{"id":359327,"date":"2025-12-20T00:04:47","date_gmt":"2025-12-20T00:04:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/359327\/"},"modified":"2025-12-20T00:04:47","modified_gmt":"2025-12-20T00:04:47","slug":"the-ultimate-cyclists-christmas-gift-wishlist-12-things-the-cyclingnews-tech-team-would-buy-for-ourselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/359327\/","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate cyclist’s Christmas Gift wishlist: 12 things the Cyclingnews tech team would buy for ourselves"},"content":{"rendered":"

The festive season is here, Christmas is just around the corner, and we are getting into the mood here at Cyclingnews. <\/p>\n

Pre-season kit design and sponsor changeover news is coming thick and fast, and in a few short weeks, the 2026 race season will kick off. We’ve covered all the new WorldTour team kits<\/a> recently, as well as Sam Welsford’s move to the Ineos Grenadiers<\/a>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Before the racing starts, though, we can look forward to a relaxing and peaceful Christmas. If you are shopping for a cyclist, it can be difficult to know what to buy them, unless they have provided you with a very detailed wishlist!<\/p>\n

If they haven’t, you’re in the right place, because the Cyclingnews tech team – Josh, Graham, Will and Tom – have handpicked three items each that, in our opinions, would make excellent Christmas gifts for our fellow cyclists. We have mixed it up and split our selections between things we would like to receive and items we would buy for another cyclist, making for a varied and interesting range of ideas.<\/p>\n

There’s a nice mix of items here, from tools, to tyre levers, overshoes to kids’ bike seats. We hope you find something useful!<\/p>\n

If you want even more choice, take a look at our Christmas gifts for cyclists.<\/a><\/p>\n

\"Josh<\/p>\n

Josh Croxton<\/p>\n

Associate editor <\/p>\n

Associate Editor Josh loves his tech; he curates our smart trainer buying guide and will happily get stuck into the numbers to inform his real-world testing and theories. <\/p>\n

Josh is also soon to become a father for the first time, and this is reflected in one of his gift choices. <\/p>\n

Josh has gone for a mix of things, but his smart home tech idea might make for a good present idea or two. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

Kids Ride Shotgun bike seat<\/p>\n

My wife and I are expecting our first child early in the new year. Amid the cocktail of nervousness and anxiety is an excitement for when he’s old enough to ride a bike and we can all go and mess about on mountain bikes. Before that, though, I really want to fit a Kids Ride Shotgun onto my bike and let him enjoy the trails. I’m not sure my wife will let me combine its use with bikejoring<\/a> the dogs, though.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m an impatient man. The sort that uses an impact driver to build furniture because manually twizzling an allen key is tedious and slow. When working on a bike, it’s all time that could be spent riding, but an impact driver is a recipe for stripped bolts. I’ve therefore been eyeing up a Worx electric screwdriver for a while, and with its three torque settings up to 5nm, the risk of overtightening is minimal. It’s technically not designed as a bike tool, so this would also work well as a gift for DIYers. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"smart\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I’m not crazy into smart home automation tech, but I recently learned that Home Assistant servers are a thing. Someone online had used one to create a geofence for their home so that when they returned from a ride and got within a few hundred feet of the house, the automation would fire, their garage door would open up and their coffee machine would switch on. Another used smart plugs to remotely switch on fans when riding indoors, and a third simply set an Alexa speaker to give a weather forecast upon opening up the closet they keep their cycling kit in. Clever, and definitely something I could get nerdy with. <\/p>\n

\"Will<\/p>\n

Will Jones <\/p>\n

Senior Tech Writer <\/p>\n

Will is always out in foul weather testing the latest waterproof jackets and isn’t as keen on indoor training as Josh is. <\/p>\n

After a recent tool cannister loss, Will is on a mission to replace his lost tools, and his choices reflect this with some of his favourite small tools and accesories this year.<\/p>\n


\n<\/p>\n

\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

While Tom doesn\u2019t use tubeless on his own road bikes, I use it for everything. I\u2019ve lost count of the number of times I\u2019ve got away with a small nick in a tyre, but every now and then you get a big hole that won\u2019t seal, and since I started using Dynaplugs it\u2019s basically all I\u2019ll use now. The metal tips mean they go in easily and don\u2019t pull out, and once you\u2019ve stabbed them in they\u2019re good for the life of the tyre. You can get all sorts but I like the racer because it is geared up for fast repairs; no unscrewing, just pop the cap off and you\u2019re ready to go, and it\u2019s so slender it fits in my tool caddy. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Trek\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

