2022 Brave Endeavors Gift Guide
12 Gift Ideas for Mountain Bikers
Shopping season is in full effect and it can be hard to find a gift that is truly “needed.” To me, the perfect gift does three things: 1) Improves the quality of your life. 2) Is something your loved one/friend wouldn’t buy for themselves 3) Brings joy to your life.
I have selected the 12 items below based on personal experience. These are all items I use on a regular basis and meet the above 3 criteria. Looking for additional ideas? Check out my past two gift guides from 2021 and 2020. While I do have a handful of brand affiliations, I no not receive a commission on any of the below products (other than the last two Brave Endeavors offerings). I’ve provided links to some items, but I encourage you to shop locally when possible!
I hope you all have a fun and safe Holiday Season.
#1) Theragun Mini. $149 available at Therabody
We could all use a massage at least once a week, but unless you’re a professional athlete, you don’t have the time or pocket boot for such a luxury. The Theragun mini is an excellent second option. This little percussive therapy device has become a consistent part of my pre-bed routine and gets packed in the bag for any trip from 1 hr+ in the car to flying to Oaxaca. It breaks up muscle fascia, and relieves tightness. The mini packs virtually the same punch as the Theragun prime but at a cheaper price point and it’s smaller and quieter. This sucker is like having a personal masseuse in your back pocket ( or backpack) and gets into your glutes, calves, quads to help you recover from rides, or simply sitting for too long during the day.
#2) A Journaling Practice
Help your loved one or friend develop a journaling habit with the gift of a journal! Any will do but I’ve become a big fan of the Leuchtturm1917. The medium sized hard cover bullet style journal is available for $19.95 at the Leuchtturm1917 website. I love the lightly gridded pages that allow you to do everything from write, draw, or outline ideas and plans. Included are two table of contents pages at the start to help you keep track of important notes and the blank pages allow you to use the space as you wish.
#3) Tire Pressure Gauge. $28-$39. Available at your Local Bike Shop
I remember having a conversation with a good riding buddy years ago where we discussed the pros and cons of obsessing over tire pressure. At the time, I was in the camp that putting a number to my pressure took the joy out of riding. I didn’t care what the number was, I just wanted to ride my bike and have a good time. I have since learned that spending a little bit of time “obsessing over tire pressure” will have a huge impact on the quality of your ride! Too high of pressure and your bike feels like a pogo stick, too low of pressure and your bike will feel like you’re riding on a water bed. Taking 5 min before a ride to dial in your pressure will lead to increased confidence and more fun when your bike handles in a predictable and reliable manner.
Can’t you just use the gauge on the pump? You can, but it tends to be inaccurate, and unless you’re using the same pump every time, each pump is going to read slightly differently. The longer I coach, the more people I meet who have no idea what tire pressure they are (or should be running). Check out my blog, Tire Pressure Demystified, to dive deeper, but the best place to start is to get yourself or friend a tire pressure gauge and start playing around:)
#4) Two Dumbbells. $30-$70 (15-25# range) available at Rogue
If you want to feel strong on the bike, you must be strong off the bike.
Mountain bikers need a strong cardio engine as well as a strong muscular skeleton. As we age, we must actively work against muscle decay to avoid loss of mobility, strength, and decreases in bone density. Strength training is without a doubt the best way to maintain strong muscles. Your strength practice does not need to be overly complicated, involve fancy equipment, or take hours and hours. Two dumbbells and a workout plan you can execute each week will do wonders for your riding, your posture, and your ability to bounce back after a crash. Invest in yourself or a loved one with the gift of two dumbbells and the commitment to workout every week!
#5) Flat Pedals! $54.99+ Available from Deity
Two reasons to gift flat pedals:
1) Fun Colors to accessorize your bike! Deity makes pedals in all the fun colors and they are a great way to add a splash of color to your bike!
2) Improve your Skills! If you’re still riding clips and have not learned to be comfortable on flat pedals, 2023 is your year. I could write a whole post on the pros and cons of flats vs clipping in, but for now I’ll say this: If you are addicted to clipless pedals and feel like you don’t know how to ride a bike on flat pedals you owe it to yourself to do 12 rides on flats. Perhaps you have someone in your life who is flat pedal curious?
3) Freedom! I don’t say this lightly. There is something about ditching the clipless shoes - the clickety tap tap sounds that announce “I’m a cyclist” and simply walking around in a pair of flat shoes that is incredibly freeing. You remove one more piece of gear to be “ride ready” and all of a sudden you can simply hop on the bike and go for a pedal. If you, or someone in your life is ready to make the switch this is the perfect gift, just make sure the pedals match the bike!
#6) Shokz Headphones. $63.95 + Available at Shokz
I don’t know how so many people manage to walk (and run and bike) around with $100 + tiny bits of plastic hanging out in their ears without constantly worrying they will fall out. Personally, my ear orifices have never taken kindly to object insertions. Those white alien looking heads never stay in my ears, therefore I always want to have a cord, cable, or lanyard to make sure I don’t lose my $100+ purchase. I love the Shokz headphones for several reasons. For starters, they are “open ear” - which allows you to hear the world around you. Everything from cars if you’re running or road biking, to someone coming up behind you if you’re walking your dog and tuned into a podcast. The band around the back of the head keeps them securely in place so you don’t have to stress about losing your recent purchase, and the mic is good enough to have a conversation while you’re huffing and puffing up the trail. Shokz offers three main options that currently start at $63.95 and go up to $119.95 available on the Shokx Website.
