Annual Go Gift Guide

Written by Allison Walsh

If you've been spinning your wheels trying to come up with the perfect gift for the cyclist in your life, the experts at our local bikeshops can help

Gusto Cycles

Want to get the girlie girl in your life into cycling? This super cute pink Electra Townie should do the trick. Much more than just a pretty face, the Townie offers three speeds, coaster brakes, and "flat foot geometry" that lets her put her feet down when she wants to. A safe, fun ride perfect for the Swamp Rabbit Trail, and it's available at Gusto Cycles in Taylors for $449.

Gusto owner, Steve Gust, also recommends Blackburn's latest luminary offering, the Front Flea lights, for great night riding visibility.These colorful lights are bright, lightweight, and come with their very own USB charger for only $33. Rear USB lights are also available.

Old Man Winter isn't always a cyclist's best friend, but that's no reason to fall behind on your training schedule. Blackburn's Tech Fluid Trainer boasts progressive fluid resistance, which makes your workout the next best thing to being on the road or trail. The trainer fits both road and mountain sized wheels, and promises a quiet, realistic ride. Get it at Gustof or $269.

At $5.50 for the pair, Pedro's Tire Levers make the perfect stocking stuffer. Every tire change deserves a little pop of color.

Performance Cycle Inc.

Performance Cycle suggests a fun way to keep riders in the saddle during the off-season. For around $40 your favorite cyclist can ride along with pro-coach Robbie Ventura in an elite level national criterium race,thanks to Race Day, a new real Rides training DVD from Vision Quest Coaching.Bike mounted cameras put you right in the action, and the dashboard displays elapsed time, intensity and cadence, as well as Robbie's power and heart rate data. 

This time of year there's just not enough daylight to balance responsibilities and riding, so cyclists forced to ride after dark will want to put the Niterider Enduro HID Lithium Ion light on their lists. This helmet-mounted system is ultra-bright, lightweight, and the compact battery charges in 1.5 hours and promises two-plus hours of run time. The Endurore tails for $400 to $425.

The Sunlite F-5 Trainer Cycle offers a new alternative to the trainer at a fraction of the traditional indoor cycling price. With adjustable resistance and a 42-lb flywheel the F-5 promises a great workout and adapts to fit riders of all sizes in seconds. The on-board computer shows heart rate, time, speed, distance, calories, total distance and scan. This trendy trainer retails for $570 to $600.

Sunshine Cycle

Cyclocross is catching on in the Upstate. Join in the fun with the CX6 from Blue Competition Cycles. This sleek ride merges the lightweight frame and narrow tires of a racing bike with knobby treads and cantilever brake mounts to build a bike that can go anywhere and do anything. Sunshine Cycle stocks the frame set for $765; outfit it with Shimano 105 for $2075 or Sram Rival for $2375.

The staff at Sunshine Cycle calls the Stella 120 by Lightand Motion ideal for off-road riding or commuting. Crank it up to its full 120lumens and still enjoy 2.5 hours of run time. For $130 this fully-featured commuter light includes bar and helmet mounts.

Help the one you love get a grip with the GP1 mountain bike grips from Ergon. Optimal pressure distribution across the palm prevents soreness and numbness in the hands and fingers, and the precise ergonomic fit gives greater control. These little gems retail for $32 at Sunshine Cycle.

Ride On Bicycles

If he's been extra good this year, why not splurge on a slick new cross country or mountain bike from Pivot Cycles? Matt at Ride On Bicycles says the Mach 4 and Mach 5 are among the best riding suspension bikes out there right now, weighing in at a feathery 22 pounds. And they don't look half bad either.

Until now if you wanted to link your GPS to your power meter, you were in for upwards of $600. But with the Garmin Edge 500 you get the best of both worlds for $249.99 at Ride On. This lightweight cycling computer syncs with heart rate monitors, speed/cadence sensors, and power meters to put all that delicious data right at your fingertips.

Outfit your favorite rider in style with Body Clone Bib Shorts, $250 at Ride On. The seamless construction of the bib uppers allows them to lie completely flat against the skin, making it easy to forget they're there at all. Giordana is looking out for the ladies, too, with bib straps that lie on the outside of the torso rather than across the front of the chest. You're welcome.

