I once had a girlfriend who felt the need to buy a Christmas present each year for a distant uncle whose only known interest was fishing. The uncle didn’t actually ever fish, but he liked to imagine that he might someday—a delusion reinforced by the mountains of never-to-be-used fishing tchotchkes he received every December.  

Cyclists are different! They actually need gear to cope with changing conditions—the rain and darkness of winter riding, for example. Here are a couple of truly useful items that will keep the cyclist in your life safe and happy. 

Spurcycle Bell

When visibility is poor, cyclists need more than lights. They need a bell, like this lovely handcrafted item from Spurcycle. You think that $49 is a lot to spend for a bicycle bell? Then you have not yet heard its LOUD but dulcet tone. As soon as I clamped it onto my handlebars, I started seeking out opportunities to ring it, just to hear that beautiful sound. Clueless pedestrian wandering into the bike lane? Dinnggg! Motorist thinking about turning right without looking or using a signal? Dinnggg! Dinnggg! Fellow cyclist on a crash course with you?? Dinnggg! Dinnggg! Dinnggg! Spurcycle’s superior bell will get the malefactors’ attention—and its lingering echo will afford them ample time to reflect on their perfidy as you blithely cycle past.  

Click to Dinnggg:

Ottolock

I really like my bike and would hate hate hate to have it stolen, but there are times—say, popping in to the donut store on the way to work or parking in a friend’s backyard—when I really don’t want to deal with a giant U-lock. Ottolock ($60 to $85) is perfect for such situations—stronger than a cable lock and a reasonable guard against what they call “opportunity theft.” It’s a plastic-coated steel-and-Kevlar strap with a sturdy combination mechanism (far sturdier, I might add, than a certain competing model that broke on first use), available in 18, 30, and 60-inch lengths. You know what they say about knives, that the best one is the one you have on you? By that standard, the convenient and light (about five ounces for the shorter version) Ottolock is likely to be your best bike lock. My tester, unfortunately, was immediately stolen—not by a bicycle thief but by my covetous teen daughter. 

Showers Pass Cloudcover Transit Backpack

I must admit to some skepticism when this ultra-waterproof, self-supporting cycling backpack came out of the box, because it’s quite large: 42 liters, to be precise. It weighs four pounds, has enough fleece-lined compartments for a whole IT department (17-inch laptop, tablet, and phone), four more inner compartments for water bottles or whatever, and a side strap for your U-lock. The size quickly grew on me, though—storage capacity is never an issue, and I can easily stop to pick up dinner on the way home from work. Especially appreciated on dark rainy nights are the four LED lights (two on back, one on either side) for extra visibility. Not cheap at $264, but Showers Pass has made a business out of rain resistance, and its heavy-duty nylon material and waterproof zippers appear strong enough to last a lifetime. 

Cycliq Fly 6 and Fly 12

Earlier this year, I had the bad luck to be rear-ended (but the great good luck not to be seriously hurt). The driver responsibly stopped—something by no means guaranteed in such cases. That was on my mind when I used a portion of the insurance settlement to buy Cycliq’s Fly 12 ($279) and Fly 6 ($179) front- and rear-facing video camera/lights. Both resemble standard cycle lights but have continuously operating dashcam-like HD video cameras. The videos loop, so you never run out of space, but if you are involved in a crash, the video locks and cannot be overwritten. The initial setup is a bit of a learning curve, but the cameras are pretty trouble-free after that. A charge lasts for four to five hours of recording with lights (100 lumen for the rear-facing Fly 6, 600 lumens for the headlight) and seven or eight without. Considering the cameras' priceyness, you will want to remove them when parking in public, but they snap off easily with a quick-release system. Even if you never need to present the video in court, it’s fun to relive those epic descents—although some may find it politic to do so when their noncycling spouse is not in the room. 

Loxi bag

The convenient curse of quick-release mechanisms means that when cyclists reach a public destination, they now have to figure out how to safely stow all their stealable items: lights, seat, helmet, Garmin, etc. The clever foldable, waterproof Loxi storage bag—recently launched via Kickstarter—is the answer to that problem. Think of it as the fanny pack of cycling bags. Or as a dry bag with a lock—when you’re riding, it rests on your rack while secured around your seat post. When you park, you stuff your gear (e.g., camera or phone) into either the four- or nine-liter version ($85 or $108, respectively) and lock it to your frame. Multiple layers of slash- and water-resistant material keep your valuables safe. In a pinch, you can use the bag as a simple lock to secure your bike.