It might still be early November but Christmas is on the way so we’re running a series of articles here on road.cc suggesting gifts for cyclists, and if you really want to shell out on someone special here are some money no object ideas.
When we say ‘money no object’ we’re not implying that everything here is luxury, but our suggested items do tend to be priced towards the higher end of their respective categories, and they demand that you dig quite deep into your finances – very deep in some cases!
Mavic Comete Ultimate shoes £900
Admittedly, £900 is a ridiculous amount to spend on cycling shoes but this is the ‘money no object’ gift guide! These offer lots of interesting tech and an amazing performance for racing. If you want some slightly more sensibly priced footwear, check out our other shoe reviews. But if you're heart's set on these, they're only available at Sigma Sports, so head on over there to pick up a pair.
Artful Kicks custom painted shoes £various
If £900 shoes lack the personal touch, Artful Kicks will custom paint cycling footwear of your choice so you can have something unique.
PowerTap P1S Single Side Powermeter Set £550
Buy now for 12% off at Evans Cycles
PowerTap P1S power meter pedals 2.jpg
All the kool kidz are training with power these days and, despite costing £550, the PowerTap P1S pedals are actually among the less expensive options. They're easy to set up and to swap between bikes, they work well and are compatible with a wide variety of head units. They’d make a great gift for anyone with a focus on fitness and/or racing.
The aforementioned discount over at Evans Cycles brings the price of these pedals right down to £439.99 - Buy now!
Here’s our advice on choosing a cycling power meter.
Hill and Ellis Professor Bike Bag £195
Hill and Ellis Professor bike bag - worn.jpg
The Hill and Ellis Professor is a beautifully made satchel you can attach to your rack, and it performs as well off the bike as it does on. You’re worried about what happens when it rains, right? It comes with a high-vis rain cover. road.cc’s Simon loves his, and he’s a man of taste and refinement. That’s what he told me, anyway.
Silca T-Ratchet Kit + Ti-Torque Kit £100
Buy now over at Evans Cycles
Silca T-Ratchet Kit and TI-Torque Kit - inside.jpg
This is a beautifully made, superlight, and multi-functional set of tools that would make a great gift. The tools live in a beautiful waxed canvas cloth case that’s magnetically closed, snapping shut for compact storage in a jersey pocket.
Evans Cycles currently has stock of the kit, so head on over there if you're looking to make the bike fettler in your life very happy.
Prologo CPC Airing Nago Evo Nack saddle £249.99
Buy now for 16% off at Tredz
Prologo 2017 CPC Airing Nago Evo Nack.jpg
The name is arguably too long, but with carbon-fibre rails and CPC (Connect, Power, Control) polymer on the upper, the Prologo CPC Airing Nago Evo Nack saddle does have the advantage of looking expensive. Bonus! Even more important, reviewer George found it to be super-comfy.
Rapha Leather Race Bag £595
Rapha Leather Race Bag.jpg
Rapha offers a water resistant Cordura race bag (currently out of stock) but if you want to go all in, this version “is constructed from a fine full-grain leather sourced from an artisan French tannery”. Well, of course. You wouldn’t expect anyone to rock up at a race with anything less, would you?
Brooks Pickwick Leather backpack £340
Brooks Pickwick Leather.jpg
If you’re buying for someone who uses their bike for commuting or urban riding, Brooks’ Pickwick Leather backpack is a high quality bit of kit that’s “designed by André Klauser in London and manufactured in the hills of Tuscany by Italian artisans”.
What is it with all the artisans? They’re cleaning up these days.
Of course, heading over to Brooks and shelling out on the artisan leather isn't your only option. If you've been swept away by the design, but £340 is a little outside of your budget, you can buy the water-resistant canvas edition for £139.50 over at Tredz.
CycleOps Hammer direct drive smart trainer £1,000
Buy now at Wiggle for 11% off
CycleOps Hammer Direct Drive SMART Trainer - from back.jpg
This is a fully-featured indoor trainer to use with Zwift and similar apps, and it’s especially welcome at this time of year when the weather’s cold and damp. It has a smooth, realistic pedalling feel, accurate power measurement, high maximum resistance, and an air of reassuring solidity. It even folds away for more compact storage. The Hammer is a doddle to set up and, despite it’s name, is also quiet. The price has just been reduced from £1,200 to £1,000
Chpt3 The Rocka 1.61 £300
Buy now for 13% off at Sigma Sports
Chpt.III Rocka.jpg
David Millar's Chpt3 brand describes its clothing, made by Castelli, as “premium cycling apparel”. The Rocka is based on Castelli's existing Gabba, but it comes in less of a race cut with extra features added, such as a front pocket and a buttoned flap at the collar.
