Check out their 15 recommendations
GIFT ONE
Attractive, Lycra-free bike clothing makes commuting and social riding less of a fashion ordeal. Muxu only launched last year, but have already made an impact with a range of appealing and practical gear. Their jeans are anatomically designed for cycling with a seamless crotch and reflective print inside the pedalling leg. Made from Japanese denim
with a stretch blend for cycling performance and comfort. £90 from Muxu
GIFT TWO
Australian bike design blog Cycle EXIF has a stunning 2012 calendar of custom bikes to ensure the bike remains the centre of your schedule. A$14.95 (£9.74) for the print version; A$2.95 to download from CycleEXIF
GIFT THREE
Stylish and practical bike storage, which will hold the bike at almost any angle, enabling an irregularly shaped area - above stairs, for example - to be transformed into both storage and exhibition space. Pricey (for what is essentially a sturdy plastic bucket), but the best solution if you have to keep your bike in your flat. Designed and manufactured in UK. £59.95 from Cycloc
GIFT FOUR
Michaux Club Cycling Handbag Fashion handbag incorporating water-resistant fabric and reflective detailing. Removable anti-sway strap keeps the bag in position while riding. Range of fabrics available. Hand made in London. See the full rangehere. Price on application from
GIFT FIVE
SKS CT-Worx Multitool Unlike most multi-tools, this includes a spanner and tyre levers, so you’re less likely to be stuck by the side of the road, cursing the one essential piece of kit you’ve forgotten. Take a spare tube, and be ready for anything. £17.99 from ChainReactionCycles
GIFT SIX
Recycled Spoke Earrings Earrings made from recycled stainless steel spokes (will not rust or tarnish). BicycleGifts.com has a wide range of recycled bike accessories to reminding yourself of where your heart is during the dull, desk-bound days between cycling trips. $24.95 from BicycleGifts.com
GIFT SEVEN
Isla Rothan 2+ Balance Bike Parents rave about Isla Bikes, designed from scratch for children. Lightweight, robust, and easy for a child to handle. A full range of styles and sizes is available, starting with this Rothan balance bike, for a 2+. £119.99 from Isla Bikes
GIFT EIGHT
Altura Night Vision Children’s Waterproof Jacket A children’s version of the ubiquitous Altura jacket, available in sizes for 5-12 year olds. Waterproof, breathable, and available in yellow or black (with reflective trim), this enables children to be as well equipped and visible as mum and dad, and feel grown up about riding to school. £49.99 (though often discounted online) from Wiggle.co.uk
GIFT NINE
Rapha Long Sleeve City Riding Jersey Rapha have pioneered the use of merino wool - soft, insulating, breathable and odour free - in cycling gear, which combines fantastic performance with elegant contemporary looks. This 100% merino jersey works all year round: on its own in summer, or as a mid layer in winter. Available in purple (pictured), navy or Moroccan blue. Rapha’s women’s range improves every season. Rapha also have a dedicated gifts page, with some (relatively) less expensive accessories. £120 from Rapha
GIFT TEN
Roberts Bespoke Bike There is a revival of interest in hand built, bespoke steel frames, which offer unrivalled comfort and durability. Britain still has a wealth of expert frame builders. Roberts, based in Croydon, has a very wide range of styles and options, and reasonable prices (for what you get). Do your bit for British manufacturing. Complete Roberts bespoke bikes start at £2000.
GIFT ELEVEN
CycleOps Trainer If you or your loved cycling one have to train for so many hours a week, a trainer can be a sensible way to put in the miles in the warm and dry.CycleOps have a range of widely acclaimed products. This is the entry model, Cyclops Wind. £150 from Paligap
GIFT TWELVE
Cycling Holidays If cycling in a British January doesn’t appeal, plan a holiday somewhere more enticing. Gastrobiking offer centre-based road-cycling holidays in the French Alps; Cycling Holidays (part of the CTC) have a huge range of mostly moving-on tours in UK and Europe, with some further afield; Red Spokes will take you to adventurous locations like Bolivia, Cambodia, or Kyrgyzstan.
GIFT THIRTEEN
Cyclebabble Lashings of wit and wisdom from The Guardian Bike Blog, covering such topics as: - Beer and bikes: can they ever mix? - What's the best way to cycle in a summer dress? - How much bike do you get for £70? Or £700? Along with brilliant advice, there are also plenty of biking tales, from the sublime (a ride by moonlight on the summer solstice) to the ridiculous (the mysterious world of naked rides). £5.99 from The Guardian Bookshop. There's a t-shirt for £18.99 too.
GIFT FOURTEEN
The Tour Is Won on the Alpe, Jean-Paul Vespini Cycling books are booming, especially, as the assistant in a well-stocked bike shop where I was browsing recently explained, the ‘the big ones with pictures’. The Tour is Won on the Alpe, an acclaimed history of this ascent in the Tour de France, and the heart-bursting battles it has provoked, is so packed with evocative photos as to persuade the most pudding-stuffed armchair cyclist to set off for Alpe d’Huez. £12.74 from Amazon
GIFT FIFTEEN
Bakfiets Cargo Bike Do you know anyone with a large number of deliveries to complete over the Christmas period? Perhaps someone of a more spacious build, who could do with the exercise? Get them a cargo bike, the urban transport of the moment. There are many available, but Dutch design Bakfiets are a classic. Great for children, dogs and shopping. £1660 from The School Run Centre, Cambridge