Jamie’s Mountain Biking Christmas Wish List

Christmas is coming and Jamie is dreaming about what Santa might bring him. If you're struggling for Christmas gift ideas for the mountain biker in your life or need some inspiration for your own wish list, here are some ideas from Jamie.

Post by Jamie on November 21, 2016

  1. A new bike! After all, you can never have too many. This year I rode my old Orange P7 around the Tour du Mont Blanc – a classic bike for a classic route. It performed so well but I thought it could do with the bigger wheels and slacker geometry that I’ve grown to like so much on my Alpine 160, as well as a dropper post. I looked online and saw that Orange had met all of these requirements with their new P7 https://www.orangebikes.co.uk/bikes/p7-pro. It’s always good to have a high-performance hard tail on standby in the garage, isn’t it?
  2. Since I’ve started riding a few Enduro races and have had to wear pads I’ve got used to them and now I always like to wear knee pads, especially on chilly days as they keep the knees warm and wet & muddy days when you never know when you might get thrown off! The pricey option http://www.wiggle.co.uk/poc-joint-vpd-20-knee-armour/ and the less pricey option with a closed back and longer fit http://www.wiggle.co.uk/race-face-indy-legknee-d30-pad-1/
  3. A new helmet. I did actually just replace mine with the very reasonably priced MIPS fit from Giro http://www.giro.com/eu_en/products/collections/mips/chronicle.html. Poc look great but don’t suit my head shape or pocket depth either! http://www.wiggle.co.uk/poc-tectal-mtb-helmet/ . It’s always best to go down to your local bike shop to buy a helmet because all noggins are different and you don’t know how it will fit until you put it on.
  4. I am on a constant quest for the ultimate wet & cold weather biking glove. When we’re out on the fat bikes it can be minus 15 plus wind chill! I’ve been using ski gloves but you don’t get the same feeling of connection with the bike as you do with a bike-specific glove. I still haven’t found the ideal pair but for riding at the end of winter and cold days during the summer these look good and they’re not a bad price http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/100-brisker-cold-weather-glove-2016/rp-prod121141#bazaarvoice_reviews_tab Once again you really need to try on gloves to get the right fit so head down to your local bike shop to check out their range.
  5.  I ride flat pedals most of the time now (Hope V20s, of course) whether racing or guiding. I’ve worn out my five tens going 3 times around Mont Blanc this summer so I’m looking for a pair to wear in the winter and Spring http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/five-ten-freerider-eps-high-mtb-shoes-2016/rp-prod152877 I’ll also need a new pair for the summer and for trips with lots of peddling like the Chamonix to Zermatt, the Eiger Tour and our Alpine Enduro week I thought this cross-over pair look good http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/five-ten-hellcat-clipless-mtb-shoes-2016/rp-prod118575
  6. The perfect gift for those who like nothing more than a bit of tinkering and fettling. I’ve got one of these mounted to the wall in my workshop already. It makes life so much easier http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/x-tools-pro-t-l-handle-hex-set/rp-prod55960
  7. A new pair of shorts. I wore out my awesome pair of Hope enduro shorts this summer so I’m after some new ones for next season http://www.hopetech.com/product/enduro-short/ .
  8. My après bike clothing consists of a hoody, t-shirt and jeans. Here’s the hoody I’m after for 2017 https://teespring.com/Bike03?tsmac=store&tsmic=mountains27#pid=373&cid=100036&sid=front
  9. I love my dropper post on my Alpine 160. I just need one for my hardtail now. This is a cheaper solution and one that’s worth a try for the cash it will save! http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/brand-x-ascend-dropper-seatpost/rp-prod149024
  10. The ultimate mountain biking DVD. I haven’t seen it yet but I’m told I have a brief appearance in this film and as I’m old school I need to have a hard copy! The Untold British Story of Mountain Biking http://singletrackworld.com/shop/product-category/accessories/