Cycling gadgets that make great gifts for the holiday season
Cycling gifts that are good to give or receive
For the gift-giving season, there are so many amazing cycling-related items that make great presents. The tricky part isn’t so much deciding what to give the cyclist(s) on your list, although that can be challenging. No, the trick is to somehow make sure you’re on the receiving end of some of this awesomeness.
Amperage for the ride
You can capture data from devices – power meters and smart trainers – broadcasting via Bluetooth Smart with your Polar V800 watch ($620). And let’s say you mix up your training a bit in the winter – with a fat bike on which you can only track your heart rate, a cross-country ski or even the odd run (we won’t judge…much) – then the convenience of the watch is great for tracking all that work and sending it to Strava or TrainingPeaks.
The small, unassuming Quarq ShockWiz ($541) can help you ride better on the trails. It takes measurements from your airsprung suspension to help you tune it just right.
Bontrager Ion 350 R
Flare R tail light
During the darkest part of the year, find light. The Bontrager Ion 350 R ($67) and Flare R tail light ($80) can have you covered coming and going. The Ion can cast 350 lumens onto the trail or road ahead of you from your helmet or handlebars. During the day, the Flare R can make you visible to a driver 2 km away.
Kryptonite Alley F-650
Avenue R-50 COB
The new Kryptonite Alley F-650 and 17 Avenue R-50 COB ($150) come bundled in a kit. The F-650 will light up any alley with its 650-lumen high beam. It also has five other settings so you can match the light to the conditions. The rear light, with its chip-on-board technology, has a higher lumen-per-watt ratio than other LeD setups. It’s small and powerful.
The Garmin Edge 1030 ($780) has more powerful navigation capabilities than previous computers by the Olathe, Kan.-based company. Trendline is the company’s route-recommending system, which is built with data uploaded from riders. Trendline can send you on a ride, of a length of your choosing, based on popular routes. It’s a great feature for exploring a new area.
Giant NeosTrack GPS
Garmin Edge 1030
Whatever you want from a bike computer, the new Giant NeosTrack GPS ($250, giant-bicycles.com ) has it. It’s feature-rich in a no-nonsense way. The computer can provide you with left/right power readings, an FTP test, Di2 information and navigation. It can connect with both ANT+ devices and Bluetooth Smart ones as well.
