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It’s that time of year, folks – time for us to suggest some great Christmas gifts for cyclists, and if you really want to shell out, here are some money-no-object ideas.
We’re the first to admit that some of these suggestions are ridiculously expensive – top-end bikes and components that we realise very few people are going to consider. Even if they’re not for you, we hope you enjoy taking a look at them.
At the top of our list, we’ve also included components/clothing that are high-end in their particular category – £245 sunglasses, for instance, and a £629 bike computer – but which are a bit more realistic for some people.
This means that we’re offering you a mix of practical items that put in an exceptional performance – which a lot of you might put on your shortlist – and some of the most exclusive cycling products out there.
If the prices here are too high for you to consider, we’ll have plenty more Christmas gift guides here on road.cc.
We’ve split our selection into:
• High-end gifts (£200+)
• Big, big buys (£1,000+)
• Superyacht owners’ club (£5,000+)
High-end gifts
Oakley Kato sunglasses £245
The Oakley Kato is one of the best cycling sunglasses we’ve reviewed this year. They might be expensive but they offer excellent clarity, performance and fit so they’ll make a superb Christmas present that will be hugely appreciated.
From a performance point of view, Oakley has nailed it here. The lens sits very close to the face for an exceptional level of protection and you can even alter the angle of the arms to fine-tune the distance to your cheekbones.
Oakley’s Prizm technology enhances colour and contrast, there’s no distortion anywhere despite the curved lens, and the lack of a frame makes for unimpaired vision.
Buy Oakley Kato sunglasses here for £231
Read our Oakley Kato sunglasses review
Assos Dyora RS Spring Fall Jacket £265
The women’s Assos Dyora RS Spring Fall Jacket might not be suitable for Christmas Day itself – unless we have a mild one – but it’s near-perfect for mid-season training, offering warmth, breathability, quality and style.
Reviewer Suvi praised the jacket as a combination of a thermal jersey and a softshell, and the fact that it offers enough breathability for some more intensive efforts.
The fabrics and build quality are exceptional and there are a few neat touches such as the pocket ‘tops’ that help keep things inside and reflective details at the back. This is a real beauty.
Buy the Assos Dyora RS Spring Fall Jacket here for £265
Read our Assos Dyora RS Spring Fall Jacket review
MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips helmet £280
The MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips is one of the best cycling helmets we’ve reviewed in 2022. It’s lightweight, cool and comfortable, and the MIPS system – a recent addition – is designed to provide extra brain protection in the event of a crash.
Reviewer Jamie said that he’d happily used the original Trenta on hot-weather training camps and that this new version doesn’t sacrifice any ventilation thanks to the airiest and lightest Mips Air Node system.
Yes, it’s pricey, but the MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips would make an awesome gift.
Buy the MET Trenta 3K Carbon MIPS helmet here for £196
Read our MET Trenta 3K Carbon Mips helmet review
Specialized S-Works 7 Lace Road Shoe £300
With their super-stiff soles and supple uppers, the Specialized S-Works 7 Lace is among the best road cycling shoes. It puts in a top all-round performance and oozes class.
The soles of these shoes don’t flex at all while the upper, which combines engineered mesh with areas of TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), conforms easily to different foot shapes.
On top of all that, a raft of Specialized Body Geometry features help to avoid pain and injury and maximise power.
If you think the lucky gift recipient would prefer on-the-fly adjustability, Specialized offers plenty of shoes with Boa dials, including the new S-Works Torch.
Buy the Specialized S-Works 7 Lace Road Shoe here for £199
Read our Specialized S-Works 7 Lace Road Shoe review
Gore Race Shakedry Jacket £299.99
Gore’s Race Shakedry is one of the best waterproof cycling jackets – and every cyclist needs a reliable waterproof, especially in the UK. It combines Gore’s class-leading Shakedry fabric with stretch panels for a close fit.
It’s lightweight – our large size was just 174g – and when not worn, it packs down small enough to fit easily into a jersey pocket with room to spare.
A high collar, dropped tail and long arms provide good coverage but the biggest draw is that the Shakedry fabric keeps rain out while remaining highly breathable.
Buy the Gore Race Shakedry Jacket here for £254.99
Read our Gore Race Shakedry Jacket review
Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTIV front light £335
Exposure’s Strada Mk11 SB Aktiv is among the best front bike lights. It has been upgraded for 2023 to offer a 1600-lumen output – so it’s bright enough for any road riding, even for tackling dingy lanes in the dead of night.
AKTiv is a cool feature that senses oncoming light sources and automatically dims when a vehicle approaches to avoid dazzling other road users. It’s clever stuff that allows the rider to keep their hands on the handlebar and their eyes on the road.
