I think it was my dad who once told me that the worst gift you could get a violinist,
is something violin related.
And he’s right.
Try to buy a gift for a hobbyist of any activity and you’re bound to get it wrong.
This includes mountain bikers, who could be engaging in cross country, trail, downhill,
fat biking, or a whole host of other disciplines, each with their own respective gear.
It sound intimidating, but I’m going to make it easy for you today.
Here are 10 great gifts, and how to get them right without knowing anything about mountain
biking.
Let’s start with the f15 multitool from Crankbrothers.
At around $40 this is not a cheap multi tool, and that’s exactly what makes it such a
great gift.
The quality is tops, and it has more features than almost anything else out there.
The cover has a bottle opener on it, and can also be used for leverage to crack pedals
loose.
The f15 also includes a chain tool with built in spoke wrenches.
It’s attractive, useful, and actually very safe since the cover prevents tools from sticking
out in your pocket or bag.
The f15 would make a great gift for virtually any mountain biker.
And why stop with the f15?
Get a pair of mountain biking socks, and your gift wrap is taken care of as well.
Mountain biking socks, or any cycling socks are great gifts.
Not only can you put something else inside them, they’re also important to have a lot
of.
We ruin these socks on a daily basis, through creek crossings, pedal strikes, and other
inevitabilities.
I find that you can’t go wrong with a brand called Sock Guy, so I’ve linked to a bunch
of really fun options that will work for literally ANY mountain biker.
Recently, strapless gloves have become all the rage.
These are ridiculously comfortable and just pull on without any velcro or fasteners.
They’re great gifts, and I recommend you get them from Tasco, or Handup.
Some riders prefer Tasco because of their sturdier feel and cleaner design.
They’re also available in “double digit” packs with socks.
Tasco is out of Cali, so I saw a lot of riders wearing them out West.
Here on the East Coast, Handup is almost ubiquitous.
They all have crazy designs, and when you put your “Hands Up” they spell out messages.
I’ll leave some notes in the video description to help you choose the right glove for that
special mountain biker.
This next gift may be a bit confusing to a non rider, but trust me: The tubeless tackle
box from Genuine Innovations is a great gift for any serious mountain biker.
The Tackle box comes with a valve wrench built into the bottom.
Inside are spare valve cores and bacon strips which are used to plug holes in mountain bike
tires.
The cap is an applicator for these bacon strips.
What I like most about the tubeless tackle box is that it resembles a miniature version
of a car tire repair kit, making it familiar and easy to use.
This kit can be a life saver out on the trails, but it’s not a good gift for a beginner
since it only works on tubeless tires.
After repairing your tire you need to re-inflate it.
CO2 is good—when you have it, but most mountain bikers I know carry a hand pump.
Hand pumps are absolutely torturous to use which is why a good pump is such a great gift.
This Crankbrothers Klic HV Gauge is what I use, since it works fast, has a removable
tube to relieve stress on the valve, and a pressure gauge which is a rarity in portable
pumps.
The tube even stows away to make it compact—something a mountain biker will appreciate.
Since the tube attaches with a magnetic “click”, it’s easy to get up and running.
The next few gifts are for action cameras.
Anyone posting videos of themselves mountain biking is using an action camera to capture
it.
An inexpensive gift they will love are these aluminum thumbscrews.
Almost every action camera comes with these cheapo plastic screws which are difficult
to tighten down securely.
These aluminum ones not only look and feel better, but they’re also way easier to tighten
down.
I linked to a multicolor pack that you can get on Amazon Prime.
Anyone who likes to film themselves out on the trails may want to switch things up with
a third person shot.
For that, they’ll need a compact tripod.
These two are really good quality.
This bendy tripod can adapt to any surface, and even be wrapped around something to get
the shot.
But my personal favorite tripod is this very simple one from Manfrotto.
It works great as a handle, has a locking head, comes with a smartphone adapter, and
feels really refined.
Both of these are lightweight and easy to carry around, which makes them fantastic tools
for use on the trails.
But mountain bikers aren’t the only ones on the trails, they often bring a trail dog.
Although my trail dog only rides park, he loves his camera harness.
It adjusts to fit most dogs comfortably, and works with any action camera.
This harness provides a hilarious perspective, and has two mounting options for either their
chest or back.
This is a great gift, and it doesn’t cost much.
If your mountain biker friend is a fan of my channel, they may have seen my video on
building a workshop.
In fact, they may have even expressed interest in building one and never seem to get around
to it.
Well, you can actually buy them a workshop.
Just go to a home supply store and get a bench vice.
This is a key component to any workshop.
Gift wrap the vice, and attach a gift card for $150.
This will more than pay for the lumber and the pegboard.
If you’re handy, you can even offer to help them build it.
I linked to my video below which has plenty of other goodies you can use to increase that
gift card amount.
In fact, I have the perfect gift for doing just that—a repair stand.
Anyone who works on their own bike should have a repair stand, and it’s really easy
to see whether someone already does because it’ll be standing their in the middle of
their garage.
This is how professional bike mechanics work on bikes, and for good reason.
It keeps the bike off the ground where you can pedal it, operate all the parts, and stand
upright while working on it.
The vast majority of bike shops use Park Tool, which makes a Park stand recognizable and
a great gift.
It’ll make them feel like a real bike mechanic.
So that’s it.
10 gifts for mountain bikers.
Of course every mountain biker is in the market for pedals or a new set of handlebars, but
those are the types of gifts that are easy to get wrong.
So, don’t forget about Amazon and Visa gift cards which can just be placed inside of a
cycling sock.
You can’t go wrong with that.
Also, peer into the comments below.
I have an audience of half a million mountain bikers that will be happy to give you advice
on what to buy them.
Check the description for more info on everything in this video.
Thanks for riding with me today and I’ll see you next time.