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BUYER'S GUIDE

Gifts for cyclists — money-no-object Christmas presents for the cyclist in your life

Struggling for ideas? Check out our guide to the best Christmas gifts for cyclists if you have a big budget

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It’s that time of year, folks – time for us to suggest some great Christmas gifts for cyclists, and if you really want to shell out, here are some money-no-object ideas.


We're the first to admit that some of these suggestions are ridiculously expensive – top-end bikes and components that we realise very few people are going to consider. Even if they’re not for you, we hope you enjoy taking a look at them.

At the top of our list, we’ve also included components/clothing that are high-end in their particular category – £245 sunglasses, for instance, and a £629 bike computer – but which are a bit more realistic for some people.

This means that we’re offering you a mix of practical items that put in an exceptional performance – which a lot of you might put on your shortlist – and some of the most exclusive cycling products out there. 

If the prices here are too high for you to consider, we’ll have plenty more Christmas gift guides here on road.cc.

We’ve split our selection into:

• High-end gifts (£200+)
• Big, big buys (£1,000+)
• Superyacht owners’ club (£5,000+)

The best money-no-object gifts for cyclists this Christmas

High-end gifts

Oakley Kato sunglasses

Oakley Kato sunglasses

8
Best cycling Christmas gift for summer
Buy now for £231 from Sigma Sports
Lens shape gives great shielding
Excellent optics
Brilliant fit
The looks won't appeal to all
Super expensive

The Oakley Kato is one of the best cycling sunglasses we’ve reviewed this year. They might be expensive but they offer excellent clarity, performance and fit so they’ll make a superb Christmas present that will be hugely appreciated.

From a performance point of view, Oakley has nailed it here. The lens sits very close to the face for an exceptional level of protection and you can even alter the angle of the arms to fine-tune the distance to your cheekbones. 

Oakley’s Prizm technology enhances colour and contrast, there’s no distortion anywhere despite the curved lens, and the lack of a frame makes for unimpaired vision.

Assos Dyora RS Spring Fall Jacket

Assos Dyora RS Spring Fall Jacket

9
For milder days and early spring
Buy now for £265 from Sigma Sports
Sleek design
Warm but breathable
Excellent quality
Price

The women’s Assos Dyora RS Spring Fall Jacket might not be suitable for Christmas Day itself – unless we have a mild one – but it’s near-perfect for mid-season training, offering warmth, breathability, quality and style.

Reviewer Suvi praised the jacket as a combination of a thermal jersey and a softshell, and the fact that it offers enough breathability for some more intensive efforts.

The fabrics and build quality are exceptional and there are a few neat touches such as the pocket ‘tops’ that help keep things inside and reflective details at the back. This is a real beauty.

Met Trenta 3K Carbon Mips helmet Ventilation and style

Met Trenta 3K Carbon Mips

9
Best high-end bike helmet for Christmas
Buy now for £168 from Wiggle
Light
Mips rotational protection
Ventilation
Comfort
Price

The MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips is one of the best cycling helmets we’ve reviewed in 2022. It’s lightweight, cool and comfortable, and the MIPS system – a recent addition – is designed to provide extra brain protection in the event of a crash.

Reviewer Jamie said that he'd happily used the original Trenta on hot-weather training camps and that this new version doesn't sacrifice any ventilation thanks to the airiest and lightest Mips Air Node system.

Yes, it’s pricey, but the MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips would make an awesome gift.

Specialized S-Works 7 Lace Road Shoes

Specialized S-Works 7 Lace Road Shoes

9
Top-end road cycling shoes for a luxury Christmas gift
Buy now for £189 from Sigma Sports
Super-stiff sole
Supple uppers
Comfortable
Like other laced shoes, no on-the-fly adjustment

With their super-stiff soles and supple uppers, the Specialized S-Works 7 Lace is among the best road cycling shoes. It puts in a top all-round performance and oozes class.

The soles of these shoes don’t flex at all while the upper, which combines engineered mesh with areas of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), conforms easily to different foot shapes.

On top of all that, a raft of Specialized Body Geometry features help to avoid pain and injury and maximise power.