I used to be alarmingly cavalier with my spares kit. Maybe it\u2019s age, maybe it’s an increasingly anxious world, but I now like to know I can take care of most situations while out on the road, and that means a really comprehensive multi-tool. I don\u2019t know where I happened upon the Trek Pro BITS, but I\u2019ve not ridden without it since it landed on my desk. It\u2019s got a chain breaker, a space for spare links, a tubeless repair tool (not that I need that with my trusty Dynaplug, but still\u2026) and as well as all the usual suspects it also has the really tiny hex sizes for things like derailleur limit screws, an 8mm for pedals, and an odd looking attachment that covers things like valve cores. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Muc-Off\n<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Look, I get it, some of you are die hard Pedros lifers, and that\u2019s OK. I was too until I tried these. I\u2019ve used them for every tyre swap in the last two years, including some days in the lab where I\u2019ve setup over 30 sets of tubeless tyres one after another. They never bend, they never break, they\u2019ve never failed to get a tyre on or off, all of which cannot be said for even the best of the rest. I find Muc-Off\u2019s marketing quite cringe, but despite this I\u2019m willing to say that I still want a set of these for Christmas in case I lose my other two sets. <\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Tom Wieckowski <\/p>\n

Tech writer <\/p>\n

Tom is an ex mechanic and still really enjoys working on his bikes. He’s also keen on doing things by the book, and has recommended the Park Tool maintenance manuel as a present for any aspiring mechanics or home mechanics. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

Park Tool Big blue book of bike maintenance <\/p>\n

The Park Tool big blue book of bicycle repair will make an excellent present for any cyclist. It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to all kinds of bike servicing and maintenance jobs, and will teach you best practices and improve your knowledege. A worthwhile buy for any rider.<\/p>\n

\n

\"A\n<\/p>\n

I’m at risk of sounding like a broken record this year when it comes to the Karoo 3, but this is comfortably my favourite bike computer. If you want to treat yourself or someone else, you – or they – will be pleased. <\/p>\n

I particularly like its brilliant colour screen and maps, and easy to use touch screen. <\/p>\n

\n

\"Velotoze\n<\/p>\n

Velotoze Tall Shoe Covers 2.0 <\/p>\n

These Velotoze overshoes would make a brilliant, affordable present for any cyclist. Made from a thin latex rubber, they keep water out and are very aerodynamic. An excellent and very cheap piece of kit for changeable and wet days. These would make a great stocking filler. <\/p>\n

\"Graham<\/p>\n

Graham Cottingham<\/p>\n

Tech writer <\/p>\n

Graham does the most riding out of any of the team. He’s broken the rubbish and has chosen items that do what they say on the tin. <\/p>\n

He’s gone for a small toolset that keeps him out of trouble and a very handy portable Karcher pressure washer, perfect for when he gets back from one of his multi hour epic rides. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\n

\"Granite\n<\/p>\n

Granite Duet Hex Bit & Socket Ratchet Tool Kit<\/p>\n

I use this tool kit all the time when I’m working on bikes at home. It’s far from comprehensive, but for most quick day-to-day jobs, this is my go-to. Inside the case is a ratchet tool, 2 \/ 2.5 \/ 3 \/ 4 \/ 5 \/ 6 \/ 8 \/ T15 \/ T20 \/ T25 \/ PH2 bits and an extension rod which should cover most bolts on a bike. There’s also a range of sockets between 6mm and 13mm. While these see less action on the bike, they have proved to be very useful when working on odd jobs around the house or fixing my car. All the tools have proven to be really durable, and the metal case keeps everything organised while giving it a premium finish.<\/p>\n

\n

\"Best\n<\/p>\n

Arguably not the most glamorous Christmas present, but one that will offer peace of mind for any commuter or urban cyclist. Getting a bike stolen is awful, so helping to ensure that doesn’t happen will be much appreciated. I recommend the Litelok X1<\/a> as it’s one of the toughest U-Locks around. It features a barronium-coated hardened steel shackle, which is tough enough to fend off a bike thief’s favourite tool, the portable angle grinder. <\/p>\n

\n

\"Karcher\n<\/p>\n

K\u00e4rcher OC3 pressure washer<\/p>\n

I live in a flat and don’t have convenient access to an outside water supply. This isn’t too much of a problem in summer, but when winter rolls around, and most rides result in a bike covered in dirt, things become more problematic. This K\u00e4rcher OC3 pressure washer<\/a> changed Will’s life, it would change mine and would make an excellent gift for anyone who has a dirty bike problem. The OC3 is super portable with the water tank, pump and battery self-contained, so it’s easy to store in a cupboard or in the back of a car, ready to wash a bike post ride.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The festive season is here, Christmas is just around the corner, and we are getting into the mood…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":359328,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[569],"tags":[64,63,784,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-359327","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-cycling","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=359327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/359327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/359328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=359327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=359327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=359327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}