The Strada also offers a range of settings, a low-bulk mount, great build quality and good run times.
Buy the Exposure Strada Mk11 SB AKTIV here for £335
Read our Exposure Strada SB front light review
Hammerhead Karoo 2 GPS cycling computer £359
The Hammerhead Karoo 2 is among the best cycling computers out there. It’s hugely capable with way more features than we could cover here. It performs brilliantly for both multi-day bike-packing trips and all-out interval sessions with some Strava segment hunting, and it’s simple to use.
The Karoo 2 has excellent navigational capabilities, including mapping, with a large enough screen (3.2inch/82mm) to provide plenty of detail. It’ll also display all the usual metrics for those who want to train seriously.
This is a premium choice so although the price might seem high, the spec justifies it.
Buy the Hammerhead Karoo 2 here for £359
Read our Hammerhead Karoo 2 GPS cycling computer review
Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon Road Shoe £374.99
The Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon road shoes are among the most innovative, adjustable, and comfortable out there.
The carbon sole delivers exceptional stiffness but what really sets these shoes apart from the crowd is that they offer fully adjustable arch support. This comes courtesy of a section cut out from the sole, with the top Boa Li2 dial connected to a strap that tightens from the middle of your foot over the top and around your instep. It’s a clever system and superbly effective.
The mesh uppers provide tons of ventilation making these an excellent choice for riding indoors as well as outside.
Buy the Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon Road Shoe here for £239
Read our Fizik Vento Stabilita Carbon Road Shoe review
Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar smartwatch £549.99
The Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar is an extremely powerful and highly customisable multi-sport watch with health data presented in a user-friendly format.
There’s a huge variety of data on offer here including heart rate via an integrated sensor and good navigation that includes off-track alerts.
The Forerunner 955 Solar will also display data from other devices like power meters via ANT+ and Bluetooth.
The watch also tracks sleep, giving details of time asleep, phases of sleep, a general comment and a sleep score out of 100.
The colour touchscreen works well while the 46.5mm diameter is big enough to show data clearly.
This is a great present for anyone who takes their health and fitness seriously.
Buy the Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar here for £549.99
Read our Garmin Forerunner 955 Solar smartwatch review
Custom paint job from Kustomflow From £595
Everyone loves a cool paint job, especially if it’s bespoke, so how about treating the cyclist in your life to a refreshed frameset?
You could go for a straight colour swap but the possibilities are endless. Kustomflow, for example, offers finishes in special effect paints such as metal flake, pearl and metallic. You have an initial consultation, agree on a concept, cost and timeframe, and Kustomflow will get cracking.
It’s not just framesets that can be customised, but stems, handlebars, seatposts… even helmets, shoes and sunglasses.
Check out options from Kustomflow here
Garmin Edge 1040 Solar GPS cycling computer £629
Like the Hammerhead Karoo 2 (above), the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar is one of the best cycling computers available, offering a large and easy-to-read screen and an impressive battery life. It’s simple to use too.
As usual with Garmin, the setup is straightforward and the data screens are both easy to understand and customisable.
The large screen is particularly useful for navigation with clear routing even in built-up areas.
Yes, it’s a big investment but you get what you pay for here.
Buy the Garmin Edge 1040 Solar here for £622.99
Read our Garmin Edge 1040 Solar GPS cycling computer review
Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset £849
The Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset would make a great present for the performance-minded cyclist in your life.
The 44mm-deep carbon rims provide an aero advantage without feeling unstable in crosswinds, and this wheelset is still light enough to feel nippy on the hills.
The hubs stood up to an enormous amount of abuse during testing, and the overall build proved to be solid too. On top of that, the tubeless setup is straightforward and they feel great over harsh roads. There really is a lot to love about these wheels.
Buy the Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset here for £849
Read our Hunt 44 Aerodynamicist Carbon Disc wheelset review
Muc-Off L.O.P.S 2.0 oversized pulley wheel system £999.99
Now, this is a specialist. First, the cyclist you have in mind must use a Shimano Dura-Ace RD 9100 or RD9150 11-speed rear derailleur. Second, they must be well into their marginal gains.
Muc-Off’s Lightweight Oversized Precision Shifting 2.0 system was previously available only to sponsored pro teams and athletes, including EF Education EasyPost and INEOS Grenadiers, but it’s now available on general sale
The idea of LOPS 2.0 is that it improves efficiency by reducing articulation and friction in the chain. It also features high-tech bearings that have a special coating to reduce friction.
Buy the Muc-Off L.O.P.S 2.0 oversized pulley wheel system here for £699.99
Read our Muc-Off L.O.P.S 2.0 oversized pulley wheel story
Big, big buys
Wahoo Kickr smart trainer £1,099
Indoor training has come a loooong way over the past few years and Wahoo has been at the heart of this, helping to make it a much more fun experience with some of the best turbo trainers. 