If you think the lucky gift recipient would prefer on-the-fly adjustability, Specialized offers plenty of shoes with Boa dials, including the new S-Works Torch

Gore Race Shakedry Jacket

Gore Race Shakedry Jacket

9
Give the gift of year-round weather protection
Buy now for £299.99 from Wiggle
Best-in-class waterproofing performance
Easy to care for
Still predominantly black
Expensive

Gore’s Race Shakedry is one of the best waterproof cycling jackets – and every cyclist needs a reliable waterproof, especially in the UK. It combines Gore’s class-leading Shakedry fabric with stretch panels for a close fit.

It’s lightweight – our large size was just 174g – and when not worn, it packs down small enough to fit easily into a jersey pocket with room to spare. 

A high collar, dropped tail and long arms provide good coverage but the biggest draw is that the Shakedry fabric keeps rain out while remaining highly breathable. 

Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTIV

Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTIV

10
Light up Christmas for the cyclist in your life
Buy now for £265 from Tredz
Super bright, low bulk
Easy to care for
Pricey!

Exposure’s Strada Mk11 SB Aktiv is among the best front bike lights. It has been upgraded for 2023 to offer a 1600-lumen output – so it’s bright enough for any road riding, even for tackling dingy lanes in the dead of night.

AKTiv is a cool feature that senses oncoming light sources and automatically dims when a vehicle approaches to avoid dazzling other road users. It’s clever stuff that allows the rider to keep their hands on the handlebar and their eyes on the road.

The Strada also offers a range of settings, a low-bulk mount, great build quality and good run times. 

Hammerhead Karoo 2

Hammerhead Karoo 2

9
Best cycling computer this Christmas
Buy now for £359 from Chain Reaction Cycles
Super-responsive touchscreen
Motivational 'live Strava segment' overlay
Excellent on-the-fly navigation
Handy '% of time in HR/power zone' graph
Charging port isn't covered

The Hammerhead Karoo 2 is among the best cycling computers out there. It’s hugely capable with way more features than we could cover here. It performs brilliantly for both multi-day bike-packing trips and all-out interval sessions with some Strava segment hunting, and it’s simple to use.

The Karoo 2 has excellent navigational capabilities, including mapping, with a large enough screen (3.2inch/82mm) to provide plenty of detail. It’ll also display all the usual metrics for those who want to train seriously.

This is a premium choice so although the price might seem high, the spec justifies it.

Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon road shoe

Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon road shoe

9
More cool kicks for Christmas
Buy now for £239 from Merlin Cycles
Impressive stiffness
Adjustability for comfort
Innovative arch support
Expensive
Arch support area lets water in easily

The Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon road shoes are among the most innovative, adjustable, and comfortable out there.

The carbon sole delivers exceptional stiffness but what really sets these shoes apart from the crowd is that they offer fully adjustable arch support. This comes courtesy of a section cut out from the sole, with the top Boa Li2 dial connected to a strap that tightens from the middle of your foot over the top and around your instep. It’s a clever system and superbly effective. 

The mesh uppers provide tons of ventilation making these an excellent choice for riding indoors as well as outside. 

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar

9
Best GPS watch for cyclists this Christmas
Buy now for £549.99 from Wiggle
Huge degree of customisation possible
User-friendly health data
Excellent multi-band GPS
Improved heart rate sensor
Proprietary charging cable

The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar is an extremely powerful and highly customisable multi-sport watch with health data presented in a user-friendly format.

There’s a huge variety of data on offer here including heart rate via an integrated sensor and good navigation that includes off-track alerts.

The Forerunner 955 Solar will also display data from other devices like power meters via ANT+ and Bluetooth.

The watch also tracks sleep, giving details of time asleep, phases of sleep, a general comment and a sleep score out of 100. 

The colour touchscreen works well while the 46.5mm diameter is big enough to show data clearly.

This is a great present for anyone who takes their health and fitness seriously.

Kustomflow

Custom paint job from Kustomflow From £595

10
Best bespoked money-no-object Christmas gift for cyclists
Buy now for £595 from Kustomflow
Personal, would make any bike look amazing
None we can think of!

Everyone loves a cool paint job, especially if it’s bespoke, so how about treating the cyclist in your life to a refreshed frameset?

You could go for a straight colour swap but the possibilities are endless. Kustomflow, for example, offers finishes in special effect paints such as metal flake, pearl and metallic. You have an initial consultation, agree on a concept, cost and timeframe, and Kustomflow will get cracking.

