Road Cycling

21 Christmas Gifts for Road Cycling Women

We've rounded up some of the gifts we reckon road cycling women would LOVE to see under the tree

If the traffic jam outside my local shopping centre, the crazed expressions on most cashiers faces and the heart-string-wrenching adverts on TV are anything to go by, I’d say Christmas is getting closer.

In ten days time, the internet will break as millions of shoppers try to make the most of ‘Black Friday’ deals on November 27 – all of them desperate to grab a bargain on that one exciting product that will make a loved one go “you shouldn’t have!” when clearly they totally should (and did).

To help you get ready for your own Christmas shopping, or help the present buyer in your life pick out some corkers, we’ve rounded up some of the items we reckon road cycling women will absolutely adore.

Enjoy…

Muc-Off Athlete Performance Gear

We’re in the middle of a long-term test with this range, so our full findings will appear on the site soon, but thus far we’re pretty impressed and had to include a nod to the selection as our first five top picks.

Our current favourite is the ‘Recovery Balm’. This contains tons of goodies all designed to aid muscle recovery. You can lather it on after a bath or shower before bed, and there’s a gentle lavender scent which we love.

The range of products also includes brand new chamois cream (£20) which moisturises and kills germs with a unique formula containing Aloe Vera, Witch Hazel, Shea Butter and Sunflower Oil. There’s also warm-up cream (£15), plus ‘Explosive Power’ (£24) and ‘Explosive Endurance’ (£24) both designed to improve performance.

Fabric Water Bottle

Don’t want to clutter your bike with excess baggage? The Fabric water bottle is for you. This bottle and mount system costs just £9.99 and attaches straight to the frame bolts, with no need for a cage!

The bottle comes with two studs, which fit to the frame and act as a cage. It’s so simple – what more can we say?

Castelli Viva Donna Headband

I bought one of these a year or so ago and have loved it ever since. Unfortunately it’s so little and lightweight I tend to lose it on a regular basis, but every time we’re reunited my ears are happy.

This light headband features a lovely thermoflex fabric which feels soft to the skin and keeps your ears and head warm. Unlike traditional cycling thermal caps, it also doesn’t make you look a bit like a pink faced mole – which is always good.

Cinelli Mike Giant Handlebar Tape

There are hundreds of different bar tape options – granted. But every time we see someone riding with the Mike Giant stuff from Cinelli we feel compelled to say: “oohhhh I love your bar tape!”. In fact, we should probably just get on and buy some, especially since it’s usually less than £15.

If not’s not up your street – and taste is personal – check out these other great designs in our recent round-up.

Svelte Arm Warmers

We’ve got a pair of these babies on test at the moment and we’re in love with the striking designs from this new London based brand.

They’ve got everything from patters to flowers and palm trees printed on their warmers, which have a strong silicone gripper at the cuff to ensure they don’t fall down and offer UV protection – all for £20.

Chapeau! Pink/Navy Polka Dot Cap

We are ALL about caps not hats, and we love this one from Chapeau!

At £14.99 it features the regulation stiff peak and elasticated rear band to ensure that one size fits all. If this one isn’t your style, there’s plenty more options here…

Podium Pants

Admittedly, these are for wearing off the bike, but with their Tour de France theme they’re clearly a winner for roadies.

Look Mum No Hands! have been selling Podium Pants for years, but this is the first year they’ve offered a women’s version. The pants come in a set of three, with a Polka Dot, Yellow and Green option to keep you happy three days of the week.

A set of three costs £25 – and you’ll of course be supporting an awesome brand. Read more and check out the pics we loved from the product launch here.

dhb Women’s Blok Macro Roubaix Long Sleeve Jersey

Want something warm and cosy that won’t break the bank? We included this roubaix jersey in our list of eye-catching options to brighten up winter and we love the warm, windchill beating fabric and bright design.

Best of all? It’s just £32 – which leaves plenty of spare cash for Santa to shop around for matching accessories…

Strava Premium Membership

Big fan of the orange beast? Strava Premium costs around £35 a year and gives you access to EVEN more data. You’ll also unlock access to training plans and be able to download GPX routes of other riders – find out more!

Lezyne Strip Drive

Lighting up is important on the road and our favourite of the rear lights at the moment is the Lezyne Strip Drive.

At around £25, it features five LED cycling lights and is compatible with aero seat posts as well as traditional round designs. It’s super bright and has built-in side visibility as well as a cable-free recharging USB stick.

Trigger Point ‘The Grid’ V2

You may not thank us immediately… but you will do in the long term. Foam rollers help to ease out those nasty knots in your muscles that cycling can cause your body to accumulate and they can also be used to help you develop better core strength. Using a foam roller is a bit like getting a sports massage, only you can do it any time, for free – but you have to inflict the pressure yourself.

