3 Kinds of Bike Gifts - Part 1

With Thanksgiving behind us the holiday shopping season is in full-swing and tons of us are already scrambling to get our presents picked out so we can spend the rest of the month wrapping, resting, and riding as far away from the mall madness as possible. 

When it comes to picking the perfect bike gifts, things can get tricky with all the different sizes, specs, and the ever-finicky preferences of individual riders. In the next few posts we'll breakdown three common gift categories based on how much input you'll need from the recipient to make sure they get the most out of what you're giving. Today, let's dive into the "no convo required" category! 

No Input Needed

First up, let's run through some gifts that basically always work for riders. These are the kinds of gifts that'll be loved, used, and appreciated by everyone from die-hard racers to low-key cruisers.

The key to safe, no-input bike purchases is choosing something that helps the rider without really affecting their bike. Things like:

Socks

Everyone wears socks, they're one-size-fits-all, and every new pair you get helps push laundry one day further away. Basically, for anyone over the age of 15, they're the perfect gift (16 seems to be about the age when we go from, "Aw, socks again?" to, "Oh yeah! Socks again!").

Water Bottles

Water bottles are another easy rider gift pickup. Everybody drinks, riding makes you drink more, and you can never have too many water bottles since you always seem to leave one in the house, one in the dishwasher, one at your desk, etc... etc... Plus, with so many different designs to choose from (but all conveniently shaped to fit into on-bike bottle cages) it's easy to find something you know they'll like without having an awkward, "what are you looking for in a water bottle?" conversation.

Power Banks

It's the 21st century and that means we can all speak to the entire world, instantly and right from our pocket - but it also means we're more reliant than ever on electricity. Some riders use their phones for record-keeping, others to find group rolls, still more to post their epic ride pics to insta, and everyone values having an emergency line in case things go rubber-up. The one thing that can wipe out all those plans is a dead battery - and that's what makes power banks so universally useful. There's nothing like a little bit of back-up power, sitting in your backpack or on the bike. I've got like 3 of them and I still love getting more because nothing saves a ride like letting everyone charge their phones on the go.

So there's your jumping off point! Grandparents, distant relatives, or emotionally distant roommates - snag one of these for the rider in your life and they'll be smiling, whatever they ride. Tomorrow we'll talk gifts that take a little more input!

Until then, ride happy - and we'll see you out there.