It’s not just framesets that can be customised, but stems, handlebars, seatposts… even helmets, shoes and sunglasses.

Garmin Edge 1040 Solar

Garmin Edge 1040 Solar

9
Another top quality GPS for Christmas
Buy now for £629.99 from Wiggle
Unbeatable battery life
Clear and large screen
Loads of customisation
Price
Size

Like the Hammerhead Karoo 2 (above), the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar is one of the best cycling computers available, offering a large and easy-to-read screen and an impressive battery life. It’s simple to use too.

As usual with Garmin, the setup is straightforward and the data screens are both easy to understand and customisable. 

The large screen is particularly useful for navigation with clear routing even in built-up areas.

Yes, it’s a big investment but you get what you pay for here.

Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset

Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset

9
Quality Christmas wheels
Buy now for £849 from Hunt Bike Wheels
Fantastic performance at a sensible price
Pairs well with wider road tyres
Easy tubeless setup
Comfortable ride
Hub engagement could be faster

The Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset would make a great present for the performance-minded cyclist in your life. 

The 44mm-deep carbon rims provide an aero advantage without feeling unstable in crosswinds, and this wheelset is still light enough to feel nippy on the hills.

The hubs stood up to an enormous amount of abuse during testing, and the overall build proved to be solid too. On top of that, the tubeless setup is straightforward and they feel great over harsh roads. There really is a lot to love about these wheels.

Muc-Off L.O.P.S 2.0 oversized pulley wheel system

Muc-Off L.O.P.S 2.0 oversized pulley wheel system

10
The ultimate money-no-object cycling gift
Buy now for £699.99 from Muc-Off
It might save you some watts?
Very very expensive

Now, this is a specialist! First, the cyclist you have in mind must use a Shimano Dura-Ace RD 9100 or RD9150 11-speed rear derailleur. Second, they must be well into their marginal gains.

Muc-Off’s Lightweight Oversized Precision Shifting 2.0 system was previously available only to sponsored pro teams and athletes, including EF Education EasyPost and INEOS Grenadiers, but it’s now available on general sale

The idea of LOPS 2.0 is that it improves efficiency by reducing articulation and friction in the chain. It also features high-tech bearings that have a special coating to reduce friction.

Big, big buys

Wahoo Kickr smart trainer

Wahoo Kickr smart trainer

10
Best indoor trainer this Christmas
Buy now for £1099.99 from Sigma Sports
Quiet, smart and accurate
The price

Indoor training has come a loooong way over the past few years and Wahoo has been at the heart of this, helping to make it a much more fun experience with some of the best turbo trainers

Our review of the latest Wahoo Kickr isn’t quite ready but when we reviewed the previous version we described it as one of the benchmark direct drive smart trainers. It’s a very good design that’s easy to use. It offers a realistic ride feel and accurate power measurement.

The new model offers features including wifi connectivity for faster data transfer and an odometer to track mileage. This would make a great present for anyone who regularly rides indoors. 

Brompton P Line

Brompton P Line Urban 2022

8
The ultimate commuter cyclist's gift for 2023
Buy now for £2270 from Sigma Sports
Classic easy fold
Excellent ride
10kg weight
Flighty front
Average braking

Whose life wouldn’t be improved by the addition of a Brompton folding bike? Bromptons are incredibly practical, handle almost like conventional bikes and take up little space when stored – they’re some of the best commuter bikes you can get. On top of that, they also manage to be cool, which is quite an achievement.

Brompton’s P Line Urban models bring a helping of performance-orientated refinement to the party, coming in almost 1.5kg lighter than a standard Brompton A Line. That does bump the price up but the lower weight is easier to carry. 

Fulcrum Speed 40 CMPTZN DB wheelset

Fulcrum Speed 40 CMPTZN DB wheelset

8
Best wheels for cyclists this Christmas
Buy now for £2150 from Merlin Cycles
Super-smooth bearings
'Twill' carbon finish looks great
Good stiffness levels
Campagnolo freehub costs extra
Tough competition on price

You just need to look at the Fulcrum Speed 40 CMPTZN DB wheelset to see that it’s a class act, and the performance is even better. The wheels are hugely responsive and they maintain plenty of stiffness for powerful or heavy riders. They’re a great all-round choice: quick on the flat and descents without getting battered around by crosswinds, while still being light enough for hilly rides.

