Christmas Gift Guide 2017: 24 gadgets and presents for cyclists

Garmin Edge 1030 (£500)

No Garmin, no rules: a catchy tag for the art of getting lost on two wheels, with no idea where you’ve been, where you’re going or how fast. Pretty unhelpful, then.

If you prefer your hashtags on track, try this handlebar topper from Garmin – packed with turn-by-turn navigation, customisable data, automatic routing, Strava live segments, instant messaging and broad sensor compatibility. More of a mouthful, we’ll admit, but at least you’ll be able to find your way home.

Hiplok Z-lok (£15)

Every cyclist fears the dreaded danger shop. You’ve ridden 50 miles. Your gels are out and your bottle is rattling empty in its cage. Worst of all, your riding buddy is slack some 5 miles back. Your only choice is to dash into the corner shop for a Mars bar, but that would mean leaving your bike unattended – and almost certainly nicked.

Mercifully, the tiny Z-lok from Hiplok exists for this very purpose: tough enough to deter opportunist thieves, at a mere 20g it’ll go unnoticed in even the lightest of jerseys. Need a bigger loop? You can even chain two together.

PDW Shiny Object CO2 inflator (US$19)

We hate punctures: summer days spent coasting through the countryside, blighted by those fiendish bushy bristles. It’s the pits.

But now, when you’re in the pits, you can show those thorns who’s boss with the ultimate in re-inflation kit. Made from indestructible alloy wrapped in leather, PDW’s ultra-shiny Co2 fast-filler not only looks the bicycle business, but will also see your rubber right back on the road in next to no time.

Trakke Lecht (£158)

Committed cyclo-commuters will be familiar with the difficulty of deciding how to lug their work junk around town. Sure, you could cram it all into a bulky backpack and be done with it – but that wouldn’t set off your Merino wool jersey.

Sling this waxed-cotton carrier on your back instead, for 20 litres of durably stylish storage. Slip your laptop into the internal sleeve, zip it tight to keep wayward water out and you’ve a rugged container to haul all of your gear.

Upso Stirling Seat Pack (£30)

Every winter cyclist needs a sturdy saddle pack for stashing spare tubes, tyre levers and emergency snackage. Upso’s range of under-seat sacks is made from recycled lorry tarpaulins, which means each one is waterproof, unique and comes with just a hit of a world-saving smugness.

The Stirling fastens tightly to seat posts via quick-release Velcro straps, making corner shop fill-ups a rapid business. Want to use it for mid-ride energy bars? It’s just as happy clinging horizontally on to your handlebars, too.

Tour De France Bic Cycling Cap Print (£15)

If there’s one thing that’s bound to drive a cyclist’s spouse mad, it’s wall mounting your favoured steed on the living room wall.

Keep your passion for the saddle a little subtler with these striking cap prints. Choose your favourite advertiser or, if you’d prefer to be marginally less unpopular, one that doesn’t clash with the wallpaper.

Garmin Varia Radar Rear (£100)

Even if a cyclist is highly attuned to the unexpected antics of cars, buses and wildlife, there’s not much they can do about being hit from behind by a ticked-off Santa who’s speeding home for Christmas.

This smart rear light greatly reduces the chances of that happening thanks to a built-in radar system, which senses vehicles approaching from up to 140m behind. Once a vehicle is detected, the light brightens and flashes to warn the driver, while also notifying the rider via the optional Radar Display.

Quad Lock Out Front Mount (£24)

Whether your cycling friend has a Strava obsession or a habit of getting horribly lost, they’ll appreciate this handlebar phone mount. Compatible with Quad Lock’s iPhone cases (Android fans can use its Universal Adaptor instead), it safely locks smartphones just in front of your handlebars for easy map-reading.

Flip the mount around and it’ll hold your phone in the slightly less precarious spot over the stem, while a bundled spacer means it can fit both 31.8mm and 25.4mm handlebars. Fancy mounting a GoPro underneath the phone? An extra £7 will get you a version with an adaptor for the action cams.

Adidas Evil Eye Halfrim Pro Sunglasses (£90)

Aside from a personal house-to-office bike lane, the dream for most cyclists is one pair of glasses to last the whole year. These Adidas sunnies fit the bill perfectly, courtesy of Vario lenses, which can change from completely clear to dark in just 20 two-wheeled seconds.

Suitable for both murky winter rides and bright sunny ones, their anti-fog coating, fluorescent highlights and a removable sweat blocker make them a good fit for mountain bikers, too.

Patagonia Capilene midweight zip-neck (£60)

Toasty warm yet blissfully breathable, Patagonia’s range of base layers has been a firm favourite in the Stuff office for years. This zip-neck number is no exception, equipped with nifty tricks like elastic thumb loops to ensure your hands don’t feel the winter nip.

The fabric itself is designed to sit happily beneath your other layers, whilst smart sewing should keep you comfortable on the mountain climb: the shoulder seams are offset so as to avoid rucksack strap chafing.

Full Windsor The Nutter (£40)

A Nutter from Full Windsor might sound like something from an Oxbridge politician’s murky past, but it’s actually a powerful multi-tool that offers more leverage for less weight.

