Christmas Presents for Cyclists 6

By Simon Whiten

Christmas Presents for Cyclists 6

Tall mountain biking man, Gary Stanesby, is a bit vague as to the exact brands he’d like but has chosen some great seasonal items, perfect as presents for any cyclist at Christmas.

He is after new liner gloves for those really cold days. There’s plenty to choose from, such as the close fitting SealSkinz Thermal Liner Gloves which feature very fine Merino wool and can be worn on their own or under other gloves. They retail for just £10 so make a great stocking filler.

Alternatively there’s the Altura Liner Glove which again is a close fitting thermal stretch glove designed to fit under your normal winter gloves but incorporates a silicone grippers on the palm. It retails for £16.99.

Or there’s the Endura Liner Glove which features fleece, is close fitting, has silicon on the palm and can be worn on its own or under a winter glove. It retails for £14.99.

Like Paul Hopkins in Presents for Cyclists 3 Gary is also after some winter shoes as he is fed up with getting through a pair of overshoes every winter. One of these should suit Gary’s off-road riding over the winter… Lake MXZ303 Winter Boots are pretty tough looking with a leather upper – complete with BOA closure system – that is water-resistant and breathable. It’s certainly a feature packed pair of boots: the outsole is Vibram and has a temperature regulating heel and tongue liner; there’s a 3M Thinsulate lining and a Thermosol composite insulation insole; there’s a fibreglass-injected Hi-Impact Nylon outsole based on Lake’s Z Last, which is specifically shaped for cold weather on and off the bike use… Of course such technology is not cheap and they retail for £209.99, though they should last a few winters. You can get them in the UK from Moore Large.

Shimano MW81 Gore-Tex Winter SPD Boots retail for £159.99 and are Gore-Tex lined and insulated, with leather upper, a neoprene ankle cover and water resistant splash guard. An insulated liner and polar fleece insole, reinforced toe and heel and an aggressive tread, with replaceable spikes, all fit around the fibre glass outer sole.

Finally he fancies any long sleeve base layer and we all know that every cyclist loves a base layer at Christmas. Fact. There are so many to choose from but here’s three we like. Craft do the Active Extreme base layer which is suitable for a range of temperatures and features ‘HEXA channeled fiber’ which transports moisture and cools against the skin, whilst the hollow fibres on the outside provide insulation and transports moisture onto the next layer… and we thought it was just a ‘top’.

Howies Light Merino Base Layer is a 160g Merino wool top. It wicks away moisture, regulates body temperature, is highly breathable, naturally antibacterial and is odour resistant.

The Helly Hansen Dry Revolution features Lifa fabric which maintains a dry layer next to the skin, keeping you comfortable during what HH descibe as ‘highly aerobic activities in a wide range of conditions’. Perfect.

Despite our stipulation that each contributor only provide a list of three items, Gary also went on to say (just in case any member’s of his family are reading this) that he would like a cycle computer that you can actually see in the dark, if one exists; a Lumie light/alarm clock to make getting out of bed for those cold early morning training sessions more bearable; some winter wheels; and a coaching or velodrome session; oh, and a Bike mechanics short course… Doesn’t ask for much does he?

Next up it’s back to cyclo-cross again no doubt, with 3Peak’s warrior, Rob Allen…