Have you just booked your bike test? Is it your birthday, or is it remotely true to suggest to someone you know that your birthday is “soon”? The great (or perhaps terrible, depending on your bank balance/number of friends) thing about biking is that there’s always something on the market that you’ll want. And if you can’t think of it, don’t worry – here’s a selection of gifts that any motorcyclist would be delighted to receive…
Bike Magazine
When you’re not riding, try reading. Bike is the UK’s best-selling motorcycle mag, full of reviews and glossy pics as well as travel articles and sports news. Long-term readers have just one question – when is Dan Walsh coming back? A year’s subscription is a mere £49; digital-only versions are also available for the new-fangled biker.
Waterproofs
Roll them up tight and stick them under the saddle; rain is never far away in Britain, and a lightweight all-in-one rain suit will definitely come in handy at some point. The BLH Bering, at £45, is a Ride Magazine Best Buy, and it’s one of the cheaper suits on the market.
Heated Grips
While we’re on the subject of weather, it’s always nice to have fingers that can still detect the presence of a clutch lever. Heated handlebar grips, combined with decent gloves, will help a lot. These Warrior versions are just £25 and come with variable heat settings.
Security
A decent lock can save you money on insurance as well as protecting your bike from scumbags. A disc lock, rather than a huge chain, has the advantage that you’ll actually take it with you and use it. Xena locks are built like (small) tanks and feature a 120 decibel alarm.
Dry Feet
If your boots are less than 100% waterproof, you’ll be glad you wore your Sealskinz socks. £45 may seem like a lot for a pair, but they definitely do the job (unless you actually submerge them in a river – trust me.) They take quite a while to dry after washing, but you will need to do so occasionally.
Bungees
At the cheap end of the gift spectrum, no biker can ever have enough bungee cords. Buy the toughest ones you can find, in a variety of lengths, and you’ll find you can carry almost anything. Oxford have a good range, and Halfords Heavy Duty cords (the green ones) are almost unbreakable.
Sheepskin
A sheepskin over your saddle will instantly transform you into an adventurer. OK – it won’t, but it’ll add a good 30 miles to the distance you can ride without suffering. Attach with bungees and you can whip it off when it gets wet – there’ll be a relatively dry saddle underneath, and the skin will dry in half an hour.
DVD
There’s no shortage of great bike movies to watch when the weather’s just too awful to ride. On Any Sunday (1971) is a classic documentary that features Steve McQueen and many other bike racers in a variety of pursuits, including motocross and desert racing. It’s charmingly dated in feel but still highly entertaining; the minute the rain stops you’ll want to get out there and ride.