#7) Riding PANTS! $299 available at Patagonia
You know how there are those products that have become so integrated into your life you wonder how you existed before? Cell phones, obviously, but other products such as hydroflasks and double or TRIPLE chain rings come to mind. Remember coming back to the car and taking a sip of scalding hot water or the frustration of getting your chain into the big ring? Riding pants are like that for me. In the most simplest of terms, riding pants allow you to extend the ride season without needing to execute 100 jumping jacks before leaving the house. They also make you feel like a bad ass because, you’re riding in pants! My personal favorite foul weather riding pants are Patagonia’s Dirt Roamer Storm Pants which check out at $299. I know, pricey, but they will keep you dry in the wetest of wet conditions and double as excellent all around rain pants. Gift your loved one the opportunity to ride year round with a fun pair of ride pants!
#8) Knee Pads. $71.20 from Troy Lee or your local bike shop.
If you haven’t become a knee pad convert yet I get it. I used to race in a full spandex suite and not think twice. But here’s the deal, bikes are getting better, which means you’re most likely riding faster than you were 20 years ago and one small crash on unprotected skin can mean the difference between hopping right back on the bike or hanging out on the couch for a month. I like to joke that I only crash when I’m not wearing my knee pads, but truth be told I’ve taken some gnarly crashes and landed smack dab in the middle of my knee pad and probably would’ve broken my knee cap if it weren’t for pads. I have a love-hate relationship with knee pads as I have yet to find a pair I LOVE, but I dislike not wearing them. The ones I like the most are the Troy Lee Stages. $53.99 on Amazon but also available in most local bike shops or via Troy Lee. I highly recommend popping into your local bike shop to try on knee pads, and support your local businesses.
Strava Subscription. $6.67/month from Strava.
Strava has done a phenomenal job of branching out to offer much more than a competitive online platform. There are myriad of ways one can currently use Strava but here are my top 3 recommendations:
Track your stats - Strava is a simple place to keep track of ride time, mileage, and elevation. It gives you weekly and monthly totals and allows you to compare weeks, months, and even years!
Beacon feature for safety. Any time I ride solo I use the beacon feature which allows anyone I choose to follow my ride in real time. Yes there are work arounds to this such as you could simply use the “share my location” on your iPhone, but for me personally since I am already using Strava when I ride, it’s a simple step to share my ride. This can work great for meeting up with a buddy mid-ride as well as a safety measure.
Search past rides. Remember that ride you did 5 years ago? It was super fun and you got lost for a moment and you want to repeat the effort but you’re not quite sure which trails you took or how long you were out? The search feature in Strava has vastly improved and will allow you to find your past activities to answer all the questions such as: how long your ride took, which trails you rode, and more!
#10) Garmin In Reach mini. $349.99 available at Garmin
In our world of greater and greater connectivity, there are still places where cell phones don’t work. More and more I find myself seeking out cell free zones, but it’s also nice to know you can make contact if necessary. The Garmin Inreach mini is the perfect solution. This thing is tiny, fits in the palm of your hand, and has ample ability to allow you to communicate where cell phones are completely useless. You can use your phone to type out more involved texts, or send pre-programmed texts to contacts of your choice. NOTE: the Inreach does require a subscription in order to use it in the backcountry which ranges from $10-$15/month. I discuss the merits of backcountry communication in my blog post A Little More Prepared. The Garmin In Reach Mini is available at REI.
#11) Strength Training for Mountain Bikers. $38 or $75/mo available with Brave Endeavors
If you want to be strong on the bike, you must be strong off the bike. buildSOLO and buildTEAM is your gateway to building mountain bike specific strength in order to be: More mobile, stronger, and crash resilient.
Equipment required: 2 Dumbbells and a cooler (or chair) Time Commitment: 2 hrs/week
buildTEAM: Live class every M/W at 6am PST buildSOLO: recorded version of the same great class. Available on demand whenever you need it!
#12) The Gift of Confidence: $425 Private MTB Lesson with Brave Endeavors
Gift your spouse or buddies the opportunity to tackle that tricky section of trail, corner with speed, and learn to get your wheels off the ground with comfort and control! Receive one on one feedback, see video analysis of your riding, and improve at a faster rate than you thought possible with a private lesson!
Gift your spouse a lesson to save trail side quarrels, or put your own crew together for a private jump or drops session.
Looking to improve your gravel or CX skills? We will pair you with the Brave Endeavors instructor that's best for you from jumps, drops, corners, and tech to XC and gravel. All private lessons are $425 for 1-3 people through Dec 31st. Book Today!
I hope you find this helpful. Personally, I find tremendous value out of all the above mentioned items. Feel free to reach out if you need additional suggestions. Happy Holidays - Bekah:)