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BUYER'S GUIDE

Money-no-object gifts for cyclists 2023 — splurge-worthy Christmas presents for the cyclist in your life

Check out our selection of extravagant cycling gifts, that would be ideal additions to your own wishlist if you're feeling very lucky, or perfect if you're shopping for someone very special and have a generous budget

This article contains links to retailers. Purchases made after clicking on those links may help support road.cc by earning us a commission but all of our reviews are fully independent. Find out more about road.cc buyer's guides.

It’s that time of year for us to suggest some great Christmas gift ideas for cyclists, and if you really want to shell out, here are our money-no-object ideas. Why not treat yourself, or the cyclist in your life, to a bit of luxury this holiday season? 


We're the first to admit that some of these suggestions come with a hefty price tag, featuring high-end bikes and components that might be beyond the consideration of many people, especially as Christmas gifts.

We've curated high-end components and clothing within their respective categories, and a selection of practical items known for exceptional performance - likely to earn a spot on many shortlists - alongside some of the most exclusive cycling products in the market.

If the items featured here exceed your budget,  be sure to check out our other Christmas Gift Guides, including our round-up of gifts for cyclists under £50

We've divided this guide up into four sections: 

  • Premium stocking fillers (£45+) 
  • High-end gifts (£200+) 
  • Big buys (£500+) 
  • Significant investments (£1,000+) 

Even if some these gift ideas - especially towards the bottom of the list - are outside of your own budget or your present-buying one, we hope you'll enjoy drooling at them. Do let us know your own extravagant gift suggestions in the comments below, and they might make our December update... 

The best money-no-object gifts for cyclists this Christmas

Premium stocking fillers

Kapz Ultimate Engraved Bar End Plugs

Kapz Ultimate Engraved Bar End Plugs

8
Personal and unique
Buy now for £119.85 from Kapz
Extensive customisation options
The potential to look good
Expensive

Customised bar ends make for a thoughtful and personalised gift for cycling enthusiasts. With Kapz bar end plugs, you can make a one-of-a-kind present tailored to the recipient's preferences. This customisation extends to the design, colours, and the option to incorporate photos or text, and you can match it to a custom headset cap too.

On Kapz's website, personalised bar end plugs start at £34.95 and go up to £119.85 depending on the materials, complexity of the engraving and the type of bolt, with a claimed weight of 44g for the pair. 

Silca Chisela 3D printed titanium computer mount

Silca Chisela 3D printed titanium computer mount

8
Super strong Ti computer mount
Buy now for £98 from Saddleback
Lightweight
Strong
Mounting system allows attachment of lights/cameras
Expensive

The Silca Chisela is a 3D-printed Titanium computer mount incorporating a 'T-Tray' mounting system which allows for the attachment of lights of cameras underneath. It has a claimed weight of as little as 27g and takes both Garmin and Wahoo bike computers. 

3D printing is said to have enabled Silca to remove traditional manufacturing barriers. “3D printing allows for unique, gyroid or hollow geometries inside to provide the strong infrastructure needed to handle the load for the computer and accessory mount,” says the brand. 

It's available in two adjustable sizes (standard and wide) and Silca says it fits almost every handlebar stem with front-facing bolts, and additional designs have been developed to accommodate integrated stems/handlebar brands too.

GripGrab Waterproof Merino Thermal Socks

GripGrab Waterproof Merino Thermal Socks

8
The ultimate christmas stocking filler
Buy now for £40.76 from Wiggle
No water gets in at all
Comfortable
Keep your feet warm
Thicker than standard socks so you'll need a bit of spare room in your shoes

Christmas and socks are a classic festive pairing and these GripGrab Merino-Lined Waterproof Winter Socks have no problem keeping the elements out. They are amazingly waterproof, and not overly bulky with it, plus they do an impressive job of keeping your feet warm too.

The GripGrabs feel just like a traditional pair of socks but they are a little thicker than standard socks so you'll need a bit of spare room in your shoes.

Exposure Boost-R with ReAKT and Peloton

Exposure Boost-R with ReAKT and Peloton

9
Best rear bike light
Buy now for £75 from Sigma Sports
Bright
Several modes
Good runtimes
Great build quality
Pricey

Exposure's Boost-R with ReAKT and Peloton is one of the best rear bike lights we've reviewed and is a great gift to help the cyclist in your life stay visible on the roads. 

