Christmas Gift Guide - the money no object gifts for mountain and gravel bikers
In the midst of Black Friday deals we thought we'd take a look at the best 'money no object' cycling gifts for the mountain biker and gravel rider. Here are ten expensive but not totally outrageous presents (well, ok one is a little outrageous) that will be sure to surprise any cyclist this Christmas.
- 15 of the best stocking fillers to buy this Christmas
- Deals for the Dirt - Black Friday week two roundup
Bosch Fontus Power Washer
We are currently testing one of these bad boys and are pleasantly surprised by the performance. At over £200, it's not cheap but it is fully mobile, has a removable battery to charge indoors and will wash two bikes quickly and one bike thoroughly.
Marin Gestalt X11 gravel bike
Dubbed as a gravel bike for mountain bikers we really liked the Marin Gestalt when we tested it a couple of months ago. This is a present to round out your loved one's quiver of bikes! Our Dave said, "If you want a gravel bike that doesn’t shy away from challenging and technical terrain but is right at home on the daily commute and long adventure ride, the new Gestalt X11 is a really solid choice. A gravel bike for mountain bikers, the handling and stability is a highlight and the dropper post, activated by the redundant SRAM left-hand shifter, is a bonus on steep terrain."
Garmin Edge 1030
The biggest and the best Garmin, this one is a penny under £500. If you have room for it in your Xmas budget then the recipient will get a capable bike computer with navigation functions, longer run-times than the previous model and compatibility with Bluetooth Smart sensors along with several interesting new features such as rider to rider messaging and training load analysis.
Go Pro Hero 7 Black
Need we say more, who doesn't want a new range topping Go Pro? This one is £380 (different cheaper models are available). The new camera features a HyperSmooth stabilisation mode, a 12MP sensor, the ability to record 4K video, a portrait mode and a removable battery to name but a few.
Exposure Six Pack front light
You can pick pretty much any light from the Exposure range and guarantee a happy face on Christmas day. We chose the Six Pack for the 'money no object' gift guide as it is the daddy of the range, most powerful and most expensive and is one of the lights to feature the cool battery saving 'Reflex' technology. We reviewed the MK8 here last year and currently have the MK9 on test for the winter.
Specialized Turbo Kenevo E-bike
At £5,500 the range topping Specialized Turbo Kenevo Expert is one hell of a bike, with 190mm of travel front and rear, this is as close you can get to a downhill e-bike that you can ride back up the hill again! We like Specialized Brose motor and think the geometry of the Kenevo is pretty good too, plus it looks like it eats trails for dinner!
Park Tool PK-3 Professional Tool Kit Tool
This 70 piece Park Tool kit contains pretty much everything you'll need to fix up bikes at home. At over £600, quality tools don't come cheap but you know what they say "buy cheap, buy twice".
Silca Tattico Bluetooth mini pump
For the rubber geeks and pressure analysists out there, this mini pump has connectivity to an app to accurately measure tyre pressures whilst pumping - pretty neat and a nice addition to a ride pack staple item.
Crankbrothers Klic Pump and Burst Tank
Sticking with the pump theme, this is a pricey pump that does it all; measure, inflate, seat tubeless tyres and with the ability to remove the tank for transport. It's a big volume pump that we liked using in our test earlier this year.
Fox Racing Shox Float X2 Rear Shock 2018
One of the ultimate hard hitting shocks this is a great upgrade for many trail and enduro bikes. If you really want to go all out, you can book the person receiving the new shock a tuning slot with a company like TF Tuned, Sprung Suspension or Silverfish to get the shock truly dialled for the bike it will be fitted on.