If the riders in your life are anything like the ones in ours, they've already bought the latest gadgets & accessories they thought would make them faster on the trails.
So, with that in mind, we've worked with some of our partners to present a few gift ideas that any mountain biker would be happy to wake up to! If this page just happened to be left open on your loved one’s computer, we’re sure they would appreciate the hint.
Sponsored: this article is supported by Pinkbike's advertisers.
Lightweight Full Face Helmet
With the rise of Enduro racing and super capable bikes, riders are much more likely to find themselves on DH grade trails on an average ride. Luckily, there are now numerous helmet options that are well suited for enduro racing or rowdy trail riding so that you aren't caught out on advanced trails without the helmet to match.
The DBX 4.0 is Leatt's DH-certified lightweight full face with their 360° Turbine Technology. The helmet has enough vents to keep you cool when climbing or sprinting, and while it’s decently lightweight, it wouldn’t look out of place in the bike park.
Details:
• Shell Material: polycarbonate
• Rotational impact protection: 360° Turbine Technology
• Buckle type: Fidlock magnetic closure
• Additional features: removable mouth vent, breakaway visor
• Maximized ventilation with 22 vents
• Colors: Forest (featured), Steel, Ink and Black
• Sizes: S, M, L, XL
• Weight: 852 grams (size M)
• MSRP: $230 USD
Shoes are the workhorse of any rider’s kit. Used day in, day out with some serious abuse, any rider would appreciate a fresh pair to get them through the Winter. After all, there’s no worse feeling than squeezing back into your cold and wet shoes from yesterday’s ride…
Bontrager’s Rally clipless shoe is a great all-rounder for everything from trail rides to DH laps. Based on the brand's Flatline shoe, it was put to the test by Casey Brown and Trek Factory Racing's downhill and enduro riders throughout the 2019 season. The shoe has enough padding to be comfortable, but not so much that it adds a lot of additional weight and soaks up a lot of water on wet rides.
Details:
• Durable, synthetic leather upper
• Abrasion-resistant coating on the heel and toe caps for added durability
• A reinforced, durable toe box for improved protection
• Shock-absorbing EVA midsole
• Hook-and-loop straps provide a more secure fit that hugs your foot in place
• Compatible with 2-bolt SPD-style cleats
• Unconditional guarantee
• Colours: Black / Nautical Navy Trek Factory Racing / Olive Grey
• Sizes: Unisex EU 36 - EU 48
• 331g (size 42)
• $149.99 MSRP
Staying comfortable on the trails in the winter requires quality gear. Gone are the days of heavy MX kit and every rider appreciates lightweight pants and breathable jerseys to keep them dry and warm.
Based in Vancouver, NF has been producing MTB kit for less than two years but have already been making waves. Their kit doesn’t come cheap, but everything is hand made on-site from quality fabrics and can even be tailored to your fit for a fee.
The Destroyer V2 pant is made from a lightweight and SUPER stretchy fabric, finished off with a DWR coating. The Destroyer features NFs ‘No Fly Zone’ waist which ditches any straps or ratchets and holds up the pants with an integrated elastic belt for a comfortable fit.
The Savage long-sleeve race jersey is lightweight, stretchy and finished off with an antimicrobial coating. The nice minimal design is perfect for anyone taking on an Enduro race.
Details:
Savage Jersey
• 92% polyester / 8% Spandex
• MaxDri Moisture management w/ MicroBlok anti-microbial finish
• Raglan sleeves
• 3D Contour fit™
• Handmade in Vancouver, BC
• MSRP: $93.21USD
Destroyer V2 Pant
• 90% Nylon / 10% Spandex
• Lightweight and Breathable Stretch Woven / DWR Coated fabric
• Unique No-Fly zone™
• Two top-loading zip pockets and one cargo pocket
• YKK No.3 Semi-locking reverse coil zips
• 3D Contour fit™ with room for knee pads, tapered ankles
• Handmade in Vancouver, BC
• MSRP: $163.86 USD
Is your loved one still struggling to get their muddy bike into the back of the car after every ride? A bike rack is one of those purchases that will make any mountain biker’s life easier. As an added bonus, with a 2-bike option, they might bring you along for the ride too.
As the name suggests, Saris’ MTR 2-bike rack fits two bikes with the option of using Add On trays to haul a total of three or four bikes. Adjustable wheel holders accommodate tires up to 5 inches wide and keep your pride and joy anchored down. The rack can be tilted out of the way when not in use and comes with a lifetime warranty.
Details:
• Carries 2 bikes, up to 60 lbs, and can be customized with Add-On to transport up to four bikes.
• Unique wheel trays pivot and nest for easy loading and compact storage.
• Dual-arm holders are compatible with a wide range of tire sizes, and never touch the bike's frame.
• Tilts away for easy hatch access.
• Complete integrated security system locks the rack to the car and the bikes to the rack.
• Designed for 2” receivers only.
• MSRP: $799.99 USD
Enduro racers are constantly upgrading their race rig to be lighter and faster, so what better gift than some carbon handlebars?
This year OneUp Components entered the handlebar market with their own unique design. Their goal was to “make the best feeling bar possible, something which would let us ride harder for longer” and the result is their patent-pending oval-shaped carbon bar. OneUp claim it minimizes arm pump and vibration and maximize steering response due to its unique shape.
