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Unbeatable Gadget Gifts for the Cycling Obsessed

By Christopher Ashley

What do you get the cyclist who has everything – other than a new bike? An accessory of course. Here are some ideas.

Velosock (€49)

Maybe it’s the neighbourhood, maybe it’s your unhealthily intimate relationship with your bicycle, but let’s just say you prefer to store it in the house. The Velosock is a chic way to keep the muddy tyres and greasy chain away from your furnishings. Your husband or wife will be pleased.

Made from flexible synthetic fabrics, these machine washable products fit 99 % of adult bikes and they make them for kids too. There’s something for everyone, but given Hallowe’en is upon us, we’re going with the skull design.

LED By LITE ($99)

We love these products – there’s nothing cooler than having two light strips running down your forks. It’s low slung. It’s sleek. It’s safe – and it’s surprising affordable.

As well as increasing your visibility on the road, these lights are sympathetic to the elegant lines of your bicycle, adding chic mystique to your ride, but if you want to go all out, why not cover the entire frame? You can have your very own Tron light-bike if you want…

Cult Butter Regular Pegs (£21.99)

Whether you’re obsessed with ground work tricks, hitting grinds on your way to the park, or simply giving your mate a lift home, pegs are a much-underrated accessory that has me nostalgic for my childhood.

Forget the metal/plastic debate – these Cult Butter Pegs give you the best of both worlds at an honest price point, so buy clever and buy once. The chromoly core will last forever, and the smooth butter-like sliding of the nylon/plastic sleeve is replaceable. A great back-to-old-skool gift.

Fabric Scoop Elite Radius (£44.99)

Saddle up with this unassuming mountain bike accessory. With different fits to suit different hip and pelvis rotations it’s well worth trying them out before you make your inevitable purchase and thin padding over an ergonomic mould means the paddle will retain its shape longer.

Seam-free bonding means that the easily accessible underside won’t be destroyed by even the most rigorous of cleaning regimes. Added together, all these details guarantee that the £45 you spend on this saddle will make your bike feel £200 more expensive.

Shimano Clincher Wheels (£59.99)

At the time of writing this rear wheel was on offer at just £59.99. No more switching over tyres on your favourite bike when you want to use the trainer, you can just swap out your entire rear wheel for this bad boy – getting on the turbo-trainer has never been easier.

For that price, you may as well buy two, that way you’ve always got one on your wheel true stand, one on your bike and one spare for training. When you feel a wheel isn’t as straight as you’d like it to be – rotate the set. You can never have enough practice truing a wheel.

Bicycle Rack

Depending on your point of view, either your car is an accessory for your bike, or your bike is an accessory for your car. One thing is for sure – the bike rack helps bridge the gulf between mistress and wife.

Use your car to cross continents until you find the mountainous terrain of your dreams, then use your bike to conquer that hill. Whether you choose a roof rack, or rear mount, a car rack will only broaden the reach of your cycling ambitions.