The build quality is high and the CULT (Ceramic Ultimate Level Technology) bearings are incredibly smooth.

Sure, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there, but these look beautiful and back that up out on the road.

Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 Groupset

Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 Groupset

9
The best groupset you can buy this Christmas
Buy now for £3185 from Merlin Cycles
Faster, smoother and quieter
Progressive lever feel
Integration vastly improved
Hood ergonomics
Certain components’ hike in price
Availability

Dura-Ace is the best Shimano road bike groupset. It’s superb. The shifting is faster than ever, the braking is excellent, and there’s one more sprocket than previously (Dura-Ace is now 12-speed). The system is also semi-wireless (the derailleurs and battery aren’t wired to the shifters) and perfectly user-friendly.

As is usually the case, you can get better value lower down the range but Dura-Ace is professional quality for those who like to have the best components on their bike(s). 

Cannondale Topstone

Cannondale Topstone Carbon Rival AXS gravel bike

10
Splash out on a gravel bike for Christmas
Buy now for £4607.5 from Cyclestore
Can tackle all terrain, looks great
Spec is perfect
Loads of easy position adjustability

Cannondale’s Topstone is one of the best gravel bikes we've ever reviewed with this Carbon Rival AXS coming with Kingpin rear suspension and a SmartSense daytime-running light system that automatically adjusts to ambient light conditions and other road traffic. 

When reviewing the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty with the same Kingpin suspension Dave Atkinson said that his long-lasting impression was of a bike that's a lot of fun. It's both light and fast enough for you can keep up with roadies on the tarmac with the advantage of being able to shoot off on the gravel. The simple suspension system is a real bonus for riding on mixed surfaces at speed. It works superbly well.

Superyacht owners’ club

Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2

Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 2023

8
A superbike for Christmas
Buy now for £6449 from Canyon
Well-balanced speed, handling and comfort
Spec is perfect
Loads of easy position adjustability
Not the bargain that it once was

Canyon’s Ultimate is among the best road bikes out there. It’s quick, it’s comfortable, and it handles very well indeed.

Liam Cahill praised this bike's climbing ability when he reviewed it on road.cc, saying that you get a really solid platform from which to pedal. He found no discernible flex either at the bottom bracket or the head tube. On top of that, if Canyon's claims are to be believed, the tube shapes help to reduce drag and allow you to ride faster.

The second-tier Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset might not have quite the kudos of top-level Dura-Ace but, truth be told, it’s hard to tell them apart in use.

Cervelo R5 Red eTap AXS

Cervelo R5 Red eTap AXS

10
Our absolute money-no-object cycling gift
Buy now for £11699 from Sigma Sports
Handling, low weight, stiff
The price, of course

Cervelo’s R5 is an outstanding all-rounder. Whether tackling long and steep mountain ascents or riding over dodgy local road surfaces, it always feels fantastically fast and incredibly comfortable.

It offers plenty of stiffness for direct power transfer and the spot-on handling makes technical descents a joy. Cervelo has produced a gem here.

We reviewed the R5 in a SRAM Force eTap AXS build but it’s hard to get hold of that model now, so the version with a top-level SRAM Red groupset will have to plug the gap!

Mat has been in cycling media since 1996, on titles including BikeRadar, Total Bike, Total Mountain Bike, What Mountain Bike and Mountain Biking UK, and he has been editor of 220 Triathlon and Cycling Plus. Mat has been road.cc technical editor for over a decade, testing bikes, fettling the latest kit, and trying out the most up-to-the-minute clothing. We send him off around the world to get all the news from launches and shows too. He has won his category in Ironman UK 70.3 and finished on the podium in both marathons he has run. Mat is a Cambridge graduate who did a post-grad in magazine journalism, and he is a winner of the Cycling Media Award for Specialist Online Writer. Now over 50, he's riding road and gravel bikes most days for fun and fitness rather than training for competitions.

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1 comments

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The Accountant | 175 posts | 10 months ago
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This is a really nice gift set at a great price IMO - Garmin 530 and Varia bundle: https://www.chainreactioncycles.com/garmin-edge-530-and-varia-rtl515-bik...

I don't own the Varia, but I went on a ride with a guy who did and he was singing its praises.