I write about 150 product reviews a year for the benefit of my fellow cyclists. However, this article is for the benefit of those folks who are lucky enough to have a cyclist as their spouse or significant other. If you are trying to find a great Christmas present for a cyclist I would like to make a few suggestions.
Sip, Clip and Go! Coffee is distinctly geared toward cyclists and I think it would make a great gift for any cyclist, or something they can have at work or at home that reinforces a biker’s message of “I Like My Bike!” Sip, Clip and Go! Coffee retails for $12.99 for a 12-ounce bag and is available in either Whole Bean or Ground. A three pack that has one bag of each flavor is only $35.99. You can order these products online from the Sip, Clip and Go! Coffee Website. This coffee is 100% Organic and Fair Trade.
I own dozens of cycling jerseys, but the highest quality jersey I’ve ever bought is from a small company called Road Holland (based in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida). I wrote a lengthy product for the Road Holland Hilversum Jersey several months ago, but if you are not a cyclist it probably won’t mean much to you. These are not the cheapest jerseys on the market, but they are my favorite. The great news is that everything in their online store is 20% off when you use coupon code “ORANGE” at checkout (sale runs through January 6, 2013).
If your favorite cyclist wants to work on their own bike, but they don’t have the right tools yet, I would suggest you buy the Nashbar Deluxe Tool Kit. This tool kit retails for $260, but at the moment it is on sale for $150 from the Bike Nashbar Website. The Nashbar Deluxe Tool Kit is a nice collection of bike tools and they easily fit in the included tool box. The collection includes the following tools: Cassette lockring remover, Cartridge Bottom Bracket tool, Chain rivet extractor for UG/HG/IG, Cable cutter, Three spoke wrenches, Two sturdy tire levers, Crank remover, Chainring nut wrench, T-handle Hex set (2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10mm), Torx 25 wrench, one Phillips and one slotted screwdriver, 15mm pedal wrench, Cone wrench set (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19mm), Hollowtech 2 Bottom Bracket wrench, and a measuring tape. To help you keep your bike clean this set also includes a very good chain cleaner, along with a cog brush and larger cleaning brush.
If your significant other likes to work out with weights (in addition to their cycling) then one of the best investments you will ever make in their health is a pair of Bowflex SelectTech 552 Adjustable Dumbbells. Each Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbell adjusts from 5 to 52.5 pounds (in 2.5-pound increments up to the first 25 pounds). Because of the beautifully designed dial system you can change the weight of a dumbbell in a matter of seconds. The Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells work far better than I expected and I would highly recommend them to anyone. They take up very little room and are a pleasure to work with. This product also comes with a DVD that shows how to correctly perform over 30 exercises. I bought my Bowflex SelectTech 552 dumbbells at a brick-and-mortar Dick’s Sporting Goods store for $400. However, I wish I would have checked Amazon.com first—they sell the set for $300 and offer free shipping!
If you still can’t figure out what the love of your life would like you can never go wrong with a gift certificate! If your favorite cyclist speaks with glowing terms about their local bike shop, then that is where you should go first. Most bike shops will either have an actual gift certificate available or give you a receipt showing how much “in store credit” you purchased. However, if your beloved tends to buy most of their cycling clothing online, I’d get them a gift certificate from eCyclingstore.com. This company offers decent quality merchandise and their prices are hard to beat.