Father’s Day is this Sunday!
If you’ve forgotten to get something for your old man there’s still time or, if you’re the dad, there’s still time to drop a subtle hint to your offspring that gifts are due. Why not tactically leave this blog post open on the family computer, for example?
We’ve chosen to frame our guide around the 7 types of dad that MSN identified in their father’s day gift guide last year, as they covered the bases quite effectively!
Kickstarter is a hotbed of innovative technology, and its cycling projects don’t disappoint. Solos Smart Cycling Glasses look super cool and will be the perfect gift for a tech-mad cycling dad.
These glasses feature a heads up display that provides real time data on speed, cadence, heart rate, power zones, calories, distance and elevation – no more glancing at gadgets on your handlebar!
Check out their video below and their campaign here.
If you’re not familiar with Kickstarter, the product isn’t ready yet and you’re offering small investment in exchange for a reward package once it’s completed. Depending how much you pledge, the greater the reward will be (full details are available on the page). Make sure you let dad know he’ll have to wait a while for the gift!
Give dad a taste of how it feels to ride like the pros with a track day at Lee Valley VeloPark in London: the track that saw Sir Chris Hoy, Team GB and Paralympics GB bring in the medals at London 2012.
He’ll be taught how to ride around an inclined Velodrome track (hint: slowly at first to prevent him flying over the handlebars!), and will get a taste of the professional cycling world.
You can book through their website here, and can choose anything from a one hour introduction session through to a four-stage accreditation course.
This gift is a bit trickier to buy online, but it’s well worth it if you find a good one. Have a look on Ebay or head down to your local vintage shop and try to dig out a vintage cycling jersey in dad’s size.
If there’s a particular team or event he finds especially interesting and you manage to get a matching jersey, that’s a guaranteed good gift!
Failing that, a pair of smart bicycle cufflinks will do the trick!
Back in March we spoke to Riley of Pedal Bites about his range of cycling nutrition products, and we’re going to give him another shout out here!
Riley’s range includes energy bars and balls, granola, muesli, and a bunch of other things whose recipes were all created from scratch and to the healthiest possible specification. If you’re not too keen on dad eating junk food or artificial tasting gels and pastilles on your rides, check out Pedal Bites and pick him up a few boxes of goodness.
We’ll be honest, we had to search hard for something that was suitably laddy: a bicycle bottle opener or a mug with a vaguely rude cycling slogan on it didn’t cut it!
We think the beer bike tour of Amsterdam that we found is, quite possibly, the laddiest, daddiest father’s day gift out there. If you’re not familiar with the concept check out the video below:
Dad and his mates get to pedal their own way around Amsterdam while sampling the city’s drinkable delights. A sober rider navigates the streets while everyone else parties to prevent any accidents. If you’re feeling especially generous and want to get dad this, head to the Beer Bike website.
For the dad who wants something a bit out of the ordinary (and much more peaceful than the previous entry), why not sponsor a mile of the Sustrans cycle network on their behalf? It’s £30 for a year and if you want to customise the gift even more you can let them choose their favourite one.
This gift combines good bragging rights with a satisfied social conscience, and gives dad the opportunity to feel smug when he rides his mile.
Velominati’s 9th rule, for those who don’t know it, is “If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period”.
Spencer Wilson, who we interviewed back in January, has created a beautiful Rule 9 print that will be a proud possession of any arty father:
Whether or not your dad qualifies as a badass according to Velominati’s criteria, the limited edition of this print will still tick all of the right boxes. It’s available to buy on Big Cartel.
If none of these ideas float your boat, and you don’t have the option of getting yourself the gift that one of our Twitter followers identified as the best (see below), you can always pick up some Ride25 vouchers for your dad!
Leave a Reply