Monday, November 23, 2009

Gifting and Cyclists:

“My (chose one: friend, husband, brother, etc.) is a big bicycle rider. They just love to ride that bike. I’m trying to get them something they will like for Christmas, but I really don’t know what to do.”
That, good readers, is what I hear a lot this time of year. If you’ve been in the sport for a while, your friends and loved ones haven’t a clue what to do for you. For that matter, if you are new to it all, the same is true, and you probably don’t have all that clear an idea either.
So here’s the idea. Below you will find some cool stuff for cyclists, in varying price ranges. Just print this post out, underline or circle the items you are most interested in, and “accidentally” leave it out where your friends and family will find it. That covers hinting.
Alternatively, you could use this to identify useful or thoughtful gifts for various cyclists on your list. Note: For some of these items, it will help if you find out a bit about your target. Get clothing sizes, riding habits, and bicycle details, first! With just a bit of thought, and some applied sneakiness, it’s possible to find out almost all of this stuff, and it’s kind of fun too!
Fill in appropriate sizes below:
Shoe size: _______________________
Pants size: _______________________
Shirt size: _______________________
Hat size or measurement around the brow in inches: _______________________
Glove size: _______________________
Bicycle:
Color of bike: _______________________
Bike type (Make & model): _______________________
Size (measure from the middle of the center of the bottom of the frame to the center of the top tube): _______________________
Wheel size (on side of tire): _______________________
Tire Size (on side of tire)
Note: There are a lot of different kinds of tire sizes. Be prepared to note this exactly. For instance 26 X 1.5 is not the same as 26 X 1 ½. If you are not sure, just copy down all the numbers on the sidewall of the tire, in exact order. The folks at the bike shop are used to handling this.
Cassette (on rear wheel):
Number of cogs: _______________________
Number of teeth on largest cog: _______________________
Number of teeth on smallest cog: _______________________
Crankset (where the pedals are):
Number of gears: _______________________
Number of teeth on big gear: _______________________
Number of teeth on middle or small gear: _______________________
Number of teeth on smallest gear: _______________________
Happy hinting, and happy shopping!
$10 to $100
20 gel packs
Arm Warmers
Bar tape and installation
Bar tape or grips
Basic Tune up
Beanie or balaclava
Behind the seat bottle cage
Bell
Bike computer
Bike lock
Bike tune up
Bottle of chain lube
Chain (check number of gears on the back wheel)
CO2 inflator
Cycling Cap
Fayette Bike for Life membership
Fenders (check bike type and wheel size)
Frame pump
Full finger mtb gloves
Gloves, summer
Gloves, winter
Head band light
Head light
Hydration back pack
Jacket, cold weather
Jacket, Rain
Jacket, wind
Jersey, summer
Jersey, summer
Jersey, tri-sport
Jersey, winter
Knee warmers
Leg Warmers
Minor tune up
Mirror for bike
Mirror for eyeglasses
Multi-tool
Multi-tool, Small
Package of 2 shift cables, 2 brake cables, housings for both
Rack (to mount on the bike)
Reflective ankle bands
Reflective vest
Shorts
Shorts, baggy
Simple Green bike cleaner
Skull cap
Socks, summer
Socks, wool
Speed Clean degreaser
Sun Glasses
Swim kick board
Tail light, good and strong
Tire levers
Tires, Pair of touring road
Tires, road, high performance (check wheel size)
Tube patch kit
Tune up maintenance class
Under seat bag, large
Under seat bag, small
Water bottles
Water bottles, insulated
$100 to $150
Basic tune up
Bicycle computer with cadence feature
Bike computer (wired)
Bike maintenance class
Combine two or three items from above list
FitLab AT testing session www.fitlabinc.com
Frame pump
Full season Bicycles Unlimited Spin Class membership
Gift Certificate at Bicycles Unlimited
Good warm riding jacket
Heart rate monitor
Helmet
Jersey
Messenger bag
Nice helmet
Panniers
Professional Bike Fitting
Rain jacket
Set of high quality tires
Shorts
Winter tights

$150 to $300
Bicycle computer with cadence feature
Clip on aerobars
Clipless pedals
Excellent helmet
FitLab AT testing session www.fitlabinc.com
Full tear down & overhaul tune up
Good rechargeable light set
Heart rate monitor
Helmet, a really nice one
High end sun glasses
MTB shoes
Professional bike fitting
Roadie shoes
Rollers, indoor training
Set of shorts, jersey, and wind jacket
Shorts
Stationary trainer
Training wheelset
Tri-shoes (for bike)
Tri-shorts
Tune up, tear down and over haul type
Very good light set
Wetsuit (do this with a gift certificate, fit is critical)
XTR mountain bike pedals
$300 to $500
Complete bicycle maintenance tool kit
Compu-Trainer
Entry level mountain bike
Enter them in one of the MS 150 charity rides
GPS based cycle computer with HR monitor and computer download
Hard sided bicycle travel case
New Drive Line (chain, cassette, chain rings)(check number of gears on rear wheel)
Road shoes (check pedal type)
Set of training wheels, complete with cassette and tires
Shimano Dura Ace road pedals
Training wheel set with cassette, and training tires (check wheel size and the number & size of gears on rear wheel)
Winter cycling boots
$500 and up
Complete SRAM driveline, shifter, crankset, and brakes upgrade
Entry level road bike to use as a trainer & rain bike
Fixed gear or “track” bike ($700 to $2,000)
Full and complete home shop tool set (approx $1,000)
Loaded Touring Bike ($3,000 to $5,000)
Mid level road bike to use as trainer & rain bike (approx $1000)
Mountain bike, Absolute Killer type ($3,000 and up)
New commuter hybrid or road bike
Nicer Mountain bike (approx $500 to $800)
Power meter
Road bike, very very good ($3,000 & up)
Very good race wheel set
Sky’s the limit!
Trip to see Tour de France
New Orbea Orca, with full Dura Ace group
All expense paid trip to Durango, or Moab, including bike rental and guide
Very High end racing bike ($8,000 & up)
New Orbea Time Trial bike
A wine country tour in Tuscany
A guided and supported tour in Provence, France
A guided and supported tour across the US

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