Oh, and, unlike most MPs, it happens to be rather stylish. It comes in a smart pouch made from leather and recycled inner tubes, and bundles up nicely on the back of your saddle with a spare tube and a pump. It even works as a bottle opener for picnics.

Lost Lanes (£10)

Cycling journalist Jack Thurston’s collection of 36 rides along southern England’s network of lanes includes places to stay, swim and get a pint (or a cuppa).

Each one comes with downloadable directions and GPX files to keep you on the right track – so there’s no excuse for avoiding that Boxing Day ride.

Wahoo Element Mini (€90)

Bank account feeling sore after a festive splurge? Best not spend hundreds on a new bike computer, then.

Grab the Element Mini from Wahoo instead and you’ll get Bluetooth, ANT+ and a speed sensor – all with change from £100. Yes, there’s no GPS, but you can probably pick up a decent map book from the pound shop – or connect your phone for ride tracking and sharing. Bargain.

Cinelli Cyclops Bar Tape (£30)

Buying your buddy a new bike might be beyond your budget, but this Ana Benaroya-designed tape will do plenty to spruce up their bars.

Combining Cinelli’s famous tape-tech and grippy comfort with limited edition visuals, the Cyclops design is eye-deal for fans of bikes, biology and all things grippy. Even better, the red ribbon wrap will definitely distinguish their set o’ wheels from the crop of identikit carbon cycles cruising the tarmac.

Fifty Bicycles That Changed The World (£13)

A tome that ought to grace any bike-lover’s coffee table, this book from the Design Museum takes the reader through the most important and innovative bicycles in history, from way back when penny-farthing pedallers cruised the cobbles to the latest Pinarello ridden by the Sky team.

Plume Mudguard (£28)

Drop your fair-weather friend’s excuses in a puddle with this saddle splashguard: a thermoplastic and stainless steel combo of super-lightweight style and supreme splatter protection, this is one mudguard that won’t compromise on cycling street cred.

Plume’s seat stem strap-on gives 78mm of water-blocking width when extended, and recoils into a neat reflective package when the sun reappears.

Vulpine MEN’S MERINO SOFTSHELL CYCLING BLAZER (£290)

Save on taxi fares by cycling to the party with this multi-functional blazer from Vulpine. Smart enough to get you past the bouncers, a breathable outer softshell and a fast-drying, odour-fighting Merino wool lining mean it’ll also do the duty when you’re pedalling through town with a six-pack in your panniers.

Once you’re dancing, a subtle reflective strip on the rear is all that’ll give your do-it-all dress code away.

PDW The Bird Cage (US$18)

Rather than lopping an inch or two of the drops, a new bottle holder is a 5-minute upgrade that can make your bike feel light(er) and new(er).

There are thousands on offer, but we particularly like this nifty bird-shaped cage – perfect for when you need a swift swallow.

Crochet Cycling Gloves (£15)

You can throw a lot of money at a pair of specialist racing gloves that are as light as a vole’s whisker and woven from futuristic nano-Lycra.

Or you can throw a lot less money at a nice, comfy, pair of good gloves made from leather and cotton. These pleasingly just-retro-enough mitts are the latter.

Aftershokz Trekz Titanium (£95)

Bass beats make the wheels go round. Ok, so legs and carbohydrates might also have something to do with it, but a good tune or two can make all the difference on a thrashing run to your next PB.

And these sweat-repelling music-makers do just the trick: delivering mini-vibrations through your cheekbones to your inner-ear might sound a bit Frankenstein, but it leaves your big flaps free to pick up the shouts and horns of riders and road users beside you.

GIRO DND GLOVES X CINELLI NEMO PURPLE HAZE (£32)

Like all bus drivers everywhere, it’s an unwritten rule that cyclists must greet each other when passing. Being British, though, can make saying hello to strangers (however tight their lycra is) quite difficult.

Let your hands do the talking with these Purple Haze gloves. With "Ciao" printed on the fingertips, a dose of Continental flair is but a wave away.

Fabric Lumaray (£28)

Cram a bell, a light, a computer and an action camera on to your bars and you’ll soon be short of space to put your hands. Which is pretty important if you prefer to keep your tyres on the Tarmac rather than knee-deep in ditches.

This nifty glower sits neatly between your GPS tracker and its mount, with 30 lumens of shine packed in to a slimline build that won’t affect your all-important drag ratio.

Rapha City Round Glasses (£60)

Sticking sunglasses in someone’s stocking might seem like an optimistic choice in darkest December, but those rain-drenched roads can give off a pretty mean glare come spring.

Functional on the bike, with a lightweight frame and Carl Zeiss lenses, these Italian lookers ensure you can transition from well-pedalled to well-heeled in the care-free flick of a kickstand.

Morvelo Joey bottle (£8)

"Oh Joey Ramone," Noel Fielding once opined. "Loping down the high road."

What was going through his mind we might never know – but at least you’ll be able to channel your inner punk while going at the high road yourself, with this 600ml rehydrator from Morvelo. It’ll fit all standard cage mounts and if it doesn’t match your paint scheme, well, that’s just punk rock.