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BUYER'S GUIDE

Gifts for cyclists under £200 — magnificent main Christmas present suggestions for the cyclist in your life

Our new sub-£200 pressie guide will help you pick that all-important main gift for the cyclist you're shopping for

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Searching high and low for a thoughtful main pressie for your bike-mad friend, partner, family member, or even yourself? Our round-up of the best sub-£200 ideas will leave you spoilt for choice this Christmas. 


Yes, there are some cracking sub-£50 cycling gifts to be found out there, but these carefully-selected options are for when you really want to wow the socks off a special someone. Put your money where your mouth is and prove you’ve been listening to their cycling-related chatter with a considerate gift from these tried and tested favourites. 

Hopefully, you’ll find inspiration in our wide range of choices, but as always drop your own recommendations in the comments section below. What's the best sub-£200 Christmas gift that you've ever come across?

For some majorly top-tier cadeaux, take a look at our money-no-object Christmas gift guide

The best Christmas gifts for cyclists under £200

Lezyne Connect Smart 1000XL/KTV Pro Smart Lights

Lezyne Connect Smart 1000XL/KTV Pro Smart Lights

9
See and be seen on the roads
Buy now for £78.76 from Tweeks Cycles
Lights are good
Good app connectivity
Multiple light profile options
Some minor mount niggles

If you’re keen to improve the safety of the cyclist in your life, then good quality lights are a must. Boost visibility when out on the roads with the Lezyne Connect Smart 1000XL/KTV Pro Smart Lights. These aren’t your run of the mill bike lights, this set can be configured on the accompanying app to fit each journey’s requirements.

Pick from multiple LED modes including ‘blast’, ‘econ’ and ‘day time flash’ for different ride settings. No more sifting through light modes on-the-go to find the right intensity, as once set-up the lights can be controlled through the front unit and work pretty autonomously. 

The 1000XL front light casts a round 250- or 150-lumen beam, with the overdrive option there for blasts of extra visibility. This is paired with a durable rear light with a wide reach that’s similarly capable of all day use in certain modes.

Bicycle inner tube backpack

Bicycle Inner Tube Backpack

8
A bike-themed twist on your everyday bag
Buy now for £143.88 from Etsy
Recycled materials
Designed to be waterproof

For those die-hard cycling fans who just love all things bike-related, this handmade backpack crafted from recycled bike inner tubes would make a thoughtful gift. This neat pack aims to be fully waterproof and 100% vegan, crafted as a limited edition item by an independent Italian business committed to sustainability. 

The envelope-style bag is designed with practicality in mind, with a durable-looking handle along the top and straps made from recycled seatbelts. Meanwhile, the padded back panel is constructed from truck tarpaulin liner and the front has a Velcro closure system.

The 20L pack has a large main compartment, along with a large zip-up internal pocket to fit a 15” laptop, and a smaller zip pouch for valuables. Maker mnmur says the backpack is “designed for everyday use and built to last”, it’d certainly make a stylish addition to any cyclist’s commuting gear.

Stolen Goat Men’s Mekon Climb & Conquer Winter Jacket

Stolen Goat Men’s Mekon Climb & Conquer Winter Jacket

9
Colourful protection from the elements
Buy now for £59.6 from Stolen Goat
Very warm
Impressively waterproof
Looks good
Reflective detailing

In a sea of cyclist monochrome, why not add in some technicolour. The Stolen Goat Climb & Conquer Winter Jacket is made for the harshest riding conditions, protecting the rider from both wind and rain.

Ideal for chilly conditions, during testing we found the specially designed Tempest Protect fabric did a stellar job of keeping us warm and dry. The softshell layer shrugs off the worst of the weather, while remaining breathable and most importantly, highly aesthetic.  

If you want to give the gift of style and safety, then the Mekon seamlessly integrates subtle visibility - as seen by the reflective back panel - to its long list of handy features.

Garmin vivomove Sport

Garmin Vivomove Sport

7
Analogue-style fitness tracking watch
Buy now for £148 from Amazon
Good looking
Market-leading health tracking analytics
Stealthy classic looks
No GPS

A smart watch could just be one of the most useful gadgets out there for the cyclist in your life - this one comes with a twist though. The Garmin Vivomove Sport has that classic analogue style, with the addition of hidden smart features literally at your fingertips - two taps will do it. 

Kitted out with a smart screen tucked away behind a sleek, minimalist design that's accessed by a simple tap or flick of the wrist, the Sport accurately tracks wellness data including heart rate, blood oxygen, steps, sleep tracking and stress/energy levels, which all combine to provide a holistic view of the user’s daily wellbeing. 

There’s four different colour options and a variety of straps to choose from, so you can customise the watch according to the personal preference and style of who you're gifting it to.

Continental Grand Prix 4 Season

Continental Grand Prix 4 Season

9
Sturdy tyres to weather the miles
Buy now for £36 from Chain Reaction Cycles
Light for an all-season tyre
Reasonably supple and grippy
Good puncture resistance
Some may not want to spend so much on a training tyre

If there’s something a cyclist literally can’t do without, it’s a durable set of tyres to keep them pedalling in all conditions. From tyre giant Continental, the Grand Prix 4 Season is one of the best all-rounder tyres out there, in our humble opinion. 

The GP 4 Season combines good grip and a supple feel, with excellent puncture protection, which Conti says is down to the double-layer "Vectran puncture-protection insert" made from melted liquid polymer and thicker "Duraskin" sidewalls. They may be a touch spendier than others, but if that’s the price of staying footloose and puncture-free, we’d take it.

Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones

Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones

8
Listen safely with bone conductor headphones
Buy now for £127.96 from Amazon
Great sound
Work well with helmets and glasses
Safe in rain
Easy to use on the move
Excellent connection
Hard to hear with 20mph+ wind

Now normally we wouldn’t recommend cycling while blasting the tunes, but these Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones allow you to do both without compromising on safety or sound quality. 

