Gifts for mountain bikers: Marc Strucken & his top 3 Christmas presents for 30 - 100 euros
Marc Strucken
· 08.12.2023
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It's perhaps an old trauma that BIKE editor Marc Strucken is dealing with: Imagine it's Christmas and you can't try out a gift until after the New Year or in the spring or - worst case scenario - you still have to exchange it!
With his top 3 Christmas gifts for cyclists, that can't happen. They fit everyone, are ready for immediate use and are still useful long after Christmas!
The bicycle book by Jan Wittenbrink
It doesn't always have to involve action with a bike gift. You can also sit on the couch and read between thousands of kilometres of training. But then please read cycling books like the brand new The bicycle book by author Jan Wittenbrink. On over 330 pages - wonderfully illustrated - there are all kinds of "fun facts" and other interesting facts about bicycles.
Anyone familiar with the cards from Marmota Verlag can already imagine the style in which the book is presented. And the facts mentioned are often surprising, enlightening and, last but not least, you can show off your endless useless knowledge at the next pasta party. Who knows that the North Sea coastal cycle path is 7000 kilometres long! Or that bikes with steel frames only make up 5% of the market?
At 40 euros, the price was just over our 30-euro limit, but it's not too high, so the book makes a great gift for loved ones who love bikes.
Fidlock Fidguard Twist Bottle 590
Bicycle bottles accumulate in the kitchen cupboard, categorised according to "still smells good", "smells okay" and "still ready for use if necessary". That's when the new Fidlock water bottle series came onto the market at the beginning of the year. The I have been using test samples with Fidguard equipment continuously ever since and - without exaggeration - only rinsed a few times. The manufacturer promises that the bottles made of BPA-free polyethylene do not odour or rot as long as only water is poured in.
But even with iso solution or a simple apple spritzer, it works surprisingly well if you don't leave the leftovers for days on end in summer. The only thing I haven't had any problems with so far is water - as is the case with many other bottles after just a few months.
Details of the Fidlock Fidguard Twist Bottle 590 bike bottle
- 590 millilitre capacity
- Material:
> PE (antibacterial, BPA-free, food-safe)
> PP (antibacterial)
> TPE (antibacterial)
> Silicone - Prices:
> As a replacement (without base and holder on the bottle) - 19,99 Euro RRP
> Water bottle incl. holder - 44.99 Euro RRP
> Drinking bottle (holder + twist base) - 49.99 Euro RRP
Petzl NAO RL headlamp
It's not new, but new to my use and immediately made me... well... shone. The Petzl NAO RL can be used both as a headlamp and as a helmet lamp. That's handy if you're not just cycling, but also hiking, running, camping or doing handicrafts. It also weighs just 145 grams with its rechargeable battery (3200 mAh) and is light as a feather - even when running.
The reactive lighting (black lens on the lamp head) also adapts the brightness to the surroundings, for example when oncoming cyclists or under street lighting, which extends the burn time at the highest brightness level from 2 hours to a maximum of 24 hours, according to the manufacturer's specifications. With 1500 lumens, the Petzl NAO is quite powerful and provides balanced illumination, combining a wide beam with a focussed beam. The red LED on the battery is also practical, making it easier to see from the rear.
Details of the Petzl NAO RL headlamp
- Luminosity: 1500 lumen
- Weight: 145 g
- Lithium-ion battery 3200 mAh
- Charging time: 3 hrs. 30 min.
- Waterproof: IPX4 (weatherproof)
- Price: 160 Euro RRP >> e.g. at Mountain friends available
Marc Strucken
Editor
