Ask Oli: Conscious holiday shopping

For all you readers out there planning on sending me a present, I’d love a flight to New Zealand for Christmas. Oh, and an adventure bike. Oh, and for world hunger to end. Oh, and for all plastic to be removed from the oceans.

RELATED: Wrap up the perfect present for a cyclist with the holiday gift guide

The holidays, among other things, are obviously very consumer driven. Several people have asked me about what sort of gifts a cyclist would like and I figured I’d hop on the bandwagon and publish some of my brilliant ideas. A few of them are original. A few of them are creative. But they all try to be conscious of the environment and the local economy, which is why I figured it may be worth sharing.

Coffee

Now, it’s pretty safe to assume that the cyclist in your life likes coffee. If they don’t, they will after they try Eleven Speed. Coffee is a great gift idea, so if you plan on giving some beans away, why not purchase some that are roasted locally? Support your local entrepreneurs. Life’s better that way. Check out some of the fantastic Canadian cycling related roasters. Maybe one is near you. If you’re in Victoria, go grab some Eleven Speed.

Bike Gear

I know not everyone is into the whole bar bag thing yet. I am. Farsik makes some incredible gear and bar bags aside, Mike Zinger of Farsik has made some awesome on-the-bike storage solutions entirely by hand in his little Metchosin workshop right here on the island. Canadian made. Canadian tested. I highly recommend all of his gear. You’re supporting a great young entrepreneur that way as well. I’m definitely eyeing a saddle roll and stem bag from him.

Beer

I don’t want to be a bad influence, but I’ve heard that a lot of cyclists like beer. With an ever-growing plethora of craft breweries; there’s plenty to choose from. Some beer bottles have bikes on them which is pretty cool. Other beer companies even sponsor cycling teams (win-win). I love the Collective Arts Brewing Company out of Hamilton. They’re not super local for me and they don’t sponsor any cycling teams that I know of, but they do support artists around Canada, and did a series this summer with artists from BC. This is great a way to support Canadian beer, artists and cyclists all in one go! This is just to give a solid example of the potential positives of supporting local.

So, basically, coffee, beer, bike bags and snacks. That’s what you should get your cyclist. Try and make it local. Try and limit the waste. This year, all my holiday shopping was done on foot or by bike, and everything I purchased was either local, second-hand, zero-waste or all three. I think it’s very important to consider your footprint as you consume, which is why I’m a massive advocate for local shopping. We need to reduce waste and support our local economy.

Happy holidays!

Oliver Evans 20-year-old cyclist from Winnipeg, currently living in Victoria. In 2019, he will race with Trek Red Truck Racing.