Details:
• 800mm Wide / 35mm Dia. / Sweep 8° Back 5° Up
• 20mm Rise (220g) 35mm Rise (225g)
• Max Stem Clamp Width: 65mm
• Max Control Torque: 5Nm
• Colour: Black. Decal kits: Available in Red, Green, Blue, Orange, Purple & White
• Free Shipping Worldwide
• MSRP: $138.00 USD
Schwalbe Hans Dampf Super Gravity
There’s no better time to receive fresh rubber than when the trails are wet. It’s easy to notice the extra grip that a new tire provides in greasy conditions.
Many Enduro bikes these days come with inadequate tires to deal with rough, tire-slicing tracks. The combination of Schwalbe’s Super Gravity side walls and soft Addix compound are designed for the toughest Enduro races and are regularly seen on the EWS circuit. The Hans Dampf is Schwalbe’s do it all tire and literally translates to ‘Jack of All Trades’, perfect for Winter's changing conditions.
Details:
• Addix rubber compound options: Soft, medium (Speedgrip), and hard (Performance}
• New tread pattern, bi-directional
• Available in Apex, Snakeskin, and Supergravity casings
• Sizes: 29 x 2.35, 29 x 2.6, 27.5 x 2.35, 27.5 x 2.6, 27.5 x 2.8, 26 x 2.35
• MSRP: $82 USD
Over the last few years, tire inserts have become all the rage as riders look for more sidewall stability and reliable rim/tire protection.
Cush Core’s Pro level insert, used by pros like Loic Bruni, Richie Rude, and Martin Maes, is aimed at Enduro and DH riders and claims to give 35% more sidewall stability, a 3% reduction in rolling resistance and to reduce impact force from big hits by 50%. Cush Core’s Pro insert is the perfect gift for the Enduro rider in your life who pushes their tires and wheels hard.
Details:
• Includes 2 inserts and 2 valves
• Inner Rim Width: 22mm-35mm
• Tire Widths: 2.1″-2.6″
• Weight 250g (27.5”) 260g (29”)
• MSRP: $149 USD
Carrying spares and nutrition is crucial for an Enduro rider, but who wants to ride with a big pack bouncing around on your back?
All USWE bags use a 4 point harness system to keep the bag securely against your back and not, as the USWE put it, 'have a dancing monkey on your back'. The Patriot bag on show here features a removable CE-certified back protector with an optional GoPro mount harness available too.
Details:
• 15L Volume
• Integrated CE-certified SAS-TEC™ central back protector
• Hydration Compatible
• 4 Point Hardness System
• Available Optional GoPro Mount
• Weight: 735g
• MSRP: $129.99 USD
Knee pads are essential for any Enduro racer or rider, but squeezing into soggy pads from yesterday's ride is no fun…
Dainese have been around since the dawn of mountain biking and have learned a thing or two about knee pads. The Enduro Knee Guards are a hybrid of soft and hard-shell construction, hard ABS plates on the front of the pad are designed to deflect impacts and mated with Dainese's "Pro-Armor" and "Crash Absorb" side padding to give additional protection and coverage.
Details:
• ABS molded protection
• Slip-on, with upper elastic velcro strap and fixed elastic calf strap
• Colors: Black
• Sizes: S-XL
• Weight: 18.34 oz (claimed)
• MSRP: $129.99 USD
What's on your wish list this festive season? Let us know in the comments below.
WORK LESS RIDE MORE
From the Saris website (under the 2 bike extension): "Hauls bikes up to 60 lb if used as first two trays closest to vehicle; or up to 35 lb if used as third or fourth tray"
Either way seems ambiguous for a rack made of mostly plastic that costs more than 2x as much.
Interestingly enough, both Saris and 1Up are US made, yet the 1up retails for ~30% less.
The owner of Saris was heavily touting Trumps tariffs on Chinese goods citing inability to be competitive....yet it seems 1Up is doing just that with a best in class rack with no plastic crap. We need more consumer goods like the 1up rack....stuff that lasts a lifetime and doesn't need to get replaced every few years due to failing plastic crap.
Are you sure you're not a plant from Saris' marketing department?
And the local bike shop support thing is laughable. What would you need support for on a 1up rack?
I also run both original and new version Huck Norris in other wheels with much success, but they weight as much as the NukeProof and cost 50% more than the ARD (still half the CushCore).
BTW - I gave away my Cushies to another hard rider who was having tire and rim problems. They work for him, and the price was right for him too.
Not saying that that's a bad idea
Saris is a weird one. They make light and strong stuff but come out with some random pricey stuff where it looks like they let the engineers go wild.
E.g. I have a t-bones (had 2). It's a hitch Mount bones style rack that doubles as a stand, comes with a backpack (to it into your condo/office/workshare) so you can plop it on the base and use it as bike storage. The hitch anti-sway was great and it had 3 matching locks (hitch receiver, rack to receiver and bike cable lock). Interesting concept but I don't think their target user existed. I got mine for less than 50% of retail and wonder if anyone paid retail.
Anyhow, they discontinued them and replaced them with a cheap two pole hitch Mount (think cheap Yakima for hardtails) with no stand, no backpack and definitely not 3 matching locks.
(Hopefully not very).
Travis - NF
PS: We used to be called “Needs Factory” but we’re forced to abbreviate over a trademark dispute.