You get a beaming 80-lumen max output, with six modes that dictate how much burn time you have, from 6 hours in the brightest static mode to 48 hours on the lowest flash mode, plus DayBright pulse mode. 

ReAKT is probably the best feature of the lot, adapting to the light conditions at the time, and flaring up when it senses that the rider is braking. Additionally, the Peloton feature recognises when there is a front bike light behind you and dims itself to save dazzling the following rider. 

Muc-Off Ludicrous AF

Muc-Off Ludicrous AF Lube

5
Claimed to be the fastest chain lube in the world
Buy now for £40 from Wiggle
Long-lasting in all conditions
Good consistency for easy application
Very little needed on each application
Ludicrous price
Not as clean as wax

Chain lube is a practical present for the cyclist in your life, and Muc-Off's Ludicrous AF lube, priced at £49.99 for 50ml, offers a premium solution. 

Muc-Off claims that it offers 18% less power consumption than the nearest competitor making it the “world’s fastest lube”. 

It’s designed to provide this long-lasting optimum performance, in both wet and damp or dry and dusty conditions at a range of temperatures. The lube is also biodegradable, petroleum-free and made from renewable sources.

Rene Herse Antelope Hill Endurance Tyre

Rene Herse Antelope Hill Endurance Tyre

8
An epic tyre for gravel and tarmac
Buy now for £82 from Sven Cycles
Enormous
Fast and grippy
Tough yet supple
Seal very well
Quiet
That price – it's only for one!
Just one!

New tyres are one of the best upgrades you can make so they would make a great Christmas present. The René Herse Antelope Hill TC is a 55mm (2.2in) 700C monster slick suited to gravel tracks and tarmac. 

With impressive grip, speed, and a quiet ride, all without excessive weight, and boasting near-bulletproof sidewalls, this is an epic tyre for epic rides, and internet reports exist of cyclists getting 5,000 miles plus out of a pair of René Herse slicks.

As with all René Herse tyres, you get a choice of four casings – Standard, Extralight, Endurance and Endurance Plus.

 

High-end gifts

Oakley Kato sunglasses

Oakley Kato sunglasses

8
Excellent performance and fit
Buy now for £258 from Oakley
Lens shape gives great shielding
Excellent optics
Brilliant fit
The looks won't appeal to all
Super expensive

The Oakley Kato is one of the best cycling sunglasses we’ve reviewed this year. They might be expensive but they offer excellent clarity, performance and fit so they’ll make a superb Christmas present that will be hugely appreciated.

From a performance point of view, Oakley has nailed it here. The lens sits very close to the face for an exceptional level of protection and you can even alter the angle of the arms to fine-tune the distance to your cheekbones. 

Oakley’s Prizm technology enhances colour and contrast, there’s no distortion anywhere despite the curved lens, and the lack of a frame makes for unimpaired vision.

Titanium brake levers

Titanium brake levers

8
Adds some bling to SRAM levers
Buy now for £400 from Sturdy Cycles
Allows you to customise your bike
SRAM AXS levers only

These titanium brake levers are an excellent gift for the cyclist in your life who uses SRAM AXS. They come in a standard raw Ti finish, but can also be anodised and/or polished to suit your preference.

Each lever has a claimed weight of 26g, a feature that Sturdy Cycles notes is comparable to the carbon lever it replaces. 

HOVERAir X1

HOVERAir X1

8
An impressive camera drone
Buy now for £395 from HOVERAir
Travel friendly size
Easy to operate
Doesn't do 4K video
Relatively short battery life

For tech enthusiasts, the HOVERAir X1 is a pocket-sized self-flying camera that can shoot video as you ride. It has a claimed weight of 125g and when folded, it can fit in your pocket or bag so you can take it anywhere. 

It's easy to set up, doesn't require a controller, and offers 2.7K 30fps (frames per second) and 1080p HDR video recording.

“Hover X1 comes with a selection of pre-programmed flight paths and you can even customise whether you want to take photos or video clips, as well as adjust the height, distance, and angle,” says the brand. The Follow mode, for example, can track you from the front or back at up to 20km/h (12.5mph), and keep you centred in the frame.

