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MTB
The ultimate Holiday gift guide for mountain bikers
From truly personal and unique gifts to carbon bars and the pinnacle of waterproof jackets -- we have something for every mountain biker on your list this year!
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Wondering how to shop for the mountain biker in your life who has it all? We dove a little deeper into the -- rather massive -- world of mountain bike gear and found some unique products, innovative designs, and quality gifts to give. Whether you are shopping for your favourite mountain biker this holiday season or stuffing your own stocking, this list will get the job done!
1. STFU Bike: Mountain Bike Drivetrain Damping Modules
This new STFU bike device is a welcome addition to any bike
© AJ Barlas
Price: $29.95 USD (approx 40 CAD)
Say goodbye to chain slap! Designed and tested in Whistler and in collaboration with downhill legend, Chris Kovarik, STFU’s Mountain Bike Drivetrain Damping Modules are still a relatively new creation. Over the years Chris has won several National, International, and World Cup titles as well as earned track records and countless podium appearances at all levels of the sport. During that time, he has worked at fine-tuning his rides and working to eliminate noise, while minimizing wear and tear on his equipment. After experimenting with everything from zip ties to PVC piping and velcro to rubber O-rings, this drivetrain damping module was finally born.
The STFU chain dampers wrap around and contain the bike chain, limiting its movement when riding over rough terrain. The end result is a quieter ride but more importantly, by preventing your chain from flexing sideways and creating wear, STFU also increases the life of your chain and shifting performance. This new device is a welcome addition to any bike.
2. Bjorn Bikes/ODI Recycled Rubber Grips
Price: $28.95 USD (approx 38 CAD)
Bjorn Bikes is a bike brand out of Squamish, British Columbia, with a focus on sustainability. All of their products are created using recycled materials and shipped using recycled cardboard packaging -- no plastics. They launched their first bike frames this year and are planning to launch a line of recycled tires soon. In the meantime, they’ve partnered with grip technology leader, ODI, to create recycled rubber grips.
Measuring 140mm long and 31mm thick, the grips offer slide-on or lock-on options with an offset center for added comfort. They are also designed with a top and bottom sectional texture pattern to offer the best performance while working with the unique properties of 100% recycled post-industrial rubber. These grips certainly live up to Bjorn Bikes’ motto: sustainably driven, performance focused.
3. Made Rad by Tony Top Caps
Made Rad by Tony Top Caps
© Made Rad by Tony
Uni vom top cap
© Made Rad by Tony
Orange tiger top cap
© Made Rad by Tony
Blue stone top cap
© Made Rad by Tony
Price: $25 USD (approx 33 CAD)
For the mountain biker who has it all, there are always Made Rad by Tony Top Caps. Hand painted by world-renowned artist, Tony Baumann, these top caps are just the thing to add a little personality to any bike. Tony is an accomplished artist who is best known for the unique and complex frame designs he has painted for the likes of Bryn Atkinson, Jill Kintner, and Tahnee Seagrave -- to name just a few.
While top caps may seem like a small part on a bike, having just the right one -- especially a hand painted one -- can add a lot of style to your ride. Tony offers a wide variety of product and with names like Orange Tiger, Mermaid, Rainbow RUnner Topcap, and UTV (Unicorn Vomit Technology) there has got to be a perfect top cap for everyone on your list.
4. High Above Fidlock Lookout Hip Pack
Price: $130 USD (approx 172 CAD)
This waterproof and durable hip pack from High Above is the perfect accessory for Canadian winter riding. It features zippered pockets, internal organizers, a key clip, and a magnetic bottle attachment system that allows riders to access their water with ease. Offered in a black on black combo, the Fidlock Lookout still has the customizable options that High Above is known for; you can add a second bottle holder for bear spray, berry picking, or even just extra hydration, and the colour of your zipper pull and buckle is up to you to choose. However if you are looking for an even more customizable option, you can order the Custom Fidlock Lookout Hip Pack and have free reign over everything, including fabric colours.