The Trigger Point Grid allows you to use very targeted pressure, and we found this one on sale at Wiggle for £49.99.

FWE Mini Torque Wrench

We saw this mini torque wrench set when we went to visit Evans Cycles last month, and we think it’s an excellent idea for anyone who plans to take their bike away for a training camp or otherwise disassemble and reassemble it with limited tools.

Overtightening bolts can be fatal, as can leaving them too loose – using a torque wrench will help you tighten them to perfection. Though in an ideal world you’d have a torque wrench with a wide range of setting at home, this mini version costs just £39.99 and includes a mini-ratchet handle and three preloaded torque sleeves in the most common 4, 5 and 6 newton metre settings, as well as most hex keys you could need and screwdriver bits.

Lezyne Mini GPS

The Lezyne Mini is a stunning little cycling computer that gives you all the basic information to keep a track of your rides: distance, speed, elevation. And you can upload rides to Lezyne’s own software, and/or trackers such as Strava.

At £109.99, it doesn’t have all the bells and whistles and won’t measure power or heart rate (there’s the Lezyne Super and Power GPS units for that). However, if simplicity is on your list of wants this one could be for you.

FWE Turbo Trainer

Want to get some indoor miles in to help boost your riding come summer? FWE from Evans Cycles are now offering a fantastic value turbo trainer for just £89.99. Admittedly, it doesn’t come with any fancy software, nor does it claim to “transform your dusty garage into the Alps” and make the not-moving-floor feel like the road. What it will do is give you a stable base to pound out some high intensity intervals – and at the end of the day that’s what turbo trainers are for.

Custom Saddle from South London Saddles

We recently wrote about these stunning custom saddles from Leh saddles, in Texas. Little did we know you could get a personalise perch much closer to home!

South London Saddles have a range of options ready to buy, or you can send your own saddle away for a redesign from as little as £70 for a plain option or pay a bit more for a pattern.

Sportful Diva Tights

We’ve tested and reviewed quite a few pairs of winter tights so far in 2015 – and it’s hard to pick a favourite. However, if pushed, Team TWC votes for the Sportful Diva tights at £105.

With a full body and long zip to the waist, these are constructed from a warm brushed fabric that’s breathable to a degree but is mainly about keeping you warm mid winter. We tested these with the Fiandre jacket – read more here.

Castelli Women’s Gabba

Looking for lightweight, breathable, and water resistant?

The Castelli Gabba is the Number One in autumn, spring and (early) winter clothing. It’s not cheap, at £165 for the long sleeved version, but a Gabba can basically be your staple item for a huge chunk of the year and assuming it’s well maintained and re-waterproofed, it should keep you going through several calendar rotations.

Rapha Rain Jacket

Have you been VERY good this year? This rain jacket from Rapha is also very good – but at £180 the price tag reflects the technology.

This jacket uses a waterproof and breathable fabric, with taped seams and zips that don’t let drips in. Our favourite feature has got to be the reflective polka dots on the back.

We’ve yet to take this one for a spin. However, having ridden in the rain with a friend wearing this jacket quite recently, and then stood in the rain for 30 minutes trying to fix a mechanical (epic rear mech fail – could not be fixed next to the road without a Magic Fairy bringing a new rear mech and tools) I can attest to its effectiveness and quality.

Exposure Diablo MK7 Front Light

Far and away our favourite option for road cyclists that want to see the road ahead even when there are no streetlights, the Diablo is a high power 1300 lumen option that retails at around £170.

Pricey, yes. What you get in return is the ability to charge around the country lanes just as you would in daylight – giving you back the lost hours of winter.

We like the Diablo because it is lightweight, at 119 grams, weather protected, mounts easily and neatly on a handlebar or helmet. There are various modes and the unit can be charged via a USB port so you can re-juice it at work if you commute.

Stages Power Meter

Training with power is not for everyone. If you do decide you want to use power to improve your cycling, you’re going to need to do quite a bit of reading and then you’ll need to carry out a 20 minute test in which you’ll have to try to rip your own legs off to discover what your FTP is. After that, all your intervals will be ridden at a percentage of that effort, and you’ll always know when you are – and are not – hitting the numbers.

Not put off? You obviously really want to be faster come next summer – so it’s time to get started! Stages power meters measure the power produced by one leg, and use an algorithm to work out your watts, and they start at just over £400.

Specialized S-Works Amira

It’s customary to finish these guides with a ‘we can all dream’ bike – and the S-Works Amira from Specialized has got to be our top pick. Yes, it will set you back £5,000 – but it’s also the same bike ridden by World Champion Lizzie Armitstead. ‘Nuff said.

Fancy getting creative? Why not try one of these Christmas wreaths made from bike bits!