RoadCyclingUK’s countdown to Christmas continues, this time with five gifts under £50 from Team Sky, Crud, Velobici, Rapha and the Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome.
You can find the previous entries in our Christmas Gift Guide series here, including ten cycling books, gifts under £200 and ideas for the cyclist for who money is no object.
Rouleur/Team Sky mug – £19
Earlier this year, cartoonist Richard Mitchelson and Rouleur teamed up with Team Sky to produce a selection of six official mugs featuring the faces of Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, Geraint Thomas, Ben Swift, Bernhard Eisel and Chris Froome.
The mugs are made from bone china and are manufactured in Stoke-on-Trent. Perfect for wrapping your hands around after a cold winter ride!
You can buy them individually for £19 or as a four-pack for £67.
Crud RoadRacer Mk2 mudguards – £29.99 
Ok, so this is not this most glamourous, nor the most exciting, Christmas gift going – but mudguards are essential if you’re to ride through winter in relative comfort.
The trouble is, most road bikes (or at least those at the racy end of the spectrum) won’t have the clearance for ‘proper’ mudguards. Luckily, the Crud RoadRacer Mk2 ‘guards are a lightweight and easy-to-fit alternative which still provide excellent coverage from road spray. A winter essential.
Velobici Tivoli seamless collar – £30
A neck warmer is a simple accessory which goes a long way to keeping you warm on cold winter rides, acting as an extension of your base layer to keep you neck toasty, and stopping chilly air disappearing into your jersey.
This one, from Leicestershire-based clothing brand Velobici, is made from a 51 per cent polyester and 42 per cent merino wool mix, so it’s both insulating and moisture wicking. It’s also seamless and soft next to the skin, plus it’s made in Britain too.
Rapha Essentials Case – £40
Part of Rapha’s luggage range, the essentials case is, erm, a man-purse to keep your bits and pieces out of harms way while training.
It’s made out of a soft, robust leather and is big enough to carry a spare inner tube, tyre levers, a CO2 cylinder and a multi-tool or mobile phone. There’s also a small sleeve pocket for carrying a credit card or bank note.
Like many riders, Mark Cavendish used to wrap his valuables in a plastic bag and stuff that in his jersey pocket until Rapha boss Simon Mottram sent him one of these. If it’s good enough for Cav, it’s good enough for you and me.
Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome jersey – £50/60
The Herne Hill Velodrome played a key part in the development of a young Bradley Wiggins, now Great Britain’s first Tour de France champion, but the track has struggled for cash in recent years. While the track was resurfaced last year, additional funds are needed to secure the facility’s future.
The Friends of Herne Hill Velodrome trust has joined forces with a number of London designers to create a selection of Christmas gifts, including his jersey from Milltag. It’s available in short sleeve (£50) and long sleeve (£60) versions, and can be purchased from Milltag.cc, Condor, De Ver Cycles and Brixton Cycles.
Otherwise, caps are £10 (available from Condor), while a limited edition landscape print of the velodrome is £30 unframed and £50 framed from South London Prints.