5. OneUp Carbon Bar
These carbon bars are arguably the most comfortable handlebar on the market
© OneUp Components
Price: $182
These carbon bars are arguably the most comfortable handlebar on the market and are designed and tested in Squamish, British Columbia. OneUp’s patent-pending oval shape combines the ideal ride characteristics of 31.8mm and 35mm bar standards into one package creating a strong, lightweight product that uses its unique design to minimize arm pump and vibration without compromising on responsive steering. The bar is shipped at 800mm and is available in both a 20mm and 35mm rise, featuring a 5° upsweep and an 8° backsweep.
Small details like the squared mini-reliefs on the ends that offer more traction to prevent grips from turning, and the centered graphics that help you precisely position your setup cap off this excellent design. Visible carbon with black graphics makes this bar a stylish addition to any bike, but aside from the aesthetic factor, it’s a great gift simply because it let’s people do more of what they love - ride more with less fatigue.
6. Peppermint Cycling Co. Women’s Socks
Price: $25
Peppermint Cycling Co. out of Quebec creates riding clothes specifically for women and offers some of the best athletic fit styles around. Their socks, especially, are designed to add a little functional flair and fun to any riding kit. Comfortable and stylish, these socks are designed with mesh inserts for more breathability, reinforced heel and toe cushioning for better durability, and seamless toe and Y-Stich heels for more comfort while pedalling. Peppermint Cycling Co. socks come in a wide range of colours and designs and are sure to have just the right pair for the style-conscious riders on your list.
7. RideWrap
With RideWrap’s self-healing vinyl wraps, frames and forks can be protected
© Trish Bromley
Price: $115
Keep that paint fresh! Mountain bikes aren’t cheap and now with RideWrap’s self-healing vinyl wraps, frames and forks can be protected from accidental nicks, scratches, and shuttle scuffs (which helps maintain the resale value). Born in Whistler, RideWrap offers an extensive line of options for most models and sizes of frames that are available to order online. If they don’t already have your frame’s kit available, they can also create a custom wrap package just for you. Easy to install, the wraps are enclosed in cleverly designed packaging that details everything you need to know, every step of the way, for a perfect application. Giving RideWrap this holiday season is giving the gift of peace of mind!
8. The PRFCT Line T-Shirt
The PRFCT Line T-Shirt
© The PRFCT Line
Price: $34.95
On a mountain bike road trip back in 2012, Rich Auger was unable to find any mountain bike specific souvenir t-shirts to commemorate the incredible trails he’d ridden. The lack of options pushed him to create The PRFCT Line in 2014. Combining his love for design and bikes he created a line of typographic t-shirts that celebrate popular trails throughout North America. Wanting to avoid the standard visual trends of cranks and chainrings, he describes the designs as being “for people in the know.” If you’ve ridden the trail, you’ll ‘get’ the design.
Part proceeds from all of his trail focused shirts -- from Porcupine Rim in Moab to Motorhead in Turkey Point, Ontario and everything in between -- are donated back to the corresponding trail organizations. Details for each non-profit are included in the t-shirt description on the website. It was also important to Rich that the fabrics for his t-shirts feel softer than the standard heavy cotton freebies often given away at mountain bike events, so he has endeavored to ensure that he prints on fabrics that are the kind of comfortable that you look forward to throwing on post ride (and pre-beverage).
9. Ground Keeper Custom Fender
Ground Keep Custom Fenders
© JohnLaGuardia.com
Price: $35 USD (approx 46 CAD)
When you want to really personalize a gift, there are Ground Keeper Custom Fenders. An affordable and handy way to keep dirt, mud, and grime out of your fork seals -- and off your face -- which will increase time between fork services and can stretch out the life of suspension considerably. These fenders are an affordable way to make soggy rides a lot more enjoyable during our wet winters.
Upload your own photos at groundkeeperfenders.com or play around with a library of over 20 fonts and 100 existing images, vectors, and shapes to design just the right fender for that specific person on your list. Whether you’ve got an inside joke, a photo of their dog, or a fire breathing unicorn you want to immortalize, the world is your oyster when it comes to Ground Keep Custom Fenders. The fender design itself is fairly universal and fits nearly all bike wheel sizes and fork combinations, so if you purchase the upgrade to velcro straps (instead of zip ties) for installation, one fender can easily be shared among many bikes. Not feeling that creative? Don’t worry, Ground Keeper also has some really cool designs of their own that you can order from their website.
