Wondering what to get your mountain biking girl for Christmas? MTB Experience asked its members what MTB girls want this holiday. Here are a few of the top picks!
Let’s start with Stocking Stuffers. Stockings are a perfect place to provide all the small necessities of mountain biking.
Tire Levers. These can be purchased at any local bike shop or on-line. Feeling thrifty? Go for a 3 pack. Feeling spendy? Splurge on the more robust Pedro’s levers for the tough to remove tires.
Pedro’s Tire Levers
C02 Cartridges. Hands down the fastest way to air up a tire. Way better than the arm tiring hand pump. Especially if your girl is a racer. Just don’t forget the valve! For large volume 27.5” and 29” tires over 2.25” be sure to use 18g or larger cartridges. The smaller 16g cartridges will not be enough to fill those larger tires to a ridable pressure level. Plus bikes and fat bikes need even larger cartridges.
Tubes. Everybody needs tubes! Even if your girl is tubeless, spare tubes are necessary in the event you rip a large hole in the sidewall or tread that sealant cannot seal. Especially if she is loves epic rides.
Tube strap. Tube straps are a great way to lighten her pack load. They hold spare tubes (and CO2 cartridges, tire lever) snugly around the top tube. Winn racing, Backcountry Research and RaceFace all make quality units. We choose Winn Racing to support our local friends and for the non-scratching neoprene backing.
Winn Racing Tube Wrap – On bottom frame tube to protect frame from tailgate damage
Multi tool. These get used every ride. Not to mention badass girls carry their own tools. Be sure to pick a tool with all ofthe common sized hex wrenches used on a bike (2-6, 2.5, 8), a flathead and Phillips screwdriver, Torx bits (10,25) are some common sizes used most often but check your particular bike to ensure you have everything you need. There are literally hundreds of options. Some new designs allow you to store the tool in the head tube or even the cranks! We choose OneUp for that reason!
OneUp Components EDC MultiTool – Fits inside your stem tube
Nutrition. GUs, Chews, Snacks. All girls like snacks. Lots! Trust us.
Now on to MTB gifts for under the Christmas tree.
Grips. Grips are very much personal preference and can really change the way a bike feels. Don’t get sucked in by fancy intricate designs like skulls, flowers or brand names etched into the grip molds for your MTB girl. A lot of these designs look good for magazine cover shoots but feel terrible on the trail. It’s a good idea to feel the grips in person at a shop or a friend’s bike if available before you buy. Don’t forget color matching your bike can be fun and girls LOVE to match.
ESI Grips come in a wide array of colors and sizes to fit smaller hands
Pedals. Much like grips, pedals are personal preference and can transform your riding experience from sketchy confidence galore. If your MTB girl has been complaining her feet hurt or are slipping around then it’s time to change her pedals. With flat platform pedals, look for a platform width and length that will fit her feet comfortably and enough pin coverage to hold her feet securely to the pedal. Pedals generally come in alloy and composite (plastic) versions. Composite pedals can be lightweight and less expensive than alloy but at the cost of pedal thickness. For bikes with very low bottom bracket height we suggest the thinnest pedal possible to help avoid pedal strikes in rocky terrain. Also look for a pedal that is easy to service. Pedal bushings/bearings wear out over time and a great pedal is one that is easy to service yourself. We use the OneUp aluminum pedals as they are wide, very thin, very light, super grippy AND easy to service; they are also offered in composite for half the price. Race Face Chester, DMR Vault, and Canfield Crampon are other popular choices.
OneUp Components Aluminum Flat Pedal
Apparel. This one is tricky. MTB girls always need clothes, protection gear, and gloves. However sizing and fit can be challenging. We suggest a gift certificate to a retailer so she can choose what works for her.
A BIKE. Some girls want diamonds but MTB girls want bikes. Now this is a big purchase that you better get right. The girls that commented on our polls that they wanted a bike were SPECIFIC. MTB girls know what they want! Don’t assume she wants a women’s specific bike or a lower travel bike because you don’t think she rides gnarly terrain. Your MTB girl’s drive is endless and you never know what discipline she will take to. Our advice here would be unless you have been secretly cataloging her long wish list from frame to cranks to wheels…get her a gift certificate to her favorite bike shop. She can order her dream bike and watch it be built!
We are pretty sure if you do know what she wants and that dream bike is under the tree with a big bow on it, you will be reaping some serious behind the scenes rewards.
Merry Christmas from all us at MTB Experience!