Our review of the latest Wahoo Kickr isn’t quite ready but when we reviewed the previous version we described it as one of the benchmark direct drive smart trainers. It’s a very good design that’s easy to use. It offers a realistic ride feel and accurate power measurement.
The new model offers features including wifi connectivity for faster data transfer and an odometer to track mileage. This would make a great present for anyone who regularly rides indoors.
Buy the Wahoo Kickr smart trainer here for £1,099
Read our review of the previous Wahoo Kickr smart trainer
Brompton P Line Urban folding bike £2,355
Whose life wouldn’t be improved by the addition of a Brompton folding bike? Bromptons are incredibly practical, handle almost like conventional bikes and take up little space when stored – they’re some of the best commuter bikes you can get. On top of that, they also manage to be cool, which is quite an achievement.
Brompton’s P Line Urban models bring a helping of performance-orientated refinement to the party, coming in almost 1.5kg lighter than a standard Brompton A Line. That does bump the price up but the lower weight is easier to carry.
Buy the Brompton P Line Urban folding bike here for £2,270
Read our Brompton P Line Urban folding bike review
Fulcrum Speed 40 CMPTZN DB wheelset £2,600
You just need to look at the Fulcrum Speed 40 CMPTZN DB wheelset to see that it’s a class act, and the performance is even better. The wheels are hugely responsive and they maintain plenty of stiffness for powerful or heavy riders. They’re a great all-round choice: quick on the flat and descents without getting battered around by crosswinds, while still being light enough for hilly rides.
The build quality is high and the CULT (Ceramic Ultimate Level Technology) bearings are incredibly smooth.
Sure, there are plenty of cheaper alternatives out there, but these look beautiful and back that up out on the road.
Buy the Fulcrum Speed 40 CMPTZN DB wheelset here for £2,150
Read our Fulcrum Speed 40 CMPTZN DB wheelset review
Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset £3,539
Dura-Ace is the best Shimano road bike groupset. It’s superb. The shifting is faster than ever, the braking is excellent, and there’s one more sprocket than previously (Dura-Ace is now 12-speed). The system is also semi-wireless (the derailleurs and battery aren’t wired to the shifters) and perfectly user-friendly.
As is usually the case, you can get better value lower down the range but Dura-Ace is professional quality for those who like to have the best components on their bike(s).
Buy the Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset here for £3,185
Read our Shimano Dura-Ace R9200 groupset review
Cannondale Topstone Carbon Rival AXS gravel bike £4,850
Cannondale’s Topstone is one of the best gravel bikes we’ve ever reviewed with this Carbon Rival AXS coming with Kingpin rear suspension and a SmartSense daytime-running light system that automatically adjusts to ambient light conditions and other road traffic.
When reviewing the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty with the same Kingpin suspension Dave Atkinson said that his long-lasting impression was of a bike that’s a lot of fun. It’s both light and fast enough for you can keep up with roadies on the tarmac with the advantage of being able to shoot off on the gravel. The simple suspension system is a real bonus for riding on mixed surfaces at speed. It works superbly well.
Buy the Cannondale Topstone Carbon Rival AXS gravel bike here for £4,607.50
Read our Cannondale Topstone Carbon Lefty 1 review
Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 £6,499
Canyon’s Ultimate is among the best road bikes out there. It’s quick, it’s comfortable, and it handles very well indeed.
Liam Cahill praised this bike’s climbing ability when he reviewed it on road.cc, saying that you get a really solid platform from which to pedal. He found no discernible flex either at the bottom bracket or the head tube. On top of that, if Canyon’s claims are to be believed, the tube shapes help to reduce drag and allow you to ride faster.
The second-tier Shimano Ultegra Di2 groupset might not have quite the kudos of top-level Dura-Ace but, truth be told, it’s hard to tell them apart in use.
Buy the Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 for £6,499
Read our Canyon Ultimate CF SLX 8 Di2 review
Cervelo R5 Red eTap AXS £11,699
Cervelo’s R5 is an outstanding all-rounder. Whether tackling long and steep mountain ascents or riding over dodgy local road surfaces, it always feels fantastically fast and incredibly comfortable.
It offers plenty of stiffness for direct power transfer and the spot-on handling makes technical descents a joy. Cervelo has produced a gem here.
We reviewed the R5 in a SRAM Force eTap AXS build but it’s hard to get hold of that model now, so the version with a top-level SRAM Red groupset will have to plug the gap!
Buy the Cervelo R5 Red eTap AXS here for £11,699
Read our Cervelo R5 Force eTap AXS review
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