How to Buy Gifts for Discerning Cyclists Who Seem to Already Have it All

Cyclists are a finicky bunch. In our experience, most people buying gifts for cyclists express a lot of fear and bewilderment. OK, that might be in extreme cases but it's not easy when we're all so picky. Another funny bit on our end is that suddenly our friends and significant others are exposed to the true cost of cycling equipment, jaws hit the floor, eyes glaze over and then the suspicion..."how much was that recent bike"? The other problem is that cyclists like things that make little or no sense to non-cyclists. How can a seatpost be exciting? Well, to some of us, it just is.

The majority of people reading this are cyclists of course so we thought we could share advice that you could "hint" to people that might buy you something special this season. Here we go..

Tips for cyclists buying for cyclists:

- You know you would want the nicest stuff. You should give the best you can. Yes, I'm biased, clearly but the best advice is to put yourself in the recipients shoes. Buy the best and you'll never wonder what you're missing.

- So you know someone already has everything. It;'s not such a bad thing to have extras. Extra shorts, socks, warmers and the like are great to have more than one of.

- Be sneaky. One way to find out what someone needs is to openly complain about your own equipment. "Man, these arm warmers are worn out", " I need some new shoes". You might hear, "me too".

Tips for the non-cyclists and how to get this information to them.

- Bike people are fanatical, obsessive nerds (don't deny it , we are).Cyclists will be amused by things you don't understand. Trust the guys at your local shop to give you some advice. In our case, we keep client purchase histories so we know most people's sizes and we know what people may need.

- If you're a cyclist and you want your significant other to get you something, you have to be crafty. Leave your shorts and jerseys in plain sight, maybe on the couch. Leave them in annoying places. This way they don't have to guess sizes. They will think "why are these bib shorts always on the counter in the kitchen?...ooooh, maybe I should buy him/her some new bike clothes." Get it, easy peasy! You can always come home from a ride complaining of a  headache because your sunglasses are terrible. You get the idea.

- Gift certificates work too. That takes the pressure off. Get something small and a gift certificate.

- Last but not least, cycling is expensive but so is yachting, sports cars, and golf but cycling is better for you. Don't judge and just accept that your kids are probably going to have to fend for themselves when it's time to go to college. Cycling is more important, that's just the way it is.


So, here are a few ideas:

Seriously the best shorts, knickers and tights in the world. Buy someone some Assos knickers and they will love you forever.

For the cyclist that has it all, the Campy corkscrew.

Things to keep hands, feet and head warm by Assos

Garmin and really cool Garmin mounts.

Very well designed tools.

Simply the brightest, best lights around, Lupine.

The good old fashioned gift certificate.

Oh, one more thing. Do you remember getting a bike for Christmas? That feeling is what makes us do this for a living. Brand new bikes are just about as good as it gets. When people give bikes as gifts, no matter what the occasion is, we have a lot of fun. The look on peoples faces, the whole process is just awesome.  The beauty here is that our bikes are custom so you don't have to worry about what to get someone. You can just say, go on over to Bespoke, they are building you your dream machine.