Do you have cyclists on your holiday shopping list? Maybe they’re serious racers or people who bike commute daily, rain or shine. Whether your biking loved one likes to careen down mountain trails, crunch the gravel, or glide down paved roads, there’s always an accessory or two to make the ride more fun. Which makes them blessedly easy to shop for. Or maybe if they’ve been really, really nice, Santa will buy them a brand-new bike.
Here are this year’s top picks for holiday gifts for bike lovers. From affordable add-ons to top-end bicycles, this gift guide full of cycling gear has you covered.
Lael Wilcox of Tucson is planning something special for 2024: bikepacking 18,000 miles around the world. She’s still planning the route. And she isn’t going for easy. “I think a lot of people want to design the flattest route they can, but I love riding in the mountains, so screw it I’ll just ride in the mountains,” Wilcox said. “That’s way more inspiring for me.”
Haven’t heard of bikepacking? It’s a relatively new concept, but it’s simple to understand. You grab a mountain bike, load your essentials, and then take off on a multi-day trip over trails. Maybe it’s an overnight, maybe a couple of weeks, or perhaps you dream of biking across the globe.
Depending on your chosen route, almost any mountain bike might do. However, snowy or sandy conditions call for fat tires, and full-suspension bikes will serve you better on technical trails.
Photo by Rue Kaladyte
Bikepacking events
You can bikepack on your own or with friends. Or you can enter a bikepacking race. Event organizers put together some brutal routes. On November 3 this year, The Tassie Gift 2023 took riders on a 1,800-kilometer (1,118.4-mile) race that traversed trails, roads, and goat tracks on the Australian island of Tasmania. Don’t mind the cold? Check out the Fat Viking 2024 on January 27. It’s a 150-kilometer (93-mile) ultra-endurance race through the snowy Norwegian highlands.
Photo by Rue Kaladyte
In the United States, the Arizona Trail Race is an unofficial self-supported bikepacking event. Riders choose between a 300-mile and 800-mile trek, which takes them from the Mexican border up to Utah. Each race is a grueling series of ups and downs. Those riding the full distance must carry their bikes for 21 miles across the Grand Canyon!
Wilcox set a record for the 800-miler in April of 2022, finishing it in 9 days, 8 hours, and 23 minutes. “I think the hardest thing about the Arizona Trail is getting enough water. If I can time where I sleep to be near a freshwater source, that’s ideal,” Wilcox said. “Truthfully, I’m always running at a water and food deficit. When I did it the last time, I packed full cheesecakes, and I would eat those because they are so calorie dense. I also drank salsa because I felt like I needed some vegetables. It sounds wacky, but when you’re out there in the desert, your body starts craving bizarre things.”
Photo by Rue Kaladyte
Making bikepacking female-friendly
The 37-year-old Wilcox loves her adopted home of Tucson. It’s her favorite place to ride and train. This November, she organized a 400-mile cyclingevent there, the Tucson Komoot Women’s Rally. It’s the first Komoot held outside of Europe. Komoot women’s rallies are designed to make adventure cycling more accessible to women, nonbinary, and trans riders. About 50 women aged 19 to 70 plan to participate in the weeklong event.
Wilcox also spearheads Tucson’s Girls Riding Into Tomorrow (GRIT), a program that introduces 11 and 12-year-old girls to long-distance cycling. Underprivileged girls get six weeks of bike training culminating in an overnight weekend adventure ride. And they get to keep the bike they train on. Wilcox loves to see girls surprise themselves with what they can do. “When I see people take on new things, and shock themselves, and get excited, it brings me back to why I love this sport so much.”
As much as we might wish for it, most of us can’t be on vacation every day. For the majority of the year, we have to settle for making the most of our weekends. This presents a unique challenge for outdoorsy types. When you crave adventure, it can be difficult to fit all your activities into a day or two. This is where one-day adventures come in clutch.
If you want to maximize your free time, keep a bucket list of one-day outdoor excursions. Are you curious to try a new hiking trail? Add it to the list. Want to see a new side to your state’s scenery? Plan a day trip. And if you can’t decide which activity to try next, peruse this list of one-day outdoor adventures to keep your weekends fun and active.