The Shokz present the ultimate gift for safe music listening on the go, and that’s all down to in-built bone conduction technology, which uses vibrations to convey sound waves and leaves the ears free to take in surrounding noises. 

Don’t worry, we’ve tried and tested these under a helmet and in the pouring rain, and found them easy and safe to use in all but the windiest conditions.

Topeak Alien X Multitool

Topeak Alien X Multitool

8
Useful and comprehensive bike tool
Buy now for £42.99 from Bike Inn
All the latest bits and use cases covered
Quite large

Our desert island pick to cover every eventuality, the Topeak Alien X Multitool is an incredibly useful tool that'll help get you out of mischief on the road. 

It's no surprise that our tester described the Alien as "a venerable kitchen-sink of a tool", since along with the classic range of hexes, it provides further tools like Torx wrenches, chain hook, anodised tyre lever, serrated knife, chain breaker... we could go on. 

One of the 34 features that stands out though is the quicklink plier tool, which is built from two arms that fold out and slot together seamlessly.

Bryton Rider 420E GPS computer

Bryton Rider 420E GPS computer

8
Navigate your adventures
Buy now for £99.99 from Halfords
Long battery life
Easy to navigate
Decent value for money
Button positions could be better

A bike computer like this nippy and compact Bryton Rider 420E is arguably one of the most useful navigation aids around, especially for the cyclist in your life who loves to explore new places and crunch the numbers over a well-deserved post-ride cuppa - you know the type. 

The 420E cuts through the chaff of other overly complex systems and presents a straightforward and easy-to-handle device. A simple set-up provides options for customising data screens, along with ANT+/Bluetooth compatibility for linking up with other riding tech. 

Breadcrumb navigation is supplemented by turn-by-turn instructions, while battery life impressed our tester at a staggering 35h of use. The 420E makes for an expensive-looking gift with an affordable price tag, keeping all parties happy.

Personalised Bike Helmet Holder

Personalised Bike Helmet Holder

8
Cycling home decor
Buy now for £82.62 from Etsy
Bring the bike theme inside
Personalised design

What’s the one thing cyclists love to do most, other than getting on the bike? Showing the world how much they love cycling of course. Bring the bike theme indoors with some classy home decor like this Personalized Bike Helmet Holder from Etsy.

Make a meaningful gift for a family of budding cyclists by customising it with a family name or motif. Made from "break-resistant and sturdy" steel with a black matte finish, the seller also explains how a 3D show effect is created by added depth and dimension in the metal.

Apple AirTag - 4 pack

Apple AirTag - 4 pack

9
Keep track of your precious cargo
Buy now for £99 from Currys
Cheaper than other tracking systems
Easy to mount and hide
Long battery life
Less accurate than GPS
Less useful in rural areas

More than ever, this year has seen countless bikes go missing left, right, and centre from airlines, with little help given to track down often highly valuable cargo - both on a monetary and sentimental level. 

This is where the Apple AirTag comes in. It’s so lightweight and unassuming that you can easily mount and hide it on your bike, with a battery reliable enough to last until you can be reunited. It works by using the iPhones around it to identify location, and has a "lost" setting which provides regular updates on whereabouts. 

Cyclists who like to travel with their trusty steed to far flung places would do well to put these tags on their wish list. In testing, we found them to be one of the most affordable and effective tracking solutions, if you can really put a price on peace of mind.

Assos Mille GT Bib Shorts C2 Best bib shorts for comfortable padding

Assos Mille GT Bib Shorts C2

9
Invest in the essentials
Buy now for £125 from Wiggle
Excellent pad
Comfortable straps
Great fit
Leg length won't suit everyone

One gift that’s guaranteed to become a staple piece of kit for the cyclist in your life is these Assos Mille GT Bib Shorts. Investing in high-quality gear will pay dividends when it comes to performance and comfort - and when it comes to bibs, the right bum padding is key! 

These Mille bib shorts provide chafe-free riding thanks to the layered chamois pad with 11mm foam and anti-bacterial ‘Golden Gate’ technology. Meanwhile, wide x-back straps and secure leg grippers keep everything comfortable and in place.

100% Eastcraft glasses

100% Eastcraft glasses

8
Casual AND cycling glasses
Buy now for £140.24 from Ebay
Clear lenses included
It's hard to smudge or smear the lens
Flexible but durable
Pretty large for casual wear
Long arms may not suit

Shoes Sunglasses are a cyclist's best friend making them the perfect gift for the cyclist in your life. A decent pair of cycling glasses need to be durable and comfortable, and of course, they need to look the business too!

These 100% Eastcraft glasses come with two lenses - a gold mirror lens for some panache, and a clear lens for low light conditions. They are up to 100%'s usual high standards, and have a hydrophobic and oleophobic treatment to repel water and oil - indeed they don't pick up fingerprints easily.

Overall, the Eastcrafts are comfortable for long durations, durable, and the design is functional both on and off the bike.

Let us know your top Christmas gift ideas in the comments

Kate delved into the cycling world when racing triathlon at university, where she studied English Literature and French. Keen for some two-wheeled adventures, she made the most of the long holidays by bikepacking across France and Europe solo. Kate's now a full-time specialist journalist and cycling gear tester, she's written for various titles including road.cc, 220Triathlon, and Trail Running Magazine. 

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3 comments

Avatar
hawkinspeter | 1 year ago
1 like

I'm waiting for a tubeless version of that backpack

Avatar
mattw | 1 year ago
0 likes

Whatever happened to "discerning"?

Are we all bog-standard now ?  1

Avatar
Jack Sexty replied to mattw | 1 year ago
1 like