10. Beanie hat from the Red Bull Shop
Red Bull Shop beanies are the perfect gift to keep warm as you ride
© Red Bull Shop
For the perfect stocking filler and to keep the bike lover on your list warm as they ride this winter, check out this collection of beanies on the Red Bull Shop.
11. Chromag Trailmaster Saddle
Chromag Saddles
© Chromag Saddles
Price: $105 - $156
The medium size platform and rounded uninterrupted perimeter of the Trail Master, built by Whistler institution Chromag, is easy to get behind and move around with snags and a flat sitting area with a central relief promotes sitting on your bones for more comfort. The heavy-stock top grain imported leather -- richly oiled and embossed -- of the limited edition saddle adds a degree of firmness and an aspect of all-weather durability that is unmatched in standard leather tops.
Get your hands (or butts) on one of these saddles before they are all gone!
12. 7MESH Guardian Jacket
The 7MESH Guardian Jacket offers flawless protection in all weather
© 7MESH
Price: $475-$500
Every Canadian mountain biker is on the hunt for that perfect riding rain jacket. That layer that is actually waterproof without being too sweaty and is stow-able for the endless variability of our all-weather riding conditions while also fitting over layers for those colder riding days. This might finally be that jacket!
The 7MESH Guardian Jacket packs down to the size of a water bottle while still offering flawless protection in adverse weather conditions. The well-placed torso pockets that eliminate bulk, the generous rear drop that provides ample coverage while riding, and the helmet-accommodating hood all make this an excellent trail jacket -- but it’s the attractive design that makes it versatile enough for apres and campfire socials that makes it truly the one jacket that can do it all.
12. VéloColour Custom Painted Floor Pump
Price: $230 (or $95 to paint an existing pump)
This Toronto-based company is best known for the phenomenal work they do custom painting road-bike frames in the urban scene. However, VéloColour also creates custom painted floor pumps that are a perfect mix of art and function. These make a great gift for mountain bikers who are struggling with having enough living space to house all their gear -- these pumps are so nice to look at you’ll never want to put them away.
Want to skip the wrapping?
Indoor riding at Joyride 150 bike park in Ontario
© Joyride 150
Indoor Riding
Price: $28 - $36
Give the gift of experience and treat someone to some indoor riding this winter. Locations like Joyride 150 in Ontario, B-Line Bike Park in Calgary, and Air Rec Centre on the West Coast offer the opportunity to work on skills while staying dry. Featuring beginner to expert sections, foam pits, pump tracks, and jumplines, among many other features, these indoor parks offer an incredible place to spend time when the trails are covered in snow. So, if you’re not sure what gear they need, get the mountain bike people on your list something you don’t need to wrap.
Local Trail Advocacy Organization Membership
Price: Approx $40
Purchasing memberships to your local trail advocacy groups, donating in someone’s name, or purchasing trail passes for areas you plan to visit are all excellent ideas if you’re looking to give a gift that keeps on giving this holiday season. Each organization will differ in what they have available and how their funds are distributed, but in general, your money will be put towards the purchase of tools, material, and equipment, as well as the labour for trail building projects.
In return, memberships may include access to your local advocacy group’s events, trails days, meetings, and races. Some may also include access to trail building courses and voting rights within the organization. Essentially, this gift will be helping ensure that trails continue to be available for mountain bikers to use. One good example is NSMBA, who offer a wide range of memberships and trail boosts.
Or, if none of the above is what you’re looking for, then why not just gift them some wiiings!
2 min
Brandon Semenuk unleashed in an abandoned mine
For his sixth contribution to our Raw 100 series, Brandon Semenuk heads to Merritt, British Columbia.
Want to kick off the Holidays with some MTB action? Watch Brandon Semenuk's Raw 100 V6 in the player above and check out the list to the left to watch more.
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