Avid and aspiring mountain bikers will be stoked to hear about Madbush Falls, a new bike and ski-centered basecamp that opened this summer in Vermont’s Green Mountains. The 20-acre property has all a mountain or gravel biker needs, with a world-class trail network, 75-seat restaurant, bar, bike and ski shop, guiding center, and 20-room lodge. Oh, and a waterfall and swimming hole. Come winter, biking gives way to skiing. You might never want to leave.
Madbush is the brainchild of long-time Vermonter Jonny Adler, who dreamed of starting a Vermont biking hub. He wanted to share Vermont’s loamy dirt, warm pastures, ridgelines, gravel roads, and cool shaded woods with other enthusiasts. In November 2021, he closed a deal on the old Madbush Alpine Chalet. While the 1950s-era motel had been vacant for 20 years, the property had potential with a river running through it and a 30-foot waterfall. And it’s only about 40 miles from Burlington.
Photo courtesy of Madbush Falls
The finished basecamp is a truly Vermont collaboration. The property’s woodwork, metalwork, landscaping, art, and interior design feature Vermont materials and are crafted by Vermonters. The bike trails are community-built and maintained by Mad River Riders, a founding chapter of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association.
Photo courtesy of Madbush Falls
Guests can bring their own bikes or rent one from the bike shop. Certified guide-instructors from Stowe Mountain Bike Academy can recommend routes ranging from 2.5 to 5.5 hours. Intermediate and advanced riders will find jumps and technical challenges. If you want more variety in your vacation, the Blueberry Lake route lets you combine a ride with a swim, picnic, and SUP.
Photo courtesy of Madbush Falls
“Here at Madbush Falls, we’ve thought through everything you need to power your riding adventure,” Adler explains in a welcoming message on Madbush’s website. “Above all else, Madbush Falls is a magical place,” he says. “Its energy is real.”
In Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido, the bear population is growing faster than the human population. Hokkaido makes up 22% of the country’s land area, but its roughly five million citizens account for less than 5% of Japan’s population. That’s good news if you like to get outside and enjoy uncrowded hiking trails, rivers, and lakes. Hokkaido offers almost any landscape you could want, from flower fields in summer to incredible snowfall in winter. And after an active day, you can relax in one of the island’s 251 onsen, or hot springs areas. You might even see a bear. Get inspired for your Hokkaido adventure with this list of 10 outdoorsy activities to try.
Go on a bike ride to remember on the Route of the Hiawatha. Once the site of a historic railroad, this 15-mile biking and hiking trail travels a scenic path between Idaho and Montana. It’s the ideal location for a serene tour of picturesque forests. Plus, for curious adventurers, the region’s mysterious tunnels and past glories provide enough intrigue to fuel a weekend of exploration.
Before this trail became the Route of the Hiawatha, it was a railroad known as the Milwaukee Road. The line prospered in the 1800s, sailed through a massive forest fire in 1910, and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 1935 (and 1977). Today, cyclists can unravel these stories and more while traveling past miles of thriving trees and bright blue skies. Learn more about these iconic stories and sights with this photo guide to the Route of the Hiawatha.
People who have lived in Southern California long enough might remember Santa’s Village, a year-round Christmas theme park that delighted children with rides and reindeer. Now, SkyPark at Santa’s Village has been revamped into a mountain biking park that delights riders of all skill levels while preserving a few touches of the North Pole.
Photo courtesy of SkyPark at Santa’s Village
When the old theme park tucked into the San Bernardino Mountains came up for sale in 2014, mountain biking couple Bill and Michelle Johnson jumped at the chance to develop their dream bike park. They envisioned a place with enough variety for a whole family, from toddlers to grandparents.
“We have a pump track for the little ones, entry and medium level trails, and even expert-level tracks that keep pro riders coming back,” Bill Johnson said in a statement. “The park is designed much like a ski resort, although we do not have a lift service. Everyone can ride together to the top, but a scaled network of trails for all levels can bring you down, back to the village, at a central location to regroup. We’re constantly improving and adjusting trails, with expansion continuing to change the experience every season.”
The park offers trails for riders of all skill levels. / Photo courtesy of SkyPark at Santa’s Village
SkyPark offers group and private lessons for ages three and up, plus an onsite bike shop. Buy a bike from SkyPark’s Bike Swap, and you’ll get a credit for a day of riding at the park. Families can camp at the campground next door or bring their RV.