Met Trenta 3K Carbon Mips

Met Trenta 3K Carbon Mips

9
Best high-end bike helmet
Buy now for £180 from Merlin Cycles
Light
Mips rotational protection
Ventilation
Comfort
Price

The MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips is one of the best cycling helmets we’ve reviewed. It’s lightweight, cool and comfortable, and the MIPS system – a recent addition – is designed to provide extra brain protection in the event of a crash.

Reviewer Jamie said that he'd happily used the original Trenta on hot-weather training camps and that this new version doesn't sacrifice any ventilation thanks to the airiest and lightest Mips Air Node system.

Yes, it’s pricey, but the MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips would make an awesome gift.

MAAP Training Winter Jacket

MAAP Training Winter Jacket

9
Exceptionally good winter jacket
Buy now for £215 from Maap
Impressive wind and weather protection
Comfortable cut without being baggy
Warm and soft lining
Expensive

MAAP's Training Winter Jacket is a very impressive jacket offering excellent protection in a variety of conditions. The weather protection comes from the jacket's Drytex TPU membrane, combined with taped seams and YKK Aquaguard zips, which do a very good job of keeping the wind and rain out. 

It features a semi-relaxed fit making it comfortable to wear in a variety of situations as you can layer up to suit. The jacket has a fleece lining for sub-zero conditions and despite it being warm and comfortable in even the most foul conditions, it maintains good breathability and ventilation making it suitable for a slightly nippy autumnal day too. 

Paul Smith 531 Rapha Grand Departe jersey

Paul Smith 531 Rapha Grand Departe jersey

10
If your cycling loved one wants to own one of the world's most prized rare jerseys
Buy now for £345 from Ebay

This vintage-style Paul Smith x Rapha collab jersey first went on sale for £175 in the run up to the 2007 Tour de France Grand Departe, and made headlines again a decade later when a mint version was put up for sale on eBay for the princely sum of £10,000. Even for money-no-object gift buyers that's rather steep, but luckily there are now some sellers offering used ones for as 'little' as £345! 

This one is in a size XL, in great condition and "worn just a couple of times" according to the seller. There's also another one here in a size medium with a starting bid of £550, that looks to be in a similarly decent condition. 

Amazingly, the mint version with a £10k asking price is still listed over six years later! If money really, really is no object, here it is (still). 

Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTIV

Exposure Strada Mk11 SB with AKTiv

8
Best front bike light
Buy now for £285 from Team Cycles
Impressive run-times
Exceptional build quality
Digital readout gives loads of information
AKTiv mode is great for high traffic routes
It's a big investment

Exposure’s Strada Mk11 SB Aktiv is among the best front bike lights. It has been upgraded for 2023 to offer a 1600-lumen output – so it’s bright enough for any road riding, even for tackling dingy lanes in the dead of night.

AKTiv is a cool feature that senses oncoming light sources and automatically dims when a vehicle approaches to avoid dazzling other road users. It’s clever stuff that allows the rider to keep their hands on the handlebar and their eyes on the road.

The Strada also offers a range of settings, a low-bulk mount, great build quality and good run times. 

DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo

DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo

9
Best action camera
Buy now for £469 from Amazon UK
Best in class image
Second best in stabilisation
Intuitive controls
Best in class mounting system
Excellent range of accessories
A really fun camera
Editing videos on mobile devices is not ideal
Separate GPS unit
All the fun accessories really add up in price

The DJI Osmo Action 4 Adventure Combo is one of the best action cameras currently available recording up to 4K/120 for buttery smooth slow motion at the 16:9 aspect ratio. This is in HDR, 10 bit, at up to 130Mbps data rate. They shoot up to a max aperture of 2.8, with a Field of View (FOV) of 155 degrees. 

The Osmo Action 4 has three stabilisation modes and the Horizon Balancing setting is particularly good for cyclists. It keeps the horizon flat and locked in your field of view, and will keep things level with up to 45 degrees of swing/tilt each way. 

The camera itself is £379 but the fun stuff/accessories can be pretty steep. The Adventure Combo retails at £469 and includes a selfie stick, spare batteries and a battery 'pack', which are all practically obligatory.

Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon road shoe

Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon road shoe

9
Some cool kicks for Christmas
Buy now for £224.99 from Sprockets Cycles
Impressive stiffness
Adjustability for comfort
Innovative arch support
Expensive
Arch support area lets water in easily

The Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon road shoes are among the most innovative, adjustable, and comfortable out there.

