The Gift Guide

It's that time of year again. The clocks have turned back, the snow is starting to fall (in some places, anyway), and the Halloween costumes have been tucked back into storage. The holidays are here and the mad dash to check off gift shopping has begun.

We know what you're thinking... It's already bad enough coming up with gift ideas for common folk—you know, your friends and family with normal interest. But those lycra clad, watt metering, gram counting, measuring everything to the millimeter cyclist freaks, good lord are they hard to shop for. 

Yes, we pedal pushers are a unique and particular bunch, but fear not, we're here to help you out and make quick and easy work of your shopping lists with our 2019 holiday gift guide. We'll outline a number of our favorite tools, gadgets, and goodies, sure to put a smile on any cyclist's face.

When it comes to incredibly beautiful and well engineered bike accessories, nobody does it quite like Spurcycle. We're lucky to have them as neighbors, just down the road from our Sausalito studio. While you really can't go wrong with any of their catalog offerings, we'll cover a few of our favorites pieces.

The Spurcycle bell was their original product. As simple of a thing a bike bell might seem like, after one look at the Spurcycle model, you'll realize it stands in a class of it's own. Visually, it's a thing of beauty, but a quick flick of the lever reveals that sound is equally pleasing. Mounting one up brings a touch of class to any bicycle, but more importantly provides extra safety when your presence on the road needs to be made clear. We've got them in the standard black or silver, but also have an (extremely) limited supply of the Chris King edition violet and bourbon brown.

Being self sufficient on the road is critical to any rider. While it's often overlooked, a high quality portable multi-tool makes emergency repairs or adjustments a little less of a drag. The Spurcucle tool is made from durable, light weight titanium and takes the shape of a sliding t-handle wrench with 10 chrome plated steel bits. It all gets wrapped up in lovely X-Pac, where everything stays secure and protected. You can even slip in a couple dollar bills for emergency caffeine and pastry stops.

At the rear, we've found the Knog Cobber to be an excellent choice. It's got a streamlined profile, keeping it sleek while also providing a massive 330 degrees of light spread. We've got them in the mid and lil' sizes, so no mater how much real estate you've got on your seat post, there's a Cobber for you.

It's a fact, tubeless tires are here to stay. While the ride quality and performance benefits are enough to sell anyone on making the switch, the ease of fixing a puncture is the icing on the cake. Those quick fixes are made possible by the gadgets known as Dynaplug. Get a puncture, fill the cut with a Dynaplug, let your sealant do its magic, and carry on with your ride. Available in a variety of kits, Dynaplugs are a must-have for anyone riding on tubeless tires. 

Helmets. Obviously they serve as protection for our brains, but for many, they're an accessory as well. Some riders have different color helmets to match different jerseys they ride in. Some have different helmets for different styles or riding—a light and airy option for climbing, aero helmet for days on the flats, a trail hemet for days on the MTB. We've got a fondness for helmets from Italian brand Kask and from the ultra-vented Valegro to the slippery aero Utopia, they've got a model and color to match what ever occasion the day might bring.

Of course no cyclist would let their helmet collection outshine their selection of eyewear. While keeping the eyeballs protected is certainly important, we can't forget the importance of style while out on the road. Coordinating your sunnies with your kit is an age old practice, and with Koo there's a variety of styles and colors to match anyones taste. Our shop favorite is the Open Cube, but those with a more euro flavor might appreciate the Open or Orion models. Looking for a vibe that's a little more casual? The California is an excellent choice. 

Despite how hard we try to portray otherwise on social media, we cyclists do indeed spend time off the bike. Just as you wouldn't wear your bib shorts to the office or dinner date (at least we hope not), it can be a bit kooky wearing your sport shades out on the town. For those rare occasions spent aways from your wheels, legendary French optics brand Vuarnet has an array of high quality and uber stylish lenses, ready for your day-to-day ventures.

You can never go wrong gifting a little schwag to rep your favorite shop. Whether out running errands, waiting in line at race reg, or on your daily commute, you'll always look good in a classic Above Category t-shirt or hat.

That rounds up our holiday gift guide. Whether you're shopping for your favorite cyclist, or need to send a loved one some gift ideas for yourself, you certainly couldn't go wrong with anything on our list. If you're still scratching your head feeling unsure, you can always opt for an AC gift card, giving that special someone the gift of choice!

From all of us here at Above Category, we wish you all a wonderful Holiday season full of delicious food, great company, and of course some killer rides!