The holiday season is a beautiful time of year when family and friends gather to reconnect, share stories, and enjoy good times together, but it can also be a stressful time. At Long Mont Velo, we want to help relieve a small amount of that stress by offering some suggestions for gifts and stocking stuffers for the people in your life who love to ride bicycles.
Whether you need a small item to help fill a stocking, or you’re looking to complete your shopping list in one stop, we hope to offer some thoughts on possible gifts.
We love the idea of making an entire basket to give to the cycling enthusiast on your list, so we started with a bicycle basket that can make a wonderful carrier to hold the gifts you have purchased, but is also a practical item that can be used on a rider’s around-town bicycle.
Baskets are an easy way to grab a few items at the grocery or other store, or hold personal items when using a bicycle for transportation. We have wire and wicker baskets (such as the one pictured), and we have them available in both children and adult sizes. If you’re shopping early and have a particular color in mind that isn’t in stock, let us know and we can likely get it into the shop before the upcoming holidays arrive.
What you decide to put in your bicycle gift basket is completely up to you and the needs (or wants) of the individual receiving the gift, but there are items to choose from in the store that range from a few dollars and up that will bring a smile to the face of the recipient.
Does the rider in your life always seem to be cleaning his/her bike or running out of chain lube? Maybe s/he needs a multi-tool to carry when riding? Perhaps getting cleaning or maintenance products is the best bet! While maintenance items may seem a bit unexciting, they are easy items to pick out for any cyclist and are often very much appreciated as they can be forgotten or last on the list of items to pick up.
If maintenance or tools seems a little too dull for your gift giving needs, perhaps you can give the gift of new handlebar tape in a fun color to accent the recipient’s bicycle, or new handlebar grips. C02 cartridges are another great item to pick up that are inexpensive and greatly appreciated, or a new hand pump to carry on the bike for emergencies, or a floor pump to keep tires at recommended levels can be a great choice too.
Perhaps you know someone who is need of some type of bag or other carrying devices? Whether s/he is in need of a rear rack, panniers, trunk bags, a new saddlebag, or even a phone case, we have choices of colors and styles.
Speaking of bags, we have some lovely bike-themed small pouches and slightly larger bags that always bring a smile and tea or hand towels to bring a bit of bike life to the recipient’s home.
Certainly, you cannot go wrong with bike lights (headlight, taillight, or both), a fun bell, or a new cable or u-lock to keep the recipient’s bicycle locked up and secure.
If you don’t want to fill an entire bicycle basket with gifts, perhaps choosing a smaller item, such as these coffee mugs would be a better jumping off point.
Good things often come in small packages, and while the mug itself can be used every day, it can also hold smaller items for gift giving like tire levers, energy/calorie supplements, jewelry, valve caps and more. We have a variety of necklaces, earrings and bracelets in fun bike themes that work for all ages.
Has the cyclist in your life been hinting that s/he wants a way to track mileage, time, distance, or to help track fitness while riding? We have bike computers from the fairly simple all the way up to Garmin devices that can be special ordered to help your cyclist meet and exceed his/her individual goals.
We also have a wide array of choices when it comes to clothing, helmets, socks, gloves, and other head gear. We have both warm and cold weather items in stock, allowing for choices between headbands or skull caps, full-fingered or fingerless gloves, shoe or toe covers for cold weather, wind jackets, jerseys, shorts, arm warmers, low and tall socks and more! From solid colors to prints, there is likely something that will meet the needs of the cyclist on your list.
Who wouldn’t want this bike-shaped pizza cutter in his/her home, too?! Or, maybe the cyclist on your list would love a piece of handmade art?
Of course, we have complete bicycles on the floor as well. Everyone wants a new bike this holiday season!
For the young kids on your list, we have items that work well for gifts too.
From Strider bikes to streamers, mini-sized bicycle baskets to a new helmet, or even fun animal bells, we can help you pick out something that will make your wee one smile.
If all of this sounds overwhelming or you have no idea what most of these items are, or if you’d like some suggestions or help making your own holiday gift-giving basket, stop by and we’d be happy to help you select items that make sense for the cyclist on your list. And, if you just have no idea what your individual cyclist might need or want, we have gift certificates that allow the recipient to pick out items s/he desires.
Long Mont Velo will be open Friday after Thanksgiving and on Small Business Saturday from 11a-6p, and we look forward to helping you find the right gift(s) for the special people in your life. To help save you a bit during this shopping season, we will be offering 10% off your purchase total up to $200, and 20% off your total purchase amount over $200 on both Black Friday and Small Business Saturday (**Excludes Bianchi bicycles, handmade art, and Garmin products).
Remember to shop locally and take photos to participate in Longmont’s "Gift Local" contest this year. You can find the simple rules for participation here. We look forward to helping you find the perfect cycling gifts this season (and we won’t tell if you pick something up for yourself too). Happy holiday shopping this weekend!