Specialized S-Works Womens Prevail II helmet £175
Buy now over at Hargroves Cycles
Specialized S-Works Women's Prevail II Helmet - front.jpg
The Prevail has long been a popular helmet with performance-focused cyclists because it's comfortable, well ventilated and seriously lightweight. This new version retains everything that was good about original but has a much lower profile. It not only looks better but offers improved ventilation and sweat management as well as reduced wind noise.
Roval CLX 50 Disc wheels £1,870
Buy now over at Evans Cycles
Specialized Roval CLX 50 DISC Wheelset.jpg
The Roval CLX 50s (with 50mm-deep rims) combine the aero performance of deep section rims with the lightness of shallower rims, coming in at 1,415g with disc brake hubs. They put in an excellent performance across the board, proving fast and stable with impressive handling. There are more aerodynamically efficient wheels and there are lighter wheels, but these strike a really good all-round balance that works well in most situations.
Castelli Idro Jacket £260
Buy now over at Wiggle
Castelli Idro Jacket.jpg
The Idro is made of the waterproof, amazingly breathable and highly packable Gore-Tex Active fabric, as are the 7Mesh Oro and the Gore Bike Wear One that we’ve also reviewed here on road.cc. None of these jackets are cheap – largely thanks to the high-tech fabric used – but they perform superbly and pretty much any rider would be delighted to receive one.
Gore Power Windstopper long sleeve jersey £179.99
Buy now for 5% off at Wiggle
Gore Power Windstopper long sleeve jersey.jpg
If you’re thinking of buying someone a Christmas jumper this year, here’s a little tip: don’t. Wacky doesn’t equal funny. Instead, get them a top they’ll really appreciate like this brilliant three-season Windstopper jersey that provides very good protection against wind and rain. It’s also lightweight and slim fitting with excellent breathability, and there’s not a snowman or reindeer in sight. A top pick!
Barbour x Brompton Merton Wax Jacket £299
Buy now at John Lewis
Barbour x Brompton Bromley.jpg
Brompton, of folding bike fame, has teamed up with luxury outdoor fashion brand Barbour to offer a range of different jackets for both men and women. This is the women's Bromley which boasts features like reflective tape in the collar, a dropped hem at the rear and venting. It looks good off the bike too.
Exposure Strada 1200 £289.96
Buy now for 10% off at Rutland Cycling
The Exposure Strada 1200 is a well-made and durable light that offers all the illumination you could need on the road and very good battery life. With an aluminium shell and a good mount, it has an air of quality and should last ages.
Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 groupset £3,097.99
Buy now for 37% off at Wiggle
Dura-Ace 9150 Di2.jpg
The new version of Shimano’s top level road groupset offers a stunning performance without any real weakness: superb braking, excellent shifting and a more integrated design than previously. We always quote RRPs, but shop around and you’ll find it cheaper.
Colnago Concept frameset £3,499.95
Buy now for 5% off at Merlin Cycles![Colnago Concept.jpg]( "Colnago Concept.jpg")
The Concept is a stunning aero road bike with awesome speed and the excellent handling that is synonymous with the celebrated brand. It offers a slice of Italian exotic fused with ultra modern aero design. That's what Dave said in his review, anyway. And it looks cool!
Shand custom frame and fork £various
![]()
If you want to give someone the perfect bike, how about getting it made to their exact size and requirements? There are a lot of frame builders out there who can do the job. Shand, for example, specialises in steel frames. A custom bike more expensive than buying off the peg, of course, but you'll end up with something special.
Check out our feature on great custom handbuilt frames.
Storck Fascenario.3 x Aston Martin £15,777
![Storck Aston martin 1.jpg]( "Storck Aston martin 1.jpg")
Okay, this is getting a little out of hand now, but if you do happen to have a friend who’s just had a big win on the horses, maybe they’ll get you one of these for Christmas. Storck has teamed up with Aston Martin to produce a limited run of 107 Fascenario.3s in this finish, built up with a mainly Sram Red eTap wireless groupset, Zipp 303 NSW wheels, THM brakes and cranks and Pirelli PZero Velo tyres. The weight is a claimed 5.9kg. Not a bad little setup, eh?