Gifts for Athletes: Accessories for Runners and Cyclists

This article covers gifts for athletes, with a focus on runners and cyclists. The gifts are typically accessories that do not require the buyer to know the exact sizing or compatibility your friend or loved one needs to use the present you buy. The list also excludes ‘primary’ sporting devices like bikes, wheels, indoor trainers, bike computers, and running watches. It excludes specific gear, such as helmets, shoes, and saddles, that require a perfect fit.

This is a genuine list of products that I (mostly) have, like and use. No brand has had any input into this, and I do get commissions if you buy anything. You knew that.

Please feel free to add any links or suggestions in the comments.

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Gifts on the Cheaper Side

• 10/10 – TPU inner tube (~$20) – A new type of inner tube. They are small, light, and more puncture-resistant than older models, and they make great space-saver spares for keeping in a saddle bag. Every cyclist who uses inner tubes can use these. I use them. You probably want a size 700×18-32c for a road cyclist. Amazon sell ones not from mainstream brands. I only ever bought one set of those, and they lasted 5 minutes.
  • Buy: Aerothan or Tubolito
• 9/10 – Cyplus mini-electric pump (~$20–60) – Re-inflating a tyre after a puncture is a pain. This electric pump has enough power to reinflate two tyres before a recharge. Several brands make them; the best type to buy should have a pressure indicator display, though that is not necessary. I use a Cyplus one. They are so good that I will sometimes stop to inflate a stranger’s tyre, my good deed for the day easily done. Cyplus are the original; there are many similar ones.
  • Buy Cycplus
• 0/10 – Reusable bottle/hydration flask – Really, do not buy these. Every cyclist probably has about 100 of them already.
• 8/10 – Ravemen FR300 – These are cleverly designed front lights that fit between your Garmin/Wahoo and your existing bike computer mount. They can be mounted underneath the mount if the mount supports that. The FR300 can also act as an emergency battery for your bike computer.
  • Ravemen FR300 (best) or FR160 (you do not love him that much).
• 7/10 – Sweat-wicking socks (~$10–20) – Sports socks are actually a good present. I appreciate them. They wear out relatively quickly and need replacing, inevitably shrinking after too many washes. Buy a larger size than you think you will need.
• 7/10 – Foam roller (compact) (~$15–25) – This could be a good present. They are cheap and can help runners, cyclists, and any athletes with various muscular problems. A knobbly sports roller can act a bit like a massage.
  • Any of the ones that look like this should be good.
• 8/10 – Powerdot – This is one of my favourites but expensive. It is a TENS machine combined with an NMES machine. It does muscular stimulation to improve recovery and manage soft tissue niggles. Again, like a massage but requires less effort than the roller. Cheaper than a physio.
  • Get the Powerdot Duo or Uno model
• 7/10 – Prungo ($100-$300) – A cheaper alternative to Powerdot. Red light therapy will help speed soft tissue recovery and healing. Like Powerdot, you can sit and watch TV while it works its wonders.

• 8/10 – Energy gels/electrolytes (~$5–15) – These can be surprisingly expensive. The cheaper ones are simply sugar, which is fine. More expensive ones add either fructose, caffeine or both. I got a job lot of own-branded super cheap Wiggle gels; your nearest and dearest will eventually get through them all, but Wiggle may have stopped selling them. If your nearest and dearest is a performance athlete, they probably do not already have special gels that actually will make them faster. These bicarbonate gels really work, and any performance athlete will be surprisingly delighted to get these because they are expensive (and they work) – Maurten.
  • Instead, buy Maurten bicarb – these add bicarbonate into the mix, which is a lactate buffer (also known as: stops legs hurting and makes you faster)
• 0/10 – Bike multitool – When cyclists get these, they assume you got one for free in a Christmas cracker and put zero thought into the purchase. Your friend already has one.
• 3/10 – Fitness mat (~$15–25) – It is probably a useful present if your nearest and dearest currently sweats all over the floor. Hardly a gift that says ‘I love you’, but it will get used a lot.
  • You can get cheap ones or a really good one like Wahoo KICKRmat
• 8/10 – Polar SENSE heart-rate strap (~$70–90) – This is a pretty cheap and accurate heart rate monitor that is worn on the biceps. Ideal if people do not like chest straps and more accurate than a wrist watch. This will be compatible with Garmin, Suunto, Apple, and just about all brands.
  • Get Polar Verity Sense here.
• 8/10 – Amazfit Helio Strap (~$110–130 estimate) – This is a 24/7 lifestyle version of Polar SENSE (i.e., it is a bit like Whoop).

• 8/10 – G8 insoles (~$80–120) – I would only get these for cyclists who pronate. Very few cyclists will have orthotics, so this is a safe bet. To tell if your friend needs these, look at their inside ankles from the back. If either lower ankle seems to collapse inwards, then they probably need insoles. People with flat feet probably need insoles.

• 9/10 – Stryd Running Power Footpod – You can buy these individually or as a pair. If you love someone, buy them a pair; if you kind of just like them a bit, then one is enough. They give: accurate running speed (kind of important); a new power metric for pacing; and running dynamics (mostly useless). I use them. Starts at $199

• 9/10 – Chest strap HRM – For anyone who wants accurate information. Fairly fundamental as a source of heart rate, which the various training platforms use to determine training load and fatigue. Cheap ones tend to break, but you can get a good Polar one from around £/$60 – Garmin HRM-Pro/Plus/DUAL or Polar H9/H10 are pretty good on the whole. People who swim (triathletes) and who have an advanced Garmin watch could benefit from one of the more expensive Garmin chest straps, like the HRM Pro, as few others can record accurate HR when swimming.
  • buy either Polar H10 or Polar H9. I would not especially recommend this Garmin alternative.

