Gifts for the cycling woman in your life - 2013

As it’s starting to be acknowledged more widely that women actually do ride bikes too, there’s an increasing array of female friendly bike related gift opportunities on offer now. No matter what her style of riding, be she racer, fitness rider, round-the-lanes-pootler or hardcore commuter, there should be something from the list below to please any cycling woman on Christmas Day and hopefully beyond.

Café du Cycliste Violette Woman Merino Jersey 120 Euro

Not a jersey for the depths of winter, but perfect for long rides out in the glorious summers we are quickly becoming so used to.  It’s made from merino wool, that luxurious and odour defying fabric, and the fit is flattering and attractive while delivering genuine Gallic chic. There’s a full-zip for flexibility of ventilation and three rear pockets for bits and bobs. Gift her with just a little bit of the Cote d’Azur…..
www.cafeducycliste.com
www.velovixen.com

Matrix Academy Rider Mug £16 & iPhone Case £19.50

How to celebrate women’s competitive cycling AND put a little back. An amount from every sale of the Jessie Walker and Hannah Walker mugs and phone cases goes back into funding the team.
www.martysartyparty.com

Trail 42 Pack Flask £15

A nifty stainless steel insulating flask that is designed to fit into a bike bottle cage. The possibilities are endless.
www.trail42.co.uk

Alex Monroe Bianchi Bicycle Necklace £168 for 22 carat gold plate or £144 for sterling silver

THE. GUARANTEED*. WAY. TO. ANY. FEMALE. CYCLIST’S. HEART. An exquisitely crafted tiny replica of Alex Monroe’s own Bianchi bike, in sterling silver or gold plate, this combines the best of classic British boutique jewellery design with a design that any bike-loving female will treasure forever.

(*Road.cc cannot and will not be held responsible for any jewellery related Christmas Day disasters)
www.alexmonroe.com

Anna Nichoola V Earwarmers £18

Earwarmers aren’t technical right? Very wrong in the case of these from Ana Nichoola. Made from a soft, warm fleecy backed fabric, they are designed to be slim enough to fit under a helmet, there’s a pony tail loop at the back for those with long hair, and most genius of all, there are even little slots for the legs of riding glasses.
www.ananichoola.co.uk

Cycle Geezer Bike Chain Trivet £15

A less greasy, and more socially acceptable way to have bike bits lying around on kitchen work surfaces, this handy upcycled chain trivet can be used to support hot pans, or just as a presentation aid when serving up dinner.
www.cyclegeezer.com

Michaux Club Zodiac Medium Shoulder Bag £290

YES, it’s expensive, but it’s an incredibly well thought through bike friendly shoulder bag that translates easily into everyday duty as well as performing well on the bike. A handy strap keeps it secure when you’re riding but can be clipped away when the bag is just a day to day shoulder bag and reflective accents on the front add to after dark safety, irrespective of whether the carrier is cycling or walking. It’s large enough to carry a commuter’s necessities, including a tablet or small laptop if required, but is designed to stay stable and secure when cycling.
www.michauxclub.com

Hill & Ellis Dorothy Bag £154.99

It looks like a pretty vintage style leather handbag, but it hides a secret, it’s actually got a sneaky zipped flap at the back which covers pannier fastenings, meaning this can easily be attached to a rack for cycling duty. A pannier bag for those who want a “normal” bag.
www.hillandellis.com

Green Oil Bike Brush £9.99

This good-looking UK made bike brush can be used for all sorts of bike cleaning duties, and its FSC certified wood handle just makes it a bit more pleasing than the average plastic brush (hmm… just trying to picture the look on your face if Mr Leonie gave you a cleaning brush for Christmas - ed)
www.green-oil.net

Stitch-Mi-Lane Bike Wheel Cushion £28

Hand-stitched and quirky, these are a great way to bring some bicycle style into the front room. Available in two different colour combos these are made in the UK using high quality cushion pads.
www.stitchmilane.bigcartel.com