The carbon sole delivers exceptional stiffness but what really sets these shoes apart from the crowd is that they offer fully adjustable arch support. This comes courtesy of a section cut out from the sole, with the top Boa Li2 dial connected to a strap that tightens from the middle of your foot over the top and around your instep. It’s a clever system and superbly effective. 

The mesh uppers provide tons of ventilation making these an excellent choice for riding indoors as well as outside. 

Big buys

Garmin Edge 1040 Solar

Garmin Edge 1040 Solar

9
A top quality bike computer
Buy now for £529 from Tredz
Unbeatable battery life
Clear and large screen
Loads of customisation
Price
Size

The Garmin Edge 1040 Solar is one of the best cycling computers available, offering a large and easy-to-read screen and an impressive battery life. 

As usual with Garmin, the setup is straightforward and the data screens are both easy to understand and customisable. The large screen is particularly useful for navigation with clear routing even in built-up areas.

Yes, it’s a big investment but you get what you pay for here.

Apple Watch Ultra

Apple Watch Ultra

8
An impressive smartwatch
Buy now for £649 from Argos
Much improved battery life over Series 7
Action button is a great addition
Strap gets grubby easily
Can set off the buttons by mistake

The Apple Watch Ultra is designed for athletes and extreme environments, focusing on durability and performance. The Ultra is different in appearance from a regular Apple Watch with a noticeably larger face made of scratch-resistant glass, and a bigger body made from titanium. Despite this, it comes in at 75g which is a very reasonable weight for a watch of this size. 

GPS tracking works well and the heart rate tracking is very good. It can track your VO2 rate and perform basic ECG testing too, and has the ability to track multiple sports such as Triathlon. The battery life of the Ultra is improved compared to standard Apple Watches too, lasting around two and a half days compared with around a day.

Rotor 2INPower SL power meter

Rotor 2INPower SL

9
Lightweight and reliable power meter
Buy now for £880 from Sigma Sports
Versatile modular fit system
Reliable data capture
Long battery life
The full system isn't cheap
Glitchy app

Using a power meter to measure your training effort has become increasingly popular as it can help you make the best use of training time and can be a satisfying way of gauging progress. 

Rotor's 2INPower SL power meter is claimed to be the lightest dual-sided power meter on the market and is highly versatile thanks to the modular system working with a huge range of chainring options, as well as pretty much every bottom bracket standard out there. 

Rotor also claims to have improved the accuracy from +/- 2.0% to +/- 1.5% compared to the previous 2INPower version.

Big, big buys

Wahoo Kickr Smart Trainer v6

Wahoo Kickr Smart Trainer v6

9
Best indoor trainer
Buy now for £979 from Certini
Realistic ride feel
Super-accurate power
Easy to set up
Wi-Fi connectivity
Higher price than before
Kickr Direct Connect is not included

Indoor training has come a long way over the past few years and Wahoo has been at the heart of this, helping to make it a much more fun experience with some of the best turbo trainers

The Wahoo Kickr v6 smart trainer  would make a great present for anyone who regularly rides indoors because it's a super-accurate and refined turbo trainer, boasting a 2.4GHz built-in Wi-Fi connection and a more refined ERG mode. 

It’s a very good design that’s easy to use and it offers a realistic ride feel and accurate power measurement. If you want to elevate your Zwift racing experience and ensure your connection is rock-solid and stays uninterrupted, there's nothing quite like the immersive experience offered by the Wahoo Kickr v6 smart trainer. 

Princeton CarbonWorks Alta 3532 Tactic Hubs wheelset

Princeton CarbonWorks Alta 3532 Tactic Hubs wheelset

8
Best lightweight wheels
Buy now for £4799.99 from Princeton
Impressively light
Very stiff
Beautifully smooth hubs
Wow... that price!

The Princeton CarbonWorks Alta 3532 Tactic Hubs wheelset is among the most expensive wheelsets reviewed on road.cc, making it a very high-end option this Christmas.

They are impressively light, tipping our Scales of Truth at 1,162g, while maintaining a high level of stiffness and responsiveness. However, the TR01 hubs from Tactic Racing stand out as a highlight due to their exceptionally smooth performance.