 

• 7/10 – Shokz OpenRun – Runners who like to run to music generally love the bone-conducting earphones that do not cover the ear but instead vibrate the bones in the head. They sound remarkably good considering. Shokz was the top brand here, but there are good alternatives like Suunto Wing.
  • buy some Shokz bone conducting earphones, or try this link for more of the same
• AfterShokz OpenSwim MP3 (~$149–199) – A swimming alternative. I never used these, but they seem like a good idea.
  • Buy the Swim version
• 9/10 – NPE Runn sensor (~$80–99) – This turns a cheap treadmill into a half-smart and fully accurate one. It measures and transmits the actual belt speed and incline to digital running platforms like Zwift and MyWhoosh. Cheap treadmills are generally inaccurate and have limited compatibility with running watches and ecosystems.
  • buy NPE RUN and get 15% off with the code THE5KRUNNER
• 7/10 – NPE Heartbeatz – For Apple Watch owners who go to the gym. This nifty little tool lets the Apple Watch broadcast heart rate while still recording it. Ideal to display on gym equipment or maybe even bike computers.
  • buy NPE Heartbeatz and get 15% off with the code THE5KRUNNER
• 8/10 – NOMAD Apple Watch straps – The company’s straps are expensive but excellent (the best?). They have a super nice all-metal one and also a leather-layered one that has the leather look on the outside and the sports, sweat-wicking lining on the inside (I use one).
  • This is a whole article on their Apple Watch sports straps (and others), or you could just buy one here, where NOMAD also sell lots of Apple-related gift goodies like bedside MAGSAFE chargers.
• 8/10 – Fourth Frontier X2 heart monitor (~$249) – If your loved one is concerned about heart health (probably therefore middle-aged), this is a great heart rate monitor for regular sports use, but it also has a unique layer of ECG-like features that actively detect anomalies during sport.

• 10/10 – Garmin Varia radar RTL515 – This might save your nearest and dearest’s life. If they already have a bike computer, this will undoubtedly be compatible with it. It detects cars approaching from the rear and flashes like crazy at them whilst simultaneously showing the car on your friend’s bike computer – meaning they get rearward awareness of what is happening.
  • Buy a Garmin Varia here.
  • Wahoo TRACKR RADAR is effectively as good with a different aesthetic.

Other Ideas (Service)

You could buy a bike fit, which adjusts the bike setup to the rider’s morphology. It will make performance cyclists go faster and should help those who cycle in pain to cycle pain-free. Choose one near to where you live, ideally with a recommendation. Probably will cost at least £200, perhaps quite a bit more. The best in South West London is Richard at Freespeed (Richmond, does lots of local high-level cyclists and used to run a KONA team)

London runners might similarly benefit from Christian’s analysis at The Running Lab (deals with national UK sports teams) or Christophe at the PODO Clinic (for running, cycling orthotics – a client is Dan Bigham).

 

More Expensive Gift Ideas

Newbie Running Watches and Bike Computers

These might be suitable for someone new to sports and fitness who currently does not have a device.

• Apple Watch SE 3 – Relatively cheap, pretty good, and highly useful when not doing sports if they have an iPhone. Better suited for gym goers and runners.

• Coros Pace 3 (not Pace 4) – A good and cheap ($200) first running/sports watch.
  • Buy Pace 3

• Garmin Forerunner 165 – The cheapest Garmin sports watch. Pretty good. Too many unnecessary features, and it is those features that bump up the price. A great ecosystem around it.
  • Buy FR165 here
• Suunto Race 2 – A very elegant and good sports watch. Not cheap.

• Wahoo Bolt 3 – An excellent first bike computer for a cyclist. A triathlete might prefer the Garmin Edge 540 (lots of people buy these, but I do not especially like them; I have one).

More Expensive Recommendations

• Favero Assioma PRO RS power meter pedals (~$759) – If your cyclist has not got a power meter, this is the best, most accurate one. It is not even the most expensive. All you have to know is which cleats they use, e.g., Shimano (SPD or SPD SL) or Look/Keo, and buy the matching pedal set. There is a cheaper single-side power meter which comes with a matching dummy pedal – these are probably perfectly fine too (I would get the dual-side one personally…indeed, I bought one this year).

• For Zwift : Kickr Core 2 – If your cycling partner wants to train indoors, the compatibility issues when buying an indoor trainer are kind of baffling. The new Zwift Hub with Zwift Cog is compatible with most bikes (Wahoo Kickr Core with Zwift Hub/click is equally as compatible)

• EightSleep Pod 5 Cover (full kit) (~$2,000–2,500 depending on size)

Takeout

I have used just about all the products here and recommend them. The ones I have not used that seem to be a good idea, I have indicated as such.

Out of the whole list, I would like a pair of slightly oversized running socks that shrink after a few washes. I have got all the rest, and ‘World Peace’ seems hopeful at best.

 

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Last Updated on 10 March 2026 by the5krunner