There was once a wise man who said: It is better to give than to receive. Legend has it that that man was actually Mike Tyson, and that he was just describing the most basic tenet of his sport. Anyway, Christmas is fast approaching, and the season of giving (and receiving) is here again.
Yup, it’s that time of the year when people at work receive bonuses from their employers. It’s also that time of the year again when those who get something extra in their paycheck give something back in a chain reaction of gift-giving that exponentially increases the level of goodwill and fun that is Christmas.
If you’re reading this blog, chances are you are mountain biker, or you may have a friend/significant other who is also a biker. Chances are, you may also be wondering about what to give him/her this holiday season. Well then, here are a few ideas you may want to consider. And since people don’t really receive the same amount of goodwill in their paycheck, I’ve taken the trouble to sort them out according to budget.
BUDGET: BELOW Php 500
So you feel the giving vibe but don’t want to start the New Year broke. No problem! Here are some gifts that are sure to put a smile on a biker’s face, but won’t require you to max out your credit card.
Scare car drivers on the road with these cool headkerchiefs
Headkerchief from Bike Statement- Php 280
This helps keep pollutants from the road from entering a biker’s nostrils and building up boogers. Scientific studies show that a nose free from kulangot is 37.6% more efficient at processing oxygen, thus helping bikers perform better at uphills and garner podium finishes. The cool designs also scream asteeg.
Even non-bikers will find these designs witty
Spoof T-shirts from Dirt Tees – Php 300+
Di mo man lang napapansin ang bagong T-shirt ko: remember that classic line from the Eraserheads? Well, you don’t have to worry about not getting noticed with shirts like these from Dirt Tees. Funny, witty and eye-catching, even your non-biker friends will want one!
Nothing gets the ladies the attention better than a nice t-shirt, right?
PMTB shirts from The Perfect White Shirt – Php 400
Speaking of T-shirts, check out these cool PMTB shirts from A Perfect White Shirt. I so loved the designs that I wore them when we went biking in Cambodia to let the other tourists know I’m proudly Pinoy. BUDGET: BELOW Php 3000 So you just got a big bonus and feel a karmic duty to be generous. Be a blessing to others, right? People will consider themselves fortunate to have you as their friend. Can I be your friend too?
Essential gear for night rides
Bike lights – Php 1000+
Bikers will always appreciate bike lights. These nifty little gadgets light the way during night rides and help keep bikers safe in the middle of Metro Manila’s killer traffic. For a list of bike lights worth considering, check out this blog post on bike lights.
Spyder Aplha H Shades come with two extra sets of lenses and a case
Shades – Php 1500+
New shades are always welcome if you’re a mountain biker. Personally, I retire one pair of shades every 1.5 years. Lenses can get scratched from getting carelessly dropped, so it’s always nice to have a new pair of shades. Check out this review of two very good shades from Spyder.
Inggit lahat sa yo, kapag naka-Fox Jersey ka!
Fox Jersey – 2300+
It’s a freeride jersey with a Fox logo! How cool is that?! Nothing says “I’m so rad,” quite like a t-shirt which costs ten times more than other shirts because it has that much-coveted Fox logo on it. You’ll be the envy of people at parties. Oh Yeah! BUDGET: Php 25,000+ You’re probably a call center executive, or maybe you just sold a kidney and want to reap some goodwill before blood poisoning inevitably shuts down your other organs. Fear not, here are some of your choices.
The king of action cams shoots 4k video and 1080p at 120 fps
GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition – Php 25k+
This is the undisputed king of action cams. This thing can shoot 1080p video at a super slomo 120fps and cinema-quality 4k video at a 30fps! Who needs bike-riding talent or even camera-shooting talent when you got specs like that? Kahit ano i-shoot mo, tiyak maganda! 🙂
Iphone 6 Plus – Check Smart and Globe for plans
What’s better than shooting 1080p video at 120 frames per second? How about shooting 1080p video at 240 freaking frames per second!? At this timewarping level, even a mundane turn of the crank can take on a Zen-like quality. Just imagine shooting a jump with this monster phonecam. Your dreams of Matrix-style bullet time effects will finally come true.
DJI Phantom 2 Drone – USD $800
Let your biker friend take his/her mountain bike videography to a higher level (literally) with this drone. With sweeping aerial shots, even your humdrum ride to that sorry excuse for a hill will look like it was shot in Middle Earth by Peter Jackson himself.
Trails galore overlooking the waters where the Pacific Ocean and the West Philippine Sea meet
The road to Sumnanga. Batanes simply has an excess of awesome
Round trip tickets to Batanes – Check Cebupac or SkyJet
Batanes is probably the most picturesque place in the Philippines where you can ride your bike. Let these pictures speak for themselves. BUDGET: MORE THAN Php 100,000 Okay, you probably just won the lotto. Or maybe your pyramid scheme worked and now you’re drowning in piles of cash. What gift should you give?
This is the Maserati of mountain bikes. Pero bakit kulay MMDA kaya sya?
Santa Cruz Nomad Carbon XX1 – USD $8300
This is one fine bike. Just look at the damn thing! How can anyone not want one? That thing is the Maserati of mountain bikes! Ride one and you get a free pass to bully MMDA enforcers :p
Hard tail na pang-harkor
Surly Instigator 2.0 -USD $2650
Another fine bike, but a steel hard tail this time. This 26+ bike blurs the line between fat bikes and all-mountain bikes. Just wow. Can you imagine bombing down Helipad or Bobok Bisal on this rig? It’s the stuff of mtb wet dreams.
Photo taken from Mongolia Bike Challenge
Photo taken from Exploring Tourism Nepal
A package bike trip to Mongolia or Nepal – Check for prices
I know most mountain bikers dream of going to Whistler, but I would really rather do Mongolia or Nepal. Mongolia’s killer terrain of highland deserts and vast grasslands are like nothing else on Earth. This is the environment that bred the likes of Genghis Khan, so you will really feel like a conqueror after this. Nepal meanwhile has the highest mountains in the world. Nuff said.
So there, if you have other gift ideas for bikers, feel free to post them on the comments section below. Merry Christmas and a Peaceful and Prosperous New Year to Us All! 🙂