Run In

The Run In staff recommends the Nike+Sportband, which tracks your distance, pace and calories burned while you run. The Sportband also plugs you in to the world's largest running club on nikeplus.com, where you can login and review runs, get training advice, and more. All this for only $59.

If you're looking to light up the night with your run, the Guardian Adventure Light is for you. At $16.99 the light, bright Guardian's extreme impact resistance and omni-directional visibility set this tough little cookie apart from the rest. Attach it wherever you want and get moving.

The Saucony Optech LX Sport Top doesn't do windows, but other than that it's got you covered. The Optech fabric keeps you warm and dry, strategically placed reflective panels and an LED holster on the sleeve keep you safe, and a media player pocket keeps you entertained. For $59.99, who could ask for anything more? How about a smooth-face zipper and stylishly shaped hem?

Fleet Feet

Fleet Feet is your source for the Garmin Forerunner® 310XT,the first GPS-enabled training device designed for triathletes. This rugged machine is water-resistant to 50m and transitions seamlessly between run, bike and swim. And when you're done, this handy tool will zip all your vital statistics to your computer, no cable required. If heart rate's your thing, expect to pay$400. Otherwise, the 310 XT can be yours for $350.

The Nike Lunar Glide is making waves in local running circles. This $100 shoe boasts a new technology for support and cushioning for mild stability. The folks at Fleet Feet say people are digging its lightweight construction – not easy to find in a stability shoe.

With Mizuno Breath Thermo in their bag, runners will have no cold weather worries. The Mizuno Plus™ moisture management technology does more than merely wick moisture away from the skin – the fibers actually heat up as you perspire. Stock up on gloves, hats, headbands and more, starting at $20.

Lotus Of Greenville

Have you been a good, responsible boy all year – clipping coupons and skipping lattes? Did you ask for “something exciting” this year? At $77,000 the Lotus Exige S 260 is reasonable by high-performance car standards, but the rest of its numbers –like 0-60 in 4.0 seconds – are in line with the big boys.

If you’re more concerned with getting from A to B as reasonably as possible, the Vespa LX 150 will be more your speed. The LX gets around 70MPG, and it’s classic style ensures you’ll turn heads while saving money.

Both of these high-end toys are available at Lotus of Greenville/Touring Sport. 

Carolina Dental Group

You probably thought mouth guards were only good for football players, right? Wrong. The folks at Under Armour and Bite Tech, Inc.have teamed up to develop a line of custom mouth wear they say can actually improve athletic performance. Teeth-clenching has been shown to increase the production of hormones associated with stress, fatigue and distraction, none of which you want to deal with when you have your sights set on a new PR. Several local athletes - inlcuding George Hincapie – are already using the Armour Bite,and it’s available at Carolina Dental Group.

90 Degrees Yoga

After leaving it all out on the road, trail, or wherever they like to leave things, even the hardest bodies can use a little TLC. The folks at 90 Degrees Yoga offer up a luxurious array of apparel and accessories for stretching and centering in style. Thick, absorbent, and above all, skid resistant towel mats from Yogitoes retail for $60, and anyone who has ever slid their way out of downward dog will agree they are worth it. If you’re serious about yoga you’re serious about comfortable, durable, breathable fabrics that will further, not hinder, your practice. 90 Degrees Yoga has you covered with avariety of high performance athletic wear, from $54 to $78.

Carolina Exercise Supply

If you're planning to invest in a home gym this year, the professionals at Carolina Exercise Supply have some ideas for you.

Go green with the SportsArt EcoPowr T670 Treadmill,available at Carolina Exercise Supply. For $3,900 you get a lifetime warranty on the state of the art motor – unheard of in the treadmill industry – and use 32%less energy than traditional motors without compromising power. Keep your workout interesting with all kinds of fun programming options, like GluteTrainer, ZoneTrainer™ and Cardio Advisor™. And feel free to share the love. The MyFlex™ deck cushioning system automatically adjusts to user weight without losing resiliency.

The FreeMotion Strider s580 ($3,349) blends the low-impact stride of elliptical with the calorie burn of incline training. The best part?You call the shots – and the stride. You won’t find another machine that gives you 35 inches of natural striding motion in a small footprint.