Thoughtful (and Genuinely Useful) Gifts For Cycle Tourists
If you're buying a gift for someone who is about to set off and cycle around the world - or across countries for an extended amount of time - you're probably at a bit of a loss at what to get them.
If your cycle enthusiast is pretty organised already you'll want something that is meaningful enough that they'll want to take it. And useful enough that they'll need to take it.
The good news, we've got you! Stew and I have left our families in this awkward spot on two occasions as we've packed our homes and prepared to put everything in storage. The last things our families wanted to do was burden our storage unit or waste their money on things we don't use.
Here are some of the most useful gifts you can buy for the cycle tourist in your life. I
Audible Subscription
I bought an audible subscription for myself recently and I can not wait to audio book to my heart's content when Stew and I are riding again! Seriously, across the desert, I'll probably listen to a book per day!
This is a great gift if your fellow cyclist is all set for their adventure. It is literally no bother to have it and brings a great deal of joy. They'll be grateful for it, for sure.
Free 30-Day Trial
Power Bank
We took two Anker Powercore 20100 power banks and we LOVED them!
It's been five years and we've still got one. The other got left on a train in Scotland (oops!). We've since bought two 325s and I bought a 325 for my brother who says, 'It's hell of a bit of kit. I love mine. One of those things you don’t know you need until you have it.'
If you want to pad this gift out some more these Anker cables for Apple and Samsung are super sturdy and won't break from being coiled up in a bag.
Buy 20100I have a slight preference for the 20100, but the 325 is excellent (and cheaper).
By the way, if you don't already have one, I'd recommend chucking one of those bad boys in the cart for you, too!
Buy 325
Bluetooth Speakers
We didn't actually take a Bluetooth speaker when we went on our world cycling trip, but there were so many times when I wished I had one, especially in the nothingness of the desert. I scoured the internet to find the recommended products below. Stew and I do own the Soundcore mini speaker for home though and it's ace!
Anker Soundcore Mini
For the size and price, this guy is amazing! You'd have to get creative with how you fit it onto a bike though, so some of the next few might be a bit better suited for cycling.
Buy Now
Ultimate Ears MEGABOOM 3
A few cyclists recommended this speaker and slot it into a bottle cage, which I thought was pretty resourceful! This will be ideal for road cyclists, but less suitable for rocky roads as it could bounce out. The speaker is really good! Stew's brother owns this so we can vouch for sound quality.
Buy Now
AXGL Bose SoundWear
These wearable speakers sit around your neck. They will project the sound up. They came recommended and I love the idea!
Buy Now
JBL Xtreme 2
This guy is spenny and big! I'm not sure how I feel about it...it came highly recommended in research so I added it in. Based on the product description it looks like a hardy piece of kit.
Buy Now
Bone conduction headphones
Bone conduction headphones are pretty smart! Unlike traditional headphones, they don't insert into the ear so you'll be able to hear your surroundings making them pretty safe when riding.
Stew is taking the Shocks bone conduction headphones on the second part of our world tour.
Buy Now
Keyring Swiss Army Knife
Super, super useful!
We used this so many times for random tasks. This is a tiny version that you can attach to a keyring. It's small enough not to have problems at borders but useful enough that your giftee will get good use out of it.
On this Swiss Army Knife, you get tweezers, a knife, a tooth pick, scissors, and a file.
We used it for all sorts, including pulling metal out of tyres! Stew said he spent loads trying to find a good enough knife for camping and this ended up being it. It's super affordable and ultimately useful.
Buy Now
Lightweight pots and pans
Although we didn't camp a lot, we did cook quite a lot. Through Central Asia we were getting quite sick so decided to cook our own meals.
The cooking set we took has been used loads, not just on the 13,000 bike ride across the world but on JOGLE a ride around the Outer Hebrides and many, many smaller rides and hiking adventures.
It's pretty lightweight, weighing less than 800g, it packs super compactly. Overall, it's a great price.
Buy Now
Victorinox Peeler
Bear with me on this one. I know what you're thinking - a peeler? As in a potato peeler? Yep.
It's super small, small light, packs away into the cooking set above and fair play it's good! It's so good I use it in the kitchen now! Stew bought his mum one for Christmas aswell. It's the kinda thing a cycle tourist perhaps won't think about, but when they've got it, they'll be glad for it. Pretty cool that it's manufactured by the same people who do the Swiss Army Knife, too!
Buy Now
Bike bell
I was given this exact bike bell by my work colleagues and I loved it so much!
It's not actually the best quality, but it's super cute and makes a lovely ringing sound. Mine actually lasted until I made it to Central Asia which I thought was pretty good. Every time I rang it I got to think of some of my best friends. I was thrilled when I found it again in a market in Bishkek!
Garmin 735 XT
This is quite an expensive gift, but I can't tell you how much I adore my Garmin 735 XT. I've had mine for more than five years. It was used almost every single day on our world tour and recorded for a full day each time it was used. The watch is still going strong today.
What's great about it is you can connect to Strava so it automatically updates from the watch. Stew's mum used to spy on our Strava so she'd know where we were and that we were safe.
St. Christopher Necklace
Stew's mum bought us some cute trinkets for the first phase of the bike ride and a St. Christopher necklace for the second.
Jewelry is a nice gift because it doesn't weigh anything and it doesn't get in the way since you'll wear it. It's meaningful, stylish and you can choose a necklace to suit your budget.
With our St. Christopher being a gift I don't know exactly where it came from but this one is really similar.
What's nice about the St. Christopher is that it carries the meaning of protection and guidance.
RAM Phone holder
We love this phone holder! We took two the entire way across the world. My phone did fly out of it once, but I bet I hadn't put it in properly. Stew had a pretty bad crash, came rolling off his bike, scuffed his knees terribly, but that RAM holder held his phone, no problem!
Great bit of kit!
Please note: you need to buy a mount aswell, but the type you need will depend on the handlebars so we can't recommend the mount.
Head torch
We use Petzl head torches and we love them! They really are amongst some of the best torches you can buy. They take rechargeable batteries so you'll always have power as long as you're smart about it. The head torch will be a lifesaver on those days when the adventuring just keeps on giving into the night. Or for setting up camp.
Medical supplies
When we left our job, our colleagues gave us a little DIY travel medical kit for cyclists and it was super cute! We actually took all of it. We hadn't considered some of the items and we did use all of it. The pack included: ibuprofen gel, electrolytes, energy tablets, bug spray, after bite etc.
You can put together a cheap, but cute (and very useful) medical kit. I've seen this type of gift presented in a rubber bike bottle like this one.
Cash
If the above ideas don't feel quite right or if your cycle tourist is already so prepared, you really can't go wrong with cold hard cash! A bit of cash in the currency someone is travelling to is thoughtful and useful. For someone traveling to many countries Stew and I recommend carrying a small stash of American dollars. We carried $100 at all times. Your traveller will find that dollars will be accepted in most countries.
Post written by: Zoe Ashbridge
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