Interest in riding bikes is booming. Buying gifts for your cycling friends and family can be a daunting task. What the hell is an ASS SAVER anyway? Is it appropriate to buy for my mother-in-law? Luckily for you we’ve compiled our list of top 10 gifts for your bike friends. Come visit our shop in Old Town Portland if you’d like to check out any of these items in person! All items are available for purchase and contactless pickup from 10am-6pm.
We sell eGift Cards and physical gift cards for your friends to indulge their holiday winnings on any of the items below. Gift cards can be redeemed for goods, rentals, tours and repairs in our shop.
10. A sturdy Kryptonite Bike Lock
A quality lock can be a difference maker. Locks come in all sizes and with many purposes. Some are meant to store in a jersey pocket to unleash while enjoying a favorite post ride brew. Others are solid U-Locks to secure their steed throughout the day and night while running errands, attending classes, or working. The peace of mind provided knowing your whip will be there when you return is invaluable! this 7″ Kryptonite Lock is available in many colors.
9. A bicycle bell
Shouting spreads Covid – The days of the bicycle bell faux-pas are long gone! Every bike should have a bell – some are sleek and hidden while others are grandiose and shiny. Nonetheless, a bicycle bell should be loud and easily accessible to the rider. Being able to alert pedestrians and other cyclists of your presence without hoarsing your voice is a comfort easily attained with our recommendation: Portland Design Works’ Alexander Graham Bell. ($10-25)
8. Saddle Cover
Keep their tushy dry with a saddle cover! Saddle covers do double duty of keeping your butt dry while also protecting the investment made in a saddle. Saddles can be quite expensive, keeping them dry through the rainy season will ensure they last as long as possible. Planet Bike’s Waterproof Cover is great. ($14)
7. New Bar Tape
Surprise your family with some new tack where they need it most – on their handlebars. Bar tape comes in various thicknesses, colors, materials, and designs. Our favorites must check three boxes, appeal, comfort, and durability. The bar tape that exceeds expectations in all three categories is the Lizard Skins DSP. Our plethora of color choices guarantee a nice match for their bike, the thickness and tackiness of the tape is unrivaled, and the durability is such that the bars can be re-wrapped multiple times without destroying the tape! ($10-44)
6. Fenders
No one wants a soggy bottom. Luckily any bike can be equipped with fenders. Full coverage fenders can be installed on most bikes for optimum winter riding. Concerned their bike doesn’t have enough clearance for Full Coverage Fenders? Fret Not! We sell Planet Bike SpeedEZ clip-on fenders, as well as the sleek All-City Ass Saver! ($12-45)
5. Socks
Nothing screams holidays like a fresh pair of stockings in your stocking. Here at Cycle Portland we stock a wide selection of Portland based Sock-It-To-Me socks. Everyone has feet, help them show ’em off and keep warm with these rad designs! ($10)
4. Skewer Wheel Locks
There’s no bigger bummer than going out to your locked bike to find it missing a wheel or two! Thankfully that can be avoided by buying locks for their wheels. These easy-to-install, nifty tools replace the quick release skewers on their axles and can only be removed using a special key. We have them on our rental bikes, and have yet to lose a wheel or saddle to the bike brigands. Pinhead Security Pack – 2 is our fav ($20-58)
3. Rechargeable Bike Lights
As the nights get longer often many of your cycling pals are finding themselves riding in the dark. Nothing beats a set of USB rechargeable lights. Some can last weeks on a single charge and are as bright as 1000 lumens! A nice blinky lightset on the front and rear of a bike insures high visibility for a cyclist on those early morning and post-work commutes. They even work great in the daytime to let cars know you’re on the road. MSW Pico and Cygolite Dash are our recommended lightsets ($34-90)
2. Ceramic Chain Lube
Are they constantly posting insta photos of the bike chain tattoo on their calf? Our solution is Ceramic Bike Chain Lube. In addition to being the most silent when riding – it doesn’t gunk up like traditional synthetic lube and get all over the place. It also comes in both wet and dry options. Remember, it’s more fun with lube! ($12)
1. Bike Mounted Phone Case
We have reached an era where Google Maps bike directions work everywhere. They direct riders on bike friendly roads and car-free paths in a fast and succinct manner to their destination. An SP Connect case is made specifically for each phone – it clips to a mount that is installed on the handlebars! This allows the rider to use Google Maps directions from the safety of their bike with no need to pull the phone from their pocket or to listen for cues from their pocket. Plus, they work great with apps like Strava and Portland-based Ride With GPS ($62-87)
Remember to support your local bike shop so we’ll all be here when you need us.