Christmas Ideas
Gordon Hobbis December 06, 2007

There is a picture hanging in my office of my dad and me in a one horse open sleigh. The picture was the front page of The Sun newspaper on December 24th, 1970. The only other items under the masthead were the words “Merry Christmas to all Sun Readers”. The day the picture was taken I was a cold, crabby 7 year old with no idea why I was being dragged out to the wilds of Burke Mountain. The lesson that day was the same as it was when anyone got wrapped up in dad’s plans; go with the flow and everything will work out for the best. This is something to remember at this stressful time of the year as holiday shoppers struggle to find that perfect gift for those they care about the most.

What should you do if there is a bicycle rider on your list? Here are some gift ideas that will be surefire hits for any cyclist. A great little gift that is under $10 and suitable for any rider young or old is a hub shiner. You’re excused if you don’t know what a hub shiner is. We haven’t had these in the store for years. You can be sure that this is something they won’t already have. A local craftsman has done up a few and they are cool. They are made from leather, just like they were 100 years ago, but with some fancy patterns embossed into them. Hub shiners fit any bike and do a simple little job, keep the bicycles hub clean and shiny. There are some other things that cyclists always need or can never have enough of. A nice, new, clean water bottle makes a good gift, and you can pack other treats inside of it too. Look for a bottle that is made from better materials that are dishwasher safe. I suggest the Tacx Source bottle that is made in Holland from polyethylene or the French made Zefal thermal bottle that will keep cold stuff cold and hot stuff hot for longer. Don’t be shy or embarrassed about giving socks this Christmas. Cycling socks are always appreciated as most riders don’t have enough. They are made from sports fabrics such as coolmax and with inspiring slogans and graphics they are functional as well as fun.

The tradition of Christmas trees comes to us from Germany. Also from Germany, is a line of bicycle locks that haven’t been offered in Canada before. People are always concerned about bicycle theft and the only way to stop it is to use a lock. Abus brand bicycle locks are from Germany where they take bike locks seriously. Their locks consistently rank as one of the best in any consumer tests of locks. To start the habit of locking a bicycle, it is important to start at a young age, so that is why we like the children’s locks from Abus. They are easy to use with their large easy to grasp connectors and spring loaded lock mechanisms. By far this is the nicest children’s lock I have ever seen. If you like a real tree rather than an imitation tree you might then have someone on your list that would like a bicycle bell made of wood rather than steel. These little beauties come in Cherry or Padauk wood and are more of a bicycle knocker then a bell.

If you know a little bit about the bike rider on your list then try to pigeon hole them into commuter, road or mountain bike riders. From there it is easy to find a useful present that will be appreciated. Commuters can always use more lights and reflectors for visibility. The only limitation to how many lights a bike should have is how much space there is to bolt another one on. In the case of Knog lights there is no bolting required because they are made in a stretchy rubber casing that is waterproof and attaches to the bike in seconds with no tools. Available in a rainbow of colours, Knog lights are fun.

Road riders can always use new tires. I know that doesn’t sound exciting but believe me after fixing road bike flats for twenty years there is a special place in heaven for anyone giving a roadie new tires. Whether road bike riders are just frugal with their rubber or cheap I’ll leave for others to debate but some riders only change their tires when America changes presidents. On the practical side giving new tires is like giving a new bike. It changes the ride that much.

For the mountain biker an ice pack, tensor bandage and the latest DVD will do. Whatever you get them for their bike they’ll just break anyways so you might as well set them up with stuff they can and will use. Amongst the hot DVD’s for Christmas is the latest in the New World Disorder series. Amazing stunts and mind boggling jumps leave the viewing wondering how much further people can push this sport, but that is what we were thinking ten years ago. If you want a crash course on the progression of the sport get the New World Disorder box set. Previews are available on line at www.nwdfilms.com.

I hope you find that little something special for the two wheeled one on your list. By their nature bike riders should not be too picky because anything to perk up their motivation and help keep those pedals turning is appreciated.