Aren’t you tired of getting yet another pair of “cycling” socks?
Christmas is about giving, but let’s be honest, receiving worthwhile presents is also nice. Maybe you’re looking for a present for a cyclist in your life. Perhaps you’re looking for a present for yourself? After all, Christmas is a great excuse to get yourself something you actually wanted!
WillCycle goodies
WillCycle is all about cycling, so I have some great gift ideas for you! Keep scrolling, as I’m sure you’ll find a gift that takes your fancy. And why don’t you share these ideas with others?
Keeping warm
Not everyone rides in Lycra, and even those that do aren’t cycling all the time! Why not get that cyclist in your life a lovely, warm hoodie? They’re available in a range of colours!
Cool cycling caps
Cycling caps are great! They keep the sun and rain out of your eyes, help absorb sweat on hot days, and can add some extra fun to your ride.
A camping cook book?
Food For The Road is a compilation of recipes visitors to this site shared with me. You can get all the recipes for free, but I wanted a camping cook book for myself, so I had a very limited print run done. These glossy-covered cook books sell at cost price (professional book binding comes at a price).
Cycling T-shirts are always a winner
Here are a selection of some of the cycling T-shirts available from my shop. These are certified ethical, are delivered in plastic-free, recycled packaging (that can be recycled again) and the price includes free UK delivery!
Books are fantastic gifts
Here are an entire selection of books to get for that cyclist in your life, or perhaps for yourself!
- Book review: Crossing Europe…No, sadly this post isn’t about a forthcoming long-distance cycling holiday. Instead, it is about a book I recently read. I’ve never done a book review before, so forgive me if this one is a tad clumsy. This book is called Crossing Europe on a bike called Reggie and tells the story of Andrew Sykes‘ cycle … Read more
- Book review – Endless Perfect Circles, by Ian WalkerDr Ian Walker is quite well known on Cycling Twitter, being an ardent advocate for cycling, and usually being the voice of reason. Though an obviously very intelligent man, the impression Ian Walker mostly creates is that of a humble and kind human being. For reasons I cannot begin to understand, these are strong characteristics … Read more
- Book review – Where There’s A Will, by Emily ChappellA breed apart Ultra-distance cyclists are a breed apart from the rest of us, and are uniformly characterised with an almost grim determination. Emily Chappell is certainly no exception. In common with many (though certainly not all) such riders, Chappell seems to be a remarkably humble human being. Not your normal ultra-distance book I’ve read … Read more
- Book review – Quondam – Travels In A Once World, by John DevoyI reviewed many cycle travel books, and like all good cycle travel books, the story isn’t about the cycling. I’d go as far as to say that cycling is only relevant, because it allows you to travel at a human pace. That simply means you experience the world you’re travelling through in a far more … Read more
- Book review – Getting Hold Of A Gun Is Easy, by Alwin WiederholdThis book hit home for me. So much so, that I had to wait quite some time after I finished reading it, before writing this review. I need to explain that: I grew up in South Africa, during the Apartheid years, and many things touched upon in this book are things I lived through. If … Read more
- Book review – The Man Who Cycled The World, by Mark BeaumontMark Beaumont set a new Guinness World Record for circumnavigating the world by bicycle in 2008, and this book tells the tale of that event. It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? “Oh, he cycled around the world, and?”. Let’s put that in perspective: have you ever cycled 100+ miles in one day? If so, how … Read more
- Book review – Eat, Sleep, Cycle, by Anna HughesIf you looked at an accurate world map, or better yet, a globe, you’ll say that the UK isn’t big at all. In fact, especially when compared to a continent like Africa, you could say the UK is tiny. And you’d be correct. Until you decided to cycle the coastline of the UK. If you … Read more
- Book review – Riding In The Zone Rouge, by Tom IsittIn 1919, some madman decided to hold a race called Circuit Des Champs De Bataille – the Tour Of The Battlefields. The battlefields in question were that of World War One, and the route was deliberately designed to run through 2 000 kilometres of carnage. This incredible book tells the story of that race. The … Read more
