Ride MTB's Holiday Gift Guide for Those Who Ride Bikes
One of the best feelings during the holiday season is seeing the face of a loved one light up as they unwrap your present. Finding a gift that they didn’t know they needed, and can be truly useful is a challenge. We created this little guide to give you some fun ideas at various price points. Whether you are shopping for yourself, or someone else, hopefully it can help you some score some brownie points this holiday season!
// Kyle Warner & April Zastrow, Ride MTB //
Gear for the Home/Shop
FOUNDATION BIKE STAND
This is one of the easiest and slickest looking bike stands we have ever used. It makes parking your bike in the garage a breeze. Just set the rear axle of the bike in the slot, and the tire cradle holds the bike from tipping. In our experience this stand works great with both 27.5 and 29 inch wheels.
MAXIMA CHAIN PRO LUBE
Every bike needs lube! This chain lube is designed for both wet and dry conditions, and works great to protect your drivetrain. We prefer to put it on after each ride to let it soak in to the chain rollers. This simple gift is always needed and can keep the expensive bits on a bike last much longer.
SCHWLABE AIRMAX PRO DIGITAL TIRE GAUGE
In my opinion checking tire pressure before each ride is the most important thing you can do to keep things feeling consistent and reduce the risk of a flat, or even worse a crash. This little gauge can slip in your Camelbak and can help you make sure you are always at the right pressure. It can also be fun to experiment changing pressure 1 psi at a time and see what you notice.
CAMELBAK BOTTLE BRUSH KIT
There is nothing worse than a surprise taste of funky water bottle or CamelBak hose! Give the gift of clean water with this cool little brush kit from CamelBak.
FEEDBACK VELO HINGE BICYCLE WALL RACK
To follow the trend of keeping your garage sleek looking, these wall racks really do the trick. They allow you move your bike on the rack to make more
space and to take it off easier. Whenever we post a picture of our bikes on these racks, we get so many questions on where to get them!
PARK TOOL SK-4 HOME MECHANIC STARTER KIT
There are a ton of tool kits on the market but what I really like about this park tool starter kit is that it comes with a book full of great tips on how to do basic bike maintenance. The tool box also has ample room to scale up your collection of tools down the road. If you or a loved one want to start saving some money and working on your own bike, this is a great option!
SARIS H3 DIRECT DRIVE SMART TRAINER
Keep that hard-earned endurance built this summer, and start next year off better than ever! This trainer is awesome because when used with a program like Zwift it can actually recognize uphills and downhills and can adjust the resistance to make it feel like you are actually riding in the virtual world. This trainer also tells you your speed, cadence, and power. Maybe we will catch you on a ride this winter!
Proper MTB Shoes
Whether you ride clipless pedals or flat pedals a good set of riding shoes is extremely important! Not only can they help you with more grip on the pedals but they also offer a reinforced toe box and can help prevent you from smashing your toes on a rock or root. I have seen so many people break toes on the trail with soft skate style shoes. If you don’t have a set yet, we highly recommend a nice pair of riding shoes. Personally, April uses the Ride Concepts Skyline Shoe, and I ride in the Ride Concepts Transition Clip Shoe.
PNW Loam Grips
One of the easiest and most fun ways to customize a bike is by throwing some different grips on it! Grips come in a variety of sizes and colors but what makes them an easy gift is that they are pretty much universal when it comes to installing them. These PNW grips are our favorites and they come in a ton of different colors now!
FOUNDATION 287 FOLDING MULTI TOOL
One can never have enough multi tools. Keep one in your pack, one in your vehicle and one in the garage. These little tools have saved us on the trail more times than we can count!
BLACKBURN CHAMBER TUBELESS FLOOR PUMP
Have you ever heard the saying “buy once, cry once”? Well this pump may seem expensive at first but if you are an avid mountain biker, nothing compares to the ease of use, high quality gauge and the fact that it acts as a mini air compressor for tubeless tires. This is one of those investments in your time and sanity that will bay off big time down the road!
CAMELBAK CHASE 8 VEST
This pack has been our go to bag for the past 4 years. We love how simple it is, how it sits up high on your back and doesn’t swing around, and how easy it is to grab tools and snacks on the go. If you know someone who loves 2-4 hour rides this pack is by far the best one we have ever used.
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