The rim design is distinct and the 'wavy' profiles alternate between 35mm and 32mm deep. The rims are 21mm internally; wide enough to work well with the road tyres (30-32mm) typically found on new bikes, without ruling out narrower options such as 25mm tyres. 

Campagnolo Corkscrew Gold

Campagnolo Corkscrew, Gold edition

10
For the cyclist/wine connoisseur who really, really has everything
Buy now for £1950 from Campagnolo

A bit of a controversial addition this, because it made Jo Burt's annual list of things not to buy for cyclists in 2022... but we've had a think and come to the conclusion that you wouldn't not want a €1,950, gold-plated corkscrew designed by Tulio Campagnolo if it was bought for you, right? Therefore, it truly fits the bill as a truly money-no-object Christmas gift! 

As the name suggests, this is Campagnolo's already rather pricey Big Corkscrew but plated in either 24-carat yellow gold or 18-carat rose gold. 

It also promises to be pretty good at uncorking wine, with the product info adding: “To prevent incorrect extraction of the cork from leaving residue in the wine, the Campagnolo BIG corkscrew is designed so that the screw self-centres on the cork, ensuring optimal extraction every time.”

Lovely! I know most of you will have been wanting to order a pair, but the yellow gold one is currently out of stock, so you'll have to just get the rose gold version for now... 

Colnago C68 Super record

Colnago C68 Super Record 2023

8
A superbike for Christmas
Buy now for £14601.5 from Lordgun bicycles
Incredible stiffness throughout
Loads of feedback
Very easy to live with
Badge inflation price-wise

Our absolute money-no-object cycling gift is the Colnago C68 Super Record 2023 which Colnago describes as the pinnacle of its craftsmanship. The geometry is a balance of endurance and race which is probably as close to a race bike as a non-racer wants. The frame is unbelievably stiff everywhere it needs to be, and at just over 7.5kg it feels light and nimble too.

The C68 is, as you'd expect, only available in top-end builds or as a frameset. Ours came with Campagnolo's Super Record EPS groupset, while other options are SRAM Red eTap AXS, Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 or Ultegra Di2.

To go with the Super Record groupset there isn't really any other option than Campagnolo's Bora WTO wheelset at 45mm deep and 1,420g in weight. 

Emily is our track and road racing specialist, having represented Great Britain at the World and European Track Championships. With a National Title up her sleeve, Emily has just completed her Master’s in Sports Psychology at Loughborough University where she raced for Elite Development Team, Loughborough Lightning.

Emily is our go-to for all things training and when not riding or racing bikes, you can find her online shopping or booking flights…the rest of the office is now considering painting their nails to see if that’s the secret to going fast…

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5 comments

Avatar
IanGlasgow | 2 months ago
1 like

GripGrab Waterproof Merino Thermal Socks are in BOTH Gifts For Cyclists Under £50 (the cheapest category you've done) AND Money-no-object Gifts for Cyclists.

Does the heating in the Road.cc office not work well?

Avatar
ktache | 2 months ago
1 like

The Exposure rear light doesn't seem that ridiculous...

Avatar
IanGlasgow replied to ktache | 2 months ago
1 like

Seems pretty sensible. I regret going with See.Sense instead.

Avatar
cyclisto replied to ktache | 2 months ago
0 likes

I ride with a 1w rear light bought for a single digit price so it seems ridiculous to me. These smart features seem nice, but all it have to do is work reliably and make you seen.

In general I believe for lights you can safely go unbranded. I had just once bought branded from Tacx (ok my first week see you only cateye) and it was a horrible exprerience, stopping working after a few weeks and running for replacements 1-2 times.

Avatar
froze replied to ktache | 2 months ago
0 likes

Well, it is when you consider that NiteRider has a couple of tail lights that are at least 3 TIMES BRIGHTER than the Exposure, and the NR ones are cheaper.

The Exposure Boost puts out 80 lumens for $85, whereas the NR Omega 330 puts out 330 lumens for $55, and NR has 6 other tail lights that are not as bright as the Omega 300 but still much brighter than the Exposure, and those cost even less than the Omega 300!

So yes, the Exposure light is ridiculous.  Road.cc has always pushed the Exposure brand of lights, and they're not bad lights, they're just overpriced for what you get.