Photo courtesy of SkyPark at Santa’s Village
The original Santa’s Village opened in 1955, before Disneyland. It went through a bankruptcy and a couple of owners and iterations before closing in 1998.
“Bill and I used to come here when we were younger, back when Santa’s Village was closed, and make bike paths through the trees,” Michelle Johnson said. “In 2014, long after we were married and had gained significant experience in the real estate world, we saw the old Santa’s Village property come up on the market and it was like the universe was giving us a chance to share this magical place with the world. Now everyone gets to experience the park we’ve spent years perfecting.”
Photo courtesy of SkyPark at Santa’s Village
SkyPark at Santa’s Village is part of a larger trend of using traditional skiareas for mountain biking during the off-season. “We’re proud to be a part of that mindset shift,” Bill Johnson said. “These mountains need to be experienced and mountain biking is such a great way to do it year-round. It’s good for the local community as well, to have something year-round again. Plus, we’ve brought the famous Santa’s Village theme park back to life for new generations, and that’s really special.”
Racers, athletes, and hobbyists all love biking. Why? Aside from cycling’s numerous health and transportation benefits, the sport is simply a fun way to spend your time and explore the outdoors. If you love biking but want to shake up your routine, try going for a ride along some of America’s best cycling trails.
Check the air pressure on your tires and double-check those brakes because these biking paths will take you all over the country. Whether you like to ride through leafy green forests, along rocky mountainsides, or on clear and paved paths, this list has options for all kinds of riders. Get ready to find your new favorite cycling trail.
Oh, and don’t forget to deck out your bike with these great accessories.
Abi Robins is a pioneer in the gravel biking world. They were the first person to race in the nonbinary category of Unbound Gravel, a Kansas-based bike event. Robins also founded Queer Gravel, an organization helping to make the gravel biking world friendlier to queer and trans people through meetups, clinics, group rides, advocacy, and mutual aid.
In 2021, Unbound created its nonbinary category in response to anti-trans legislation throughout the United States. That year, Robins was the only one to show up for it. In 2022, 17 nonbinary riders competed. As biking events move toward inclusivity, Robins hopes more queer cyclists will feel welcomed.
Feeling safe in the gravel biking world
“As a non-binary person, I want to show up at events where I feel safe and welcomed and like I can show up as my full self,” Robins said in an interview with Yuri Hauswald, GU Energy Labs’s elite athlete manager.
For event planners, building an inclusive space means having resources like gender-neutral porta-potties and trans-friendly medical care nearby. Robins appreciates that event producers like Life Time are working to include more athletes but stresses that welcoming attitudes must start earlier in an athlete’s path.
“I feel like at this point, it’s time for the rest of the industry to step up and start pulling their weight when it comes to trans and non-binary inclusion in cycling,” Robins said. “There are so many other touch points that a cyclist has to go through before they’re ready for an event, especially an event as large and intimidating as Unbound.” This includes feeling safe enough at their local cycling shop to get involved in the sport in the first place.
While event organizers are trying to welcome diverse audiences, some cyclists remain leery of racing in certain states. “These major events, they’re happening in states that politically lean in a way that can be really hostile towards these marginalized groups,” Robins said. “And these events happen on back roads even in what we might call quote unquote safe states. You get out into rural areas and generally those lean more red politically and again, I try not to overgeneralize, but those are areas that are generally more hostile to trans folks and to people of color. I know that’s not always the case, but it’s the case often enough and that it can make it scary.”
Changing the world
Despite the challenges, Robins believes gravel riding can help change the world. “I’ve experienced firsthand the power of spending time on a bike with someone you don’t know and how equalizing and connective it can be,” they said. “I try not to overstate it, but I do really feel like Gravel is one of the places where we have the ability to make a powerful and positive social impact that’s not just about cycling, but is about the country and the world.”
If you enjoy mountain biking with a side of gorgeous scenery, destination trails are a must. Whether you like cycling through moss-covered forests or biking alongside red rocks, there are plenty of beautiful mountain biking trails open for public use throughout the United States. While notoriously rocky regions like Colorado are known for quality mountain biking trails, there are also stunning options in Arizona, Washington, Vermont, and more.
Curious to discover some of the country’s finest mountain biking trails? Then pack your bags and bike for an unforgettable experience at these six scenic mountain biking locations. And don’t forget to check out some of the world’s most difficult mountain biking trails here.
