Christmas comes but once a year and what a great time to give that special mountain biker on your list something they have been dreaming of. I know a new tie, or some new socks are spiffy gifts, but a dedicated mountain biker has a lot on his or her mind around this time of year. “I wonder if he’ll remember that I really wanted those Crank Bros Smarty pedals,” she ponders. “Hmmm… I wonder if she’ll ever understand that I just can’t wear anything but short bike socks every day,” he thinks as he slips his cycling sock-clad feet into his Florshiem loafers.
I know what I’d like for Christmas and I’m sure you’ve got your lists too, but here’s my stab at the top gifts for any mountain biker on your list. This list spans everything from a $2200 frame to a $6 pair of socks to cover spendthrift to frugal.
| Intense 6.6 Bike Frame with Fox DHX Air Shock One of the most versatile all-mountain long-travel mountain bike frames on the planet. If Santa’s bringing it, it might arrive with dirt on the chainstays. |
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| Fox 36 Float RC2 Fork If you’re looking for a long-travel fork that’s built to take more abuse than you can handle, look no further than the Fox 36 Float RC2. |
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| RockShox Lyrik 2-Step Fork One of the most impressive forks I rode at Interbike 2006. A solid contender and tops on my list of forks for 2007. |
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| Thule T2 Hitch Mount Bike Rack If you’ve got the means, don’t even think about carrying a bike on your roof. The Thule T2 is child’s play. |
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| CrankBothers Multi 10 Bike Tool At less than a buck per function, this small multi-tool is just what the pocketbook ordered. |
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| Adidas Punksta Sunglasses Downright smooth on and off the trail. Adidas makes bomber eyewear. |
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| Adidas Elevation Sunglasses Interchangeable, vented lenses make the Elevation sunglasses a great choice for sweaty mountain bikers. |
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| CrankBrothers Smarty Pedals Long my choice in pedals, CrankBrothers dials in the Smarty pedals with a small platform just in case. |
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| Truvativ Hussefelt 31.8 Riser Bars Truvativ riser bars just have that comfortable feel. They know upsweep and backsweep… boy do they ever! |
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| Avid Ball Bearing Seven Disc Brakes Ditch the hydraulics man… seriously! The Avid Ball Bearing Seven Discs will blow you away! |
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| SRAM X.0 Trigger Shifters Ahem… will the REAL kings of trigger shifting please step forward? The SRAM X.0 triggers are thumbs up. |
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| ODI Lock-on Grips – Rogue Simple, patented locking grip design makes throttle grips a thing of the past. |
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| The North Face Gulper Hydration Pack Looking for a hydration pack worthy of an all-day adventure? The Gulper will take you and your gear there. |
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| Lorpen XBTF Multisport Coolmax Light Shorty Socks Your feet will thank you every pedal stroke of the way. Lorpen simply makes the best socks money can buy. |