Stitch-Mi-Lane Bike Twist Snood £35

Hand-knitted in the UK from 100% merino wool, this warm, but hard-wearing loop of scarf features a twist on the traditional Fair Isle pattern interspersed with little bikes. Ideal for wearing on the bike as well as off, as there are no ends to come unwound from the neck and it can’t get lost! Available in two colours.
www.stitchmilane.bigcartel.com

The Beautiful Road Notebook £18

A cute little notebook designed for scribbling down all those amazing ideas one has whilst out cycling. Of course, the window of opportunity for writing those down post-ride and pre-amnesia inducing cup of tea is minute, so strike while the…..oh, what was it?www.thebeautifulride.co.uk

Rab Women’s Xenon Hoodie £ 130

Not strictly bike wear, but for anyone prone to feeling the cold, particularly after a hard cyclocross race, during a tea stop or even after a brutally cold commute, this jacket is the business. Incredibly light, it packs down small if you need it to, but delivers levels of warmth usually only associated with heavyweight down jackets. It’s soft, silky and easily packed into a rucksack or pannier.
www.rab.uk.com

Morvelo Skye Women’s Shorts £80

Women’s specific bib-shorts are hard enough to find, let alone ones with some actual design element! These come with a dual-layer female specific Italian chamois and are tried and tested by the Morvelo Test Team which includes International racers and National Champions, so they’re not just a pretty face. Or backside.
www.morvelo.com

Rapha Long Sleeved Base Layer £65

The road.cc Christmas gift list just isn’t Christmassy if it doesn’t kick off a value vs price debate, so here’s the Rapha entry.  At £65, haters will, er, hate the fact that it’s actually good value for money, when you consider it’s a 100% merino wool top and will give good levels of comfort and performance for years and is a price roughly comparable with other merino base layers of this quality. Available in two neutral colours, it’s an easy way of increasing the versatility of winter layering options and it easily does double duty under jumpers and casual outfits too.
www.rapha.cc

Gore Bike Wear Power Windstopper Softshell Lady Gloves £39.99

Windproof and water resistant, these are ideal as a three season go-to glove. Designed to fit the female hand properly, they are just warm enough for most conditions, with only the very chilliest days potentially proving too much for them. They come in a variety of colour options to please even the choosiest female, even pink for those that have tendencies that way.
www.goreapparel.co.uk

Land of Mud and Glory T-Shirts £18 (Organic Cotton) £22 (Bamboo)

Hand screen-printed in LOMAG’s garage, each of these bike themed t-shirts is unique as well as being both attractive and well made. The bamboo fabric option is particularly desirable for its silky softness.
www.landofmudandglory.co.uk

dhb Reflective Buff £12.99

You can never have too many Buffs and this one’s got reflective patterns and a reflective stripe on it, so it’s hard to go wrong.
www.wiggle.co.uk

dhb Women’s Vaeon Roubaix Pro Padded Bib Tight £79.99

Female specific bib tights made from super warm Italian Roubaix fabric, these offer an integral chamois pad and come in UK sizes 8 to 16. The shape is flattering and high at the front, for maximum warmth and clothing flexibility, but it’s the value for money and the fact that they are available in a variety of colour options that makes them a bit special- red and black, white and black and plain black.
www.wiggle.co.uk

Bicycle Rider’s Luncheon Lunch Box £4.95

A retro-style simple plastic lunch box that suggests the contents should deliver “fortitude, endurance and invigoration”- this of course depends on what’s inside. We’d suggest that while a pasta salad may be a yes, cold pizza slices possibly do not comply. It’ll definitely bring a smile to any rider trapped at her desk on a sunny day.
www.dotcomgiftshop.com

Bike Belle Plastic Sprockett Earrings 5.95 Euro

Just a little bit ‘80s and a lot of fun, these plastic sprocket earrings come in a variety of colours and a couple of different sizes. They’re cheap and cheerful and would make a great addition to a Christmas stocking for a lady cyclist. The website has lots of other great accessories and quirky ideas too.
www.bikebelle.com

Show the woman in your life how much your REALLY love her with one of these (maybe in the Boxing Day sales if you bought her the cleaning brush for Christmas Day - ed). Then be prepared to ride your a**e off to keep up with her.
www.cannondale.com