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2022 mountain biker’s gift guide

From fancy to functional (and a few things that are both), all the best presents for the holiday season

If you missed the Black Friday madness and still haven’t even started your holiday shopping 1) you’re not alone and 2) there are still all kinds of awesome things to get. Especially from smaller and Canadian brands!

Here’s our guide to the best gifts for mountain bikers in 2022.

Rapha Off-road Heroes

Rapha has always had a deep interest in the culture of cycling, not just the apparel. Enough so that the brand has its own book imprint, Rapha Editions. With Rapha diving further into the woods with its line of Trail gear, the brand decided it needed to do its homework on the ongoing history of mountain biking. The result is Off-road Heroes, 256 pages of photos and profiles of mountain biking’s most influential individuals, from the iconic to lesser-known drivers of the sport.

Off-road Heroes is a vailable from Rapha for $55.00.

Pinner Machine Works Brake Bleed Cups
An engraved aluminum bleed cup and brass plug mesh form and function. Photo: Pinner Machine Works.

Pinner Machine Works Brake Bleed Cups

We were already keen on the work Pinner Machine Shop does, but the recently-released Brake Bleed Cups are next level. They are a beautiful tool and made right in Whistler, B.C.. While we always love a fancy new new bit to add to the tool box, these also solve a real problem. Sure, they’re a bit niche. Not everyone needs an aluminum and brass system to bleed brakes. But any tool-obsessed home tinkerer, team mechanic or bike shop mechanic tired of using cheap, plastic bleed cups will likely love to add these to their work bench.

Pinner’s Bleed Cups are $79.00. They’re designed for Shimano mountain bike brakes, but adapters are available ($11.50) for Shimano road, Magura, Formula and SRAM MTB.

Joie Designs bike-themed jewelry

Vancouver Island’s Joie Designs creates coastal-inspired sterling silver and gold Vermeil jewelry, including several pieces for the islands many mountain bikers. This small jeweler isn’t just influenced by the local mountain bike trails, it also contributes the community. Joie Designs donates jewelry to charities and not-for-profits like Ride Like a Girl, Girl in the Wild, One Tree Planted and Free the Ocean.

Maxxis completely repurposed and redesigned the Forekaster into a fast, fun light trail tire. Photo: Maxxis

Fresh Tires

Tires are not inexpensive, but they are one of the upgrades that can have the biggest positive impact on how your bike feels. So if you know someone that’s worn their Minion into a semi-slick or whose sidewalls have too many tire plugs to count, why not give the gift of traction this winter?

 

New lid

Helmets aren’t always the most fun upgrade. Either the one you have is too old but still “looks fine” or you’ve crashed and have to replace it, adding expense to (hopefully not too serious) injury. Something like the convertible MET Parachute MCR covers anything from easy trail riding to more serious sends with its removable chin bar.