The festive season is here, Christmas is just around the corner, and we are getting into the mood here at Cyclingnews.
Pre-season kit design and sponsor changeover news is coming thick and fast, and in a few short weeks, the 2026 race season will kick off. We've covered all the new WorldTour team kits recently, as well as Sam Welsford's move to the Ineos Grenadiers.
Associate Editor Josh loves his tech; he curates our smart trainer buying guide and will happily get stuck into the numbers to inform his real-world testing and theories.
Josh is also soon to become a father for the first time, and this is reflected in one of his gift choices.
Josh has gone for a mix of things, but his smart home tech idea might make for a good present idea or two.
My wife and I are expecting our first child early in the new year. Amid the cocktail of nervousness and anxiety is an excitement for when he's old enough to ride a bike and we can all go and mess about on mountain bikes. Before that, though, I really want to fit a Kids Ride Shotgun onto my bike and let him enjoy the trails. I'm not sure my wife will let me combine its use with bikejoring the dogs, though.
I'm an impatient man. The sort that uses an impact driver to build furniture because manually twizzling an allen key is tedious and slow. When working on a bike, it's all time that could be spent riding, but an impact driver is a recipe for stripped bolts. I've therefore been eyeing up a Worx electric screwdriver for a while, and with its three torque settings up to 5nm, the risk of overtightening is minimal. It's technically not designed as a bike tool, so this would also work well as a gift for DIYers.
I'm not crazy into smart home automation tech, but I recently learned that Home Assistant servers are a thing. Someone online had used one to create a geofence for their home so that when they returned from a ride and got within a few hundred feet of the house, the automation would fire, their garage door would open up and their coffee machine would switch on. Another used smart plugs to remotely switch on fans when riding indoors, and a third simply set an Alexa speaker to give a weather forecast upon opening up the closet they keep their cycling kit in. Clever, and definitely something I could get nerdy with.
Will is always out in foul weather testing the latest waterproof jackets and isn't as keen on indoor training as Josh is.
After a recent tool cannister loss, Will is on a mission to replace his lost tools, and his choices reflect this with some of his favourite small tools and accesories this year.
While Tom doesn’t use tubeless on his own road bikes, I use it for everything. I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve got away with a small nick in a tyre, but every now and then you get a big hole that won’t seal, and since I started using Dynaplugs it’s basically all I’ll use now. The metal tips mean they go in easily and don’t pull out, and once you’ve stabbed them in they’re good for the life of the tyre. You can get all sorts but I like the racer because it is geared up for fast repairs; no unscrewing, just pop the cap off and you’re ready to go, and it’s so slender it fits in my tool caddy.
I used to be alarmingly cavalier with my spares kit. Maybe it’s age, maybe it's an increasingly anxious world, but I now like to know I can take care of most situations while out on the road, and that means a really comprehensive multi-tool. I don’t know where I happened upon the Trek Pro BITS, but I’ve not ridden without it since it landed on my desk. It’s got a chain breaker, a space for spare links, a tubeless repair tool (not that I need that with my trusty Dynaplug, but still…) and as well as all the usual suspects it also has the really tiny hex sizes for things like derailleur limit screws, an 8mm for pedals, and an odd looking attachment that covers things like valve cores.
Look, I get it, some of you are die hard Pedros lifers, and that’s OK. I was too until I tried these. I’ve used them for every tyre swap in the last two years, including some days in the lab where I’ve setup over 30 sets of tubeless tyres one after another. They never bend, they never break, they’ve never failed to get a tyre on or off, all of which cannot be said for even the best of the rest. I find Muc-Off’s marketing quite cringe, but despite this I’m willing to say that I still want a set of these for Christmas in case I lose my other two sets.
Tom is an ex mechanic and still really enjoys working on his bikes. He's also keen on doing things by the book, and has recommended the Park Tool maintenance manuel as a present for any aspiring mechanics or home mechanics.
The Park Tool big blue book of bicycle repair will make an excellent present for any cyclist. It provides a comprehensive and up-to-date guide to all kinds of bike servicing and maintenance jobs, and will teach you best practices and improve your knowledege. A worthwhile buy for any rider.
I'm at risk of sounding like a broken record this year when it comes to the Karoo 3, but this is comfortably my favourite bike computer. If you want to treat yourself or someone else, you - or they - will be pleased.
I particularly like its brilliant colour screen and maps, and easy to use touch screen.
These Velotoze overshoes would make a brilliant, affordable present for any cyclist. Made from a thin latex rubber, they keep water out and are very aerodynamic. An excellent and very cheap piece of kit for changeable and wet days. These would make a great stocking filler.
Graham does the most riding out of any of the team. He's broken the rubbish and has chosen items that do what they say on the tin.
He's gone for a small toolset that keeps him out of trouble and a very handy portable Karcher pressure washer, perfect for when he gets back from one of his multi hour epic rides.
I use this tool kit all the time when I'm working on bikes at home. It's far from comprehensive, but for most quick day-to-day jobs, this is my go-to. Inside the case is a ratchet tool, 2 / 2.5 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 8 / T15 / T20 / T25 / PH2 bits and an extension rod which should cover most bolts on a bike. There's also a range of sockets between 6mm and 13mm. While these see less action on the bike, they have proved to be very useful when working on odd jobs around the house or fixing my car. All the tools have proven to be really durable, and the metal case keeps everything organised while giving it a premium finish.
Arguably not the most glamorous Christmas present, but one that will offer peace of mind for any commuter or urban cyclist. Getting a bike stolen is awful, so helping to ensure that doesn't happen will be much appreciated. I recommend the Litelok X1 as it's one of the toughest U-Locks around. It features a barronium-coated hardened steel shackle, which is tough enough to fend off a bike thief's favourite tool, the portable angle grinder.
I live in a flat and don't have convenient access to an outside water supply. This isn't too much of a problem in summer, but when winter rolls around, and most rides result in a bike covered in dirt, things become more problematic. This Kärcher OC3 pressure washer changed Will's life, it would change mine and would make an excellent gift for anyone who has a dirty bike problem. The OC3 is super portable with the water tank, pump and battery self-contained, so it's easy to store in a cupboard or in the back of a car, ready to wash a bike post ride.
