About Bicycles Online > Cycling Articles > Best Gifts for Bike Riders
Find gift ideas (small and large) for the serious cyclist, as well the casual bike rider, and see where you can get the best cycling gifts online quickly and easily. The links within in the text below will take you to our recommended online resources. Welcome to our Bike Rider Gift Directory.
Some of the most fun and useful cycling gifts are Bike Computers and Bike GPS units. The wheel based magnet and transmitter Bike Computers are very affordable and have been around for years now. Many bike riders are familiar with these units and have had one in the past or may still be using one.
A standard Bike Computer (bike speedometer, odometer, trip meter, clock...) is an excellent, inexpensive gift, for a cyclist that does not yet have one, or even for a child (if they are old enough or responsible enough not to break it (they are fairly durable)). A decent mid-range Bike Computer (non-GPS models) will usually cost around $30 to $40.
The next step up is a Bike Computer with GPS or Bicycle GPS unit. These units are very dependable and have come down in price so much in the last few years that many cyclists have replaced their wheel/magnet bike computers with the much more advanced GPS models.
The GPS based Bike Computers include all of the functions found on non-GPS units (bike speedometer, odometer, trip meter, clock...) but also include options to capture and upload your ride data to your computer in addition to tracking your routes, planning new routes, finding resources on your rides, and quite a bit more. These GPS Bike Computers usually cost from $250 to $450.
Another great gift item for bike riders (especially touring and trail riders) is Bike Bags and Panniers (Panniers are like bike saddlebags). Even road/racing style riders sometimes use smaller bike bags for a few personal items (although racing cyclists will be very particular about the extra weight).
Most of us cyclists do carry at least some items with us on our rides. The kind of bike bag and the size of the bag will depending on what kind of riding the person that you are getting the bike bag for does. See Bike Bags and Panniers for good selection of many different styles of bike bags.
Bike Clothing and Riding Gear
We have all seen the road and racing cyclists in their full riding gear (brightly colored jerseys, riding shorts or tights, gloves, sun glasses). Although the cyclist that you are buying gifts for may fit this category he or she may also be a much more casual rider that is comfortable in shorts (or jeans) and a t-shirt.
Keep in mind that cycling clothing and gear is also very practical and comes in many different styles. The brightly colored jerseys and riding jackets are more vi sable to drivers when you are out on a road and they are designed specifically for riding (with comfortable materials and plenty of pockets and compartments).
Another thing that may be overlooked by more casual riders is that riding shorts and tights have often built in padding if they have a hard time with bicycle seats and the riding shorts also come in baggy styles (if you are just not into the "tights" style).
See Bicycle Clothing for our recommended brands and online stores.
Indoor Cycling and Training
For the off season, warm ups and training or for a good aerobic workout and exercise to stay in shape and/or lose weight many serious cyclists and casual bike riders use Bike Trainers (bike stands for using your outdoor bike indoors) and Exercise Bikes and Indoor Cycles.
A Bike Trainer is the least expensive option (usually around or even under $100) and are preferred by some cyclists although other riders prefer a separate Spin Bike or Exercise Bike. A bike trainer (bike stand) requires you to hook your bike up to the stand which usually requires some tools and at least a little effort. This can be inconvenient in transitional weather when you may want to use your both bike outdoors and on the trainer.
For more serious training, many cyclists prefer an Indoor Cycle or Spin Bike such as the Livestrong LS9.9IC or the more economical Proform 290 SPX. most Indoor Cycles use a friction based resistance mechanism and more closely resemble road and/or racing bike riding.
An Upright Exercise Bike such as the Livestrong LS5.0U or the more economical NordicTrack GX2.5 will be more comfortable than an Indoor Cycle/Spin Bike and will more closely resemble riding an outdoor bike where you are in a more upright position (like a hybrid or comfort bike). These exercise bikes will have an electronic console and use a magnetic based resistance system.
The most comfortable exercise bike used for aerobic workouts, exercise and physical therapy are the Recumbent Exercise Bikes such as the Livestrong LS6.0R or the more economical NordicTrack GX5. These exercise bikes will have an electronic console and use a magnetic based resistance system and resemble riding an outdoor recumbent bike.
Other Bike Rider, Cyclist Gifts.
The cyclist products listed above are some of the most common items used by cyclists and that are often given as gifts for bike riders but there are, of course, many other cycling products available and that will also make great gifts for bike riders.
Please see our Bicycle Accessories and/or Kid's Bike pages for more ideas and pointers to the best prices and online resources.