy flick — which I find easy to do mid-ride.

These knit gloves are waterproof and have grippy rubber spots on the palm and fingers, so your hands won’t slip mid-downpour. NYC bike messengerPaul Solissays his pair has “already survived a couple of winters.”

ArtistTimothy Uriah Steelebikes to his Sunset Park studio every day, and slathers this balm on religiously to combat the muscle tightness that comes with extensive cycling. “It’s the best rub I’ve found for finding and releasing strange tensions,” he says.

I’ve long been a fan of Bookman’sblock bike lights, but I recently started using these bigger, brighter snap-on lights on my commuter bike. The rear light has a cool lava-lamp-like blinking pattern option.

City Bicycles NYC’s Moloon says a lot of his customers keep these “iconic” Flandriens hand-painted cycling figurines on their desks. The sets ship from Europe (the price shown includes a $27 shipping fee), and if you’re feeling extra generous, Moloon says the Dutch company can make custom sets featuring your recipient’s favorite jerseyupon request.

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

This Spurcycle bell has been on Moloon’s bike for seven years, and he says it’s the favored bell of many other cyclists too. He calls it “very loud and very clear,” adding that it’s small enough not to look dorky and that it can be “mounted pretty much anywhere: sideways, upright, upside down — whichever works best for your bike.”

If your recipient is more of a mountain-and-trail biker than an urban one, consider gifting this pair of shorts that Adventure journalist and cyclistMorgan Tiltonswears by for her more-adventurous rides. She likes these shorts specifically because they’re at a “lower price compared to the brand’s premium designs” but are still made with high-quality materials.

Thousand’s helmet protects your noggin but hides its features — like air vents and a pop-out hole for your bike lock — in a discreet design, unlike other flashier helmets.

Jeff Selzer, the general manager atPalo Alto Bicycles, recommends this colorful and “surprisingly durable” combo bike lock as a cheery gift for any cyclist because “you don’t need to worry about losing the key.”

Ick says these lobster-style gloves keep his hands toasty on frigid rides while allowing him to brake and shift. “They’re an absolute boon to commuting,” he says. “Super-warm and wind resistant, and a much more ergonomic solution thanpogies.”

Tokyo-based illustrator Tetsuro Ohno created the characterUncle Rinne, who lives many different cycling lives. Rinne is aroad cyclist, atrack cyclist, abikepacker, and aTour de France winner.

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.

If the cyclist in your life likes to pedal alongside friends, they’ll appreciate how easily this Bluetooth speaker can clip on to various parts of their bike to play a soundtrack for warm-weather group rides.

Tilton alsotold us that after recently starting to use these kneepads, she “wondered how I’d allowed my shins and patellas to endure the wounds they have over the past two decades.” According to Tilton, they’re a year-round essential.

These cycling gloves have Gore-Tex’s water- and windproof technology and get the stamp of approval from bike storeNYC Velo. “It’s the cycling glove of choice for our staff,” says founder and owner Andrew Crooks.

For riders who like to track their heart rate, Palo Alto Bicycles’ Selzer recommends giving this Wahoo armband, which he says “won’t move or bounce around like a chest band.”

Solis told us that this saddlebag can store so much stuff that he can often ditch his bag on shorter rides.

Although it’s designed to be worn while hiking or walking withdogswho would rather get a lift than use their feet, this backpack works just as well for cyclists who want to give their pup a ride, according to Candy Godoy, who uses it to bike with herinfluencer pug, Boogie, on her back.

Giftsunder$200

You can stuff a helmet, shoes, or lunch into the cargo net on the back of this commuter pack, which Steele calls “durable, properly structured, waterproof, and weight distributing.”

Cycling expertMelvin Onyiasays that after trying a few helmet brands looking for the winner, he was thrilled to discover this one, which has a strap that he describes as “much more comfortable than other helmets’, with really nice padding.”

These ingeniously designed wirelesscycling headphonesallow you to safely ride while enjoying music using bone-conduction technology, which delivers sound through vibrations against your skull. They work just as well for listening to real-time directions from Google Maps.

For the cyclist who wants even more on-bike storage, cycling coach 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.

Giftsover$200

Andrew Crooks from NYC Velo says he’d gift this largerbackpack to anyone who takes multi-day bike trips. He describes it as a “re-creation of a classic French mountaineering bag, but in modern materials,” meaning it looks a bit more stylish but can still hold a lot and, as he notes, is “especially durable.”

When it’s nasty outside and you’re itching to ride, you can connect your bike to the this trainer for a fullat-homeworkout. You can sync the Kickr to cycling apps likeZwift, which give you access to workouts, training plans, and virtual races.