Gallery: Pedal Presents: Gifts for the Cyclist in Your Life
01bike-nut
The days have grown depressingly short, and in most places the temperature has dropped lower than Chris Froome's resting heart rate. But that doesn't mean bike-related gifts are irrelevant this year. On the contrary. We've got a long list of the latest stuff that we're eager to get our hands on, no matter what time of year it is — midsized 27.5-inch mountain bike wheels, hydraulic brakes for our road bikes, helmets that keep you cooler while making you faster, and hyper-engineered commuter gear. So help out your always-impoverished cycling friends by getting them something nice for the holidays. Here are but a few ideas. *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED*
02Iso Neoprene Gloves
Capo Iso Neoprene Gloves ------------------------ Riding with cold, wet hands sucks. Truly. If you can keep your extremities warmish and dry, then you can normally pedal through anything mother nature can throw at you. Thankfully, [Capo's neoprene winter gloves](http://www.capocycling.com/apparel/gloves/iso-neoprene-lf) ($50) are basically wetsuits for your hands. Cut long with a grippy palm, they allow you to keep control of your steed in the nastiest of conditions. Now you just have to figure out how to keep your feet dry, and you're invincible. Maybe a pair of their matching booties? *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
03Velocissimo Team Jersey FZ
Castelli Velocissimo Team Jersey FZ ----------------------------------- They call it "shoulder season" — those fall and spring transitions where a nip in the air never quite reaches Actual Cold. That's pretty much November-March in the Bay Area, and this [Velocissimo](http://castelli-cycling.com/en/products/detail/870/) is the perfect jersey for it. Castelli rates it for 59-68º F, but throw a longsleeved base layer underneath and you can easily go 15 degrees cooler than that. The close-cut Euro fit means no wind gets in under the sleeves; the understated looks mean that when you pass someone on a tough climb, they won't even hate you. Well, maybe a little. $156. *— Peter Rubin* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
04Bontrager – Ernest Jacket
Bontrager Ernest Jacket ----------------------- Bike commuting, at its core, is simplicity. Or at least it should be. While I appreciate that a lot of brands are making handmade technical gear that reflects light and wicks every last hint of perspiration from your thrice-gusseted crotch, most of the time all I want is a jacket that's not too hot and handles the wind. (God, I hate wind.) Enter Bontrager's new commuter line, which is not only reasonably priced for cycling stuff, but reasonably priced...period. Weird, right? My favorite is the $110 [Ernest Jacket](http://bontrager.com/model/11482/ ). Overall it's a thin softshell, with windshell panels covering the chest and collar; nothing fancy, but it fits well over a couple of layers of street clothes and does what it's supposed to. No gusseting necessary. *— Peter Rubin* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
05Mission Workshop - The Orion
Mission Workshop Orion Jacket ----------------------------- It's not often I wish the rainy season would kick into high gear, but the [Orion](http://missionworkshop.com/products/apparel/jacket/waterproof-orion.php) turned me into a monsoon-lover. Thanks to its tailored cut, the jacket is understated enough to wear to the opera (*Falstaff*, San Francisco Opera House, and I've got the stubs to prove it). It's also great for everyday wear, but it's really designed with the bike in mind — specifically, the bike in less-than-ideal pedaling conditions. It's waterproof with completely taped zippers, cut longer in the bum, with pit zips and a removable hood. Wear it even after the fat lady sings in the rain. $415. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED*
06Giro — New Road Insulated Vest
Giro New Road Insulated Vest ---------------------------- The message Giro wants to get across with its New Road line: You don't have to look like a human billboard or a sausage wrapped in cellophane to be comfortable on a road bike. Heading into their second year, they've expanded their offerings to include knickers, new jerseys, a fitted jacket, and [this vest](http://www.giro.com/us_en/products/men/apparel/insulated-vest.html), which my co-workers insist on calling Bike to the Future. (Marty McFly jokes aside, learn to love the bright color; a little visibility never hurts on the road.) Permaloft synthetic fill makes it cozy and packable, and while I still can't get my brain around the idea of riding 50 miles in a puffy vest, it's a keeper for lunch rides and shorter jaunts about town. Getting up to 88 mph, though? That's on you. $160. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
07SF Mash Giro fullfinger gloves
SF Mash Giro Full-finger Gloves ------------------------------- I hate writing about gloves. Most of them are stupid. But [these gloves](http://shop.mashsf.com/collections/all/products/giro-mash-dnd-gloves) ($26) are the exact opposite of stupid. Grippy, not too heavy, and loud enough to be visible through the trees — just in case there are any hunters out on the trail. Which there really shouldn't be, because that is SUPER dangerous. Wear 'em on your cold-weather commutes and get cool points for the Mash collab. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
08Ibis – Ripley
Ibis Ripley ----------- I'm fully aware 2013 will go down in history as the year in which the 27.5-inch wheel took over mountain biking, but the [Ibis Ripley](http://www.ibiscycles.com/bikes/ripley_29/) does not give a f@#$#. Which is why I'm here, at the end of the year, telling you to walk past all the medium-wheeled bikes and throw your leg over Ibis' 29er. The big-wheeled wonder was a long time in the making, but its late arrival is forgiven. Whether I was trying to grind a short pitch, sit in for a long climb, hammer out a flat section, or roll a rock garden, the Ripley showed all the positive plow-through traits of the best 29ers while remaining playful and tossable like a 26er. It may be the year of the 27.5er, but my Saturdays are still reserved for the big boy. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Josh Valcarcel/WIRED*