- Book review – Slow Coast Home, by Josie DewThis book came highly recommended, and it was with much anticipation that I started reading it. What struck me immediately is that the author is the kind of person I like: she’s not overly organised, prefers wild-camping, and feels at home while cycle touring. Consistently, throughout the book, Dew’s irrepressible sense of humour shines … Read more
- Book review: Eric Newby – Round Ireland in low gearThis book was recommended to me as a detailed cycle touring book, with the added bonus of being about Ireland, somewhere I know little about, but would love to go cycle touring. Eric Newby was a journalist who published several travel guides, and apparently was asked to write the book. It was first published in … Read more
- Book review: Spain To Norway On A Bike Called Reggie, by Andrew P SykesI’ve reviewed one of Andrew P Sykes’ books before – the first book he published, but for some reason or another didn’t get around to reading any of his other books. Since my last review, he’s published several more books. He’s on Twitter as @CyclingEurope, and he has a podcast, with full details available at … Read more
- Book Review: Pedal Power, by Anna HughesPedal Power is a very unusual book, from the pen of the very talented Anna Hughes. I reviewed an earlier book of hers, Eat Sleep Cycle before. What makes this book unusual? It’s non-fiction, but that’s not unusual. The unusual part is it tells the stories of over 80 people who were pedal powered, and … Read more
- Book review – Full Tilt: Ireland to India with a Bicycle, by Dervla MurphyIn 1963, Europe had one of the coldest winters, and 1963, during winter, was when Dervla Murphy set off to cycle from her native Ireland to faraway India. Along the way, she kept a diary, and this book is the result of that diary. The world was a totally different place in 1963, as you’d … Read more
- Book review: Along The Med On A Bike Called Reggie, by Andrew P SykesI’ve reviewed two other books by the same author before – his 1st book, and his last book. This review is for his second book, which I only fairly recently purchased and read. Sykes is on Twitter as @CyclingEurope, so give him a follow and he has a podcast, with full details available at his … Read more
- Book Review – Signs Of Life, by Stephen FabesSigns Of Life tells the story of when Stephen Fabes quit his job as a medical doctor to cycle around the world. Like any good travel journal, Fabes doesn’t simply give a blow-by-blow account of the journey, which took him six years to complete. In fact, there are entire countries he cycled through that almost don’t … Read more
- Book Review: Travels With Rosinante, by Bernard MagnoulouxIf you cannot go on an amazing adventure, such as spending five years cycling around the world, then at least you can share in the adventure others have had, by reading a book they wrote about their adventure. This is what makes cycle touring books so brilliant to read: we get to share vicariously in … Read more
- Book review: The Slow Road To TeheranThe Slow Road To Teheran, by Rebecca Lowe I’ll freely admit I absolutely love books that tell the tale of daring, long-distance cycling adventures. A good book like that tells the story of a fantastic cycling adventure. A great book like that tells the story in such a way that cycling, though central to the story … Read more
- Book review – Miles From Nowhere, by Barbara SavageMiles From Nowhere, by Barbara Savage The very short version is that this is a book about a round-the-world bike ride. That description, while true, doesn’t come remotely close to doing this book justice! Published in 1983, it tells the story of how Barbara Savage and her husband Larry Savage, set off to first ride … Read more
- Book review – All Downhill From HereAll Downhill From Here, by Paul Waters This book tries to be both a “hilarious” account of the author’s JOGLE (John O’Groats to Land’s End) ride, as well as a “How to” guide, for those aspiring to do the same. Waters’ writing style will be enjoyed by some, but I’m not in that crowd. Instead, … Read more
- Coffee First, Then The WorldCoffee First, Then The World, by Jenny Graham When you read stories by people who cycled around the world, you quickly learn that doing so is an enormous achievement. When it is done solo, it becomes an even bigger achievement. When done as a woman, riding on her own, unsupported, it becomes monumentous. Finally, when … Read more