Holiday Gifts for Cyclists
Wheel Life column - December 16, 2000
by Todd Litman and Suzanne Kort - Victoria Transport Policy Institute

Run 16 December 2000, with photo of cyclist in full body armour.

HOLIDAY GIFTS FOR CYCLISTS

What holiday gift will delight a cyclist? Here are a few suggestions to help you choose items that are useful and appreciated.

Full body armour a hot item for serious mountain bikers this year. The full set includes a vest, shin pads, elbow and forearm pads, full-faced helmet, mountain-bike gloves, and the Roach brand heavy-duty shorts. The set costs about as much as a tuxedo, and is unsuitable for formal events, but looks much better when covered with mud.

Purchase a new bike or other major equipment from a reliable bikeshop, rather than a discount store. Bikeshops tend to provide better quality products and service, plus valuable advice to help you find just the right gift.

Find one or two bikeshops that you trust, and stick with them. This allows you to establish an ongoing relationship: you get to know the shop and the shop gets to know your bike.

This is a busy time for most bikeshops, so try to do your shopping during the middle of a weekday, rather than on weekends when staff may be rushed. You can put a few dollars down to hold a bike, and most shops will store it until Christmas or Hanukkah. Check the shop's policy on returns, in case your selection is the wrong size, style or colour.

All sorts of cycling accessories make great gifts: bells, locks, cycling computers (which display speed, distance, average speed, etc.) helmets, lights, racks (both to carry stuff on the bike, and to carry a bike on a car), panniers, gloves, shorts, shoes, water bottles, tool kits, and shoes. Cyclists on a limited budget may appreciate a bike tune-up and any equipment that makes riding safer and easier.

This week's cold snap is a good reminder to help your favorite cyclist stay warm with a vest or cycling jacket, full-fingered gloves or mittens, ear covers or tights. If you can't find what you want at a bikeshop, check out the ski department at a sporting goods shop.

Consider a map (both road or off-road cycling maps are available for our region), book or magazine related to cycling. Tasty treats are always appreciated, and most cyclists would love a promise for an after-ride message. If your cyclist has a busy schedule, try a certificate for few hours of obligation-free cycling time.

There are a number of great causes to help you spread your gift even farther. The Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition's legal defense fund protects cyclists' rights (www.gvcc.bc.ca). The Land Conservancy of BC is raising money to preserve land along the Galloping Goose Trail (www.conservancy.bc.ca). Vancouver's Sunshine Wheels Foundation (604-669-1009) and the International Bicycle Fund (www.ibike.org) support bicycle transportation programs in developing countries.

The International Bicycle Fund also sells a "Cycle & Recycle 2001" reusable calendar, which offers year long cycling inspiration. This colorful calendar celebrates the bicycle as an everyday transportation vehicle throughout the world, and can be used again in 2007 and 2018. Proceeds benefit cycling. For more information see www.ibike.org/calendar.