09Gore Alp-X 2/0 Gore-Tex Active Pants
Gore Alp-X 2/0 Gore-Tex Active Pants ------------------------------------ Gore has made the perfect pants for people who don't have the good sense to stay out of the rain. It's been making well-designed, utilitarian cycling gear for years now, and the experience shows: No longer do you have to suffer through wearing garbage bags for you legs. The [Alp-X pants](http://bit.ly/HSrkuD) ($240) bring windproof/waterproof fabric and breathability together in a package that allows you to stay dry while regulating your temperature, so you are neither overheating nor freezing. Just pull on a regular pair of shorts or bibs and then these pants and mother nature can throw whatever she wants right at you. Now get out there and play in the rain. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Ariel Zambelich/WIRED*
10Cygolite Hotshot 2W
Cygolite Hotshot 2W ------------------- Here's what you want in a rear light: brightness. Riding with some dim-ass approximation of illumination blinking weakly from your seatpost isn't helping anything. But you also want USB charging. (Those stupid CR2032 batteries are expensive.) Come to think of it, you can probably add "unobtrusive seatpost mount, as well as a good clip so you can just affix it to your backpack/messenger bag/rear rack/panniers" to the list. Check, check, check, and checkmate. The [Hotshot](http://www.cygolite.com/products/hotshot2W1.html) ($40) has it all. Plus like five different flash modes and a charge that lasts up to 300 hours. Can you see me now? Good. *— Peter Rubin* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
11Assos — Body Insulator - Early Winter
Assos Body Insulator Early Winter --------------------------------- With so many companies making high end cycling attire than ever before, Assos' perch atop the heap is under siege. If the [Early Winter body insulator](http://www.assos.com/en/19/singleProduct.aspx?cat=6,19,21&prod=517) ($159) is any indication of what the Swiss company is up to, though, its place in the kit pantheon is secure. Seamless tube construction (a la your favorite pair of socks) wicks the moisture away from your body without becoming overly ripe on long rides, and the fit is spot on. A baselayer of this weight can be a little tricky because you want to be warm at the start, but not overheat. Wear it under a short sleeve jersey on chilly fall days and you're set. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
12Shimano Clickr shoes and pedals
Shimano Clickr Shoes and Pedals ------------------------------- I'd never worn clipless pedals before. Actually, I had never owned bicycle-specific shoes. So when the chance came to try out Shimano's new [Clickr shoes and pedals](http://www.shimano-lifestylegear.com/us/fw/technologies/clickr.php), I jumped at the opportunity. The complete install took all of 30 minutes, including reading the instructions (Tip #311: left and right bicycle pedals thread on in opposite directions). Once on the bike, the learning curve was short, as the pedals let you click in easily and basically click out in any direction. I could sense the ease of pedaling and the additional power per pedal stroke right away. And on days when I was feeling clicking-challenged, I still got to use them fine as regular platform pedals. Although these shoes will never replace regular shoes, if they wanted me hooked to the idea of clipless pedals, it worked. Pedals, $70. Shoes, $90. *— T.A. Gruneisen* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
13Sufferfest x Strava
Sufferfest x Strava ------------------- OK, so it's winter. And it's not always nice enough to ride outside, but putting in an hour on a bike trainer is generally horrible. And it just got even more horrible, but in a good way: Sufferfest's magically sadistic workout videos (most of which are $13 a pop) are now available on Strava's iOS apps to [Strava Premium](http://www.strava.com) members ($59 a year). So much of the cycling/running social network's premium offerings have trickled down to the free version that you weren't missing much — until now. And you can't spell "now" without "ow." Which you'll have plenty of after these workouts. *— Peter Rubin* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
14Rapha Long Sleeve Jersey
Rapha Long Sleeve Jersey ------------------------ In recent years, Rapha has made its bones with its loving slow-mo videos of epic rides; slipping [this jersey](http://www.rapha.cc/long-sleeve-jersey-1/) on makes you yearn for the day's ride to turn out so momentously. To be of note. For the road to turn up and the weather to turn foul. The piece is cut long in the sleeves to keep the cold at bay, it's comfortable against the skin, and — as always — it shows off the simple and subdued design aesthetic Rapha's known for. Your ride may not be one for the ages, but that doesn't mean you can't be comfy. $220. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
15PDX socks
The Athletic PDX and LAX Socks ------------------------------ That's it. The sock-design game has officially been won with [these numbers](https://shoptheathletic.squarespace.com/shop/pdx-airport-socks) that boast the so-bad-it's-good decor of your favorite airports. The Athletic started with PDX and just added LAX. Both are gloriously ugly in a way that begs to be flaunted while on the bike. Added bonus: when you think you can't pedal any faster or go any farther, sneak a peek at at your feet and funnel those years of pent-up airport anger into one last push. Also available as water bottles. $15 a pair. *— Jim Merithew* *Photo: Jim Merithew/WIRED*
