Athletes are notoriously hard to shop for. They are loyal to brands, obsessive about
materials and more conscious about fit than America’s Next Top Model. However, many are gear junkies and see
nothing wrong with having 3+ bicycles, half a dozen pairs of shoes, and
multiple suits and swim goggles.
Sometimes the extra gear is for training and racing or sometimes for
different conditions such as roads, trails, snow, etc.
I have recently been unimpressed by the numerous gear guides
for the holidays and wanted to put together a definitive list based on my
experience. I think it is very
thoughtful to buy gifts to keep your athlete comfortable, warm and performing
their best. I also see nothing wrong
with earmarked cash or gift cards to their favorite stores. However, if you are willing to go the next
step, be prepared to put on your detective hat.
First check out their training log and equipment
stashes. You can quickly discover their
shoe brand preference and size and swimsuit preference and size. These are consumable goods and you can just
buy a new pair of the same model and size.
It is much tougher to figure out clothing as they are sized as club fit
or casual fit. Club fit is for the more
serious (no body fat) rider. However if
you can finagle your athlete’s chest and waist measurements, you can get pretty
close.
Sunglasses are a pretty easy gift. While there are brand loyalties, everybody
can use a new pair of shades as they get scratched up, lost and the new styles
are cool.
A few things on my list this year included a replacement pump
head (Tanaka, Harame, KNC) which every cyclist would appreciate, a pair of running gloves which you
will probably get wrong but will be suitable for at least one temperature
range, and a mesh swim bag which is multipurpose and can be used for any sport.
Another tip is to query their friends. Your triathlete may be coveting some new
wheels, swim lessons with a local coach or antagonizing whether to get some
physiological testing done. In this case
a gift card or cash with a picture of the training facility or wheel set will
fit the bill. Another overlooked gift
for an athlete is coaching services.
This one will be even tougher to figure out so earmarked cash may be the
only way to pull this off.
A final tip is to buy local.
Your detective’s hat review of the credit card receipts will reveal
their favorite stores. Don’t freak out
if you see $100 for a pair of running shoes or a pair of cycling shorts. That is the nature of the beast. Your athlete can exchange sizes and brands
without shipping things back and forth across the country.
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