Christmas looms ever closer but there’s still plenty of time to get the ultimate gadget for your cyclist-obsessed partner, friend or, whisper it, for yourself.
Previously we looked at cycling gadgets under £100, and in this guide we’re looking at gadgets costing more than £100. We’ve got everything here from smart trainers to GPS computers and posh coffee machines.
- 2018 Christmas Gifts for Cyclists – Money No Object!
Lezyne Mega XL GPS £270
For many years the go-to GPS computer had a name starting with G, but there are many good rivals these days and this Lezyne Mega XL looks a really good alternative. It boasts a high-resolution 2.7in screen which can be used in a horizontal or vertical orientation, ANT+ and Bluetooth for connecting to sensors and smartphones, but most exciting is the huge 48-hour battery life!
GoPro Hero 7 Black £379
If you like to record some of your rides to share with the world, the brand new GoPro Hero 7 Black offers silky smooth high-quality video thanks to gimbal-like super smoother stabilisation. It’s rugged and waterproof even without a housing and the touch screen ensures it’s easy to use, or you can use the hands-free voice control.
Wahoo Kickr Snap £499.99
When it’s cold, wet and dark outside, your cycling partner might get a bit sulky at not being able to ride. So treat them to this Wahoo Kickr Snap training and they can hit the pedals from the comfort of the house/garage/shed and cycle whatever the weather outside. The Snap can be folded away when not in use, and is easy to fit a bike too and is compatible with most popular training apps.
Stages Cycling Power Meter G3 Ultegra R8000 LR £949.99
Most performance-focused cyclists could benefit from a power meter to provide accurate and consistent training data, and this Stages is used by Team Sky, so if it’s good enough for them… It provides left and right power measurement and the sensors are incorporated into Shimano’s latest Ultegra crankset, so it’s an easy fit to most road bikes.
Cycliq Fly6 HD Camera and Rear Light £169.99
If you or your cycling partner are safety-conscious, and who isn’t these days, then you might be interested in the idea of a light that also doubles up as a video camera. The Cycliq Fly6 has been popular for a number of years because it very cleverly films close passes with a 6-axis stabilisation to ensure the footage is silky smooth, yet also packs a 100 lumen light with a 7-hour battery life.
PowerTap P1S Power Meter Pedals £550
PowerTap’s P1S power meter pedals would be a great gift for any cyclist that has expressed an interest in training with power, as using power is a great way to elevate your performance with accurate and consistent feedback. These have the huge advantage of fitting to any bike and can also be swapped from one bike to another.
Tacx Neo Direct Drive Smart Trainer £1,199
Indoor training has become a lot more popular since the advent of the advanced smart trainer and the Tacx Neo is one of the best and one of the quietest too. It can be used with or without mains power, has a max resistance of an impressive 2,500 watts, the wide base is stable but it can be folded away for storage, and it’s compatible with most popular sensors and apps thanks to ANT+ and Bluetooth.
Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire £569.99
This Garmin Fenix 5 Sapphire combines smart styling and understated looks with GPS activity tracking whether running or cycling, the battery lasts for up to 2 weeks and it’s waterproof so you can swim with it or wear it in the shower, and the high-resolution display is sharp and easy to read in direct sunlight. It’s definitely the watch of choice for the fitness fanatic.
Wahoo Kickr Desk £199
Give the gift of a desk this Christmas… If your cycling partner is really into their indoor training and currently has their phone/tablet/laptop propped up on a pile of books, treat them to this dedicated indoor training desk. It has a height adjustable shelf so you can position your device just in front of your bike where you need it.
Beats Solo3 Wireless Headphones £249.99
If your cycling partner spends a lot of time on the indoor trainer or watching cycling videos like the road.cc YouTube channel (shameless plug!) then give the gift of wireless headphones so they can listen without disturbing the rest of the household. These Beats Solo3 headphones have a 40-hour battery life and “fine-tuned acoustics maximise clarity, breadth and balance”.
Rapha Apple MacBook Sleeve 13/15 £55
Okay, it’s not quite a gadget, but as a case for a gadget, you don’t get much nicer than this. Rapha has a range of lovely cases in various colours with reflective details designed to encase Apple computers and tablets to keep them safe when commuting to the office.
Nespresso Vertuo Plus Electrical Coffee Maker £179.99
I’m no coffee snob, but I need a coffee before I get on the bike. Making a coffee doesn’t get much easier than this Nespresso Vertuo machine, it warms up in seconds and brews a pretty decent coffee that only snobs will turn their nose up to.
Sage the Dual Boiler Espresso Coffee Machine £1,169.10
If you’re feeling a touch more generous and think your cycling partner loves their coffee enough to be prepared to put in a bit more effort, this flash machine gives you full control over the entire process. It’s completely programmable as well with a shot clock and pressure gauge to take barista skills to the next level.
Hope that little lot helps you out if you're stuck for inspiration. If you've got any other good gadget ideas for the cyclist, feel free to share them below.
David has worked on the road.cc tech team since July 2012. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds.
7 comments
Avoid Nespresso. Pods. Waste.
Sponsored article by any chance?
Beats headphones, really?
No. Just me going round the internet trying to compile a list of nice gadgets that I reckon any cyclist would be happy to receive for Christmas. Can't please everyone though
Fair do's and at least you didn't promote them for cycling per se.
However, if the turbo is going, I'd suggest it's the non-cyclist that'd want them to drown out the noise. Those types of ear pads and you'll sweat like a pig which will probably lead to you knackering them.
Also, for the price, they're pretty damn awful headphones. Many Bose, Sennheiser and Sony's that'll kick their back side in all specs plus save you a few quid.
Just my humble opinion
I wonder, do Rapha only do MacBook sleeves? Or are Windows lap-top sleeves also available (at a correspondingly lower price of course
)
I wonder, do Rapha only do MacBook sleeves? Or are Windows lap-top sleeves also available (at a correspondingly lower price of course
)
They have an Apple x Rapha series of cases for iPhones, iPads, MacBooks etc. I guess there's a lot of overlap in the venn diagram of people who buy rapha stuff and people who buy apple stuff, maybe not so much overlap with people who buy rapha stuff and people who buy cheap dell laptops from PC world.