Fathers’ Day is THIS Sunday and we’re confident ties and socks are not going to cut the mustard, so here’s our pick of top gifts for the Top Dog.
While Fathers’ Day might just be another landmark day pushing us all to buy more stuff, Dad’s are 50% of the reason we’re here and usually the ones that got us out on bikes in the first place. If you’re stuck for a good gift then here’s our suggestions.
Don’t forget – Father’s Day is Sunday 18th June 2017.
Deathgrip movie.
Deathgrip is arguably the movie of 2017. While the year is still young, Brendan Fairclough’s 5 year mission to make this happen finally coalesced into this absolute masterpiece. Far from just a rad riding edit, you can feel the amount of vision and effort that went into making this.
Get a cold one in the fridge for you and the Old Man, and slap this on the telly. Sorted.
Click here for the download.
Red Bull Hardline Tickets.
Why not go for a walk with your Dad in the Dyfi Forest for Fathers’ Day and catch some racing while you’re at it? There are few races that showcase downhill mountain biking like Dan Atherton’s creation that is Red Bull Hardline.
Head to Dinas Mawddwy in September to watch the World’s best tackle the World’s hardest.
Tickets available here.
A solid multitool.
The perfect present is something that doesn’t cost a fortune but last forever and keeps reminding you how good it is. As practical as it is, a good multi-tool is an awesomely useful gift that costs just enough to say “I care about you” but not enough to say “you’ve cleaned out my bank account, cheers then”.
Imagine the love you’ll feel for your special someone as your wheels come loose half way down Aonach Mor and your new multi-tool saves the day.
We’d recommend the Crankbrothers M19 which came out the favourite of our recent group test. We’ve also got 5 great multi-tools under £35 here.
Buy the Crankbrothers M19 multitool online here
Uplift Day.
Riding bikes is bloody brilliant. Spending a day riding your bike is bloody brilliant. But, spending a day riding your bike with uplifts is bloody expensive. Why not treat your Dad to a day doing something you love, rather than a pair of socks or another horrendous woolly jumper that doesn’t fit?
At about £35 you can treat the old man to a full day of gravity-fuelled pleasure at any one of a number of mountain bike uplift venues. Bike Park Wales is one of our favourite UK bike parks. Flyup Downhill offer uplifts at Gawton, Forest of Dean and the 417 Project. There’s also Antur Stiniog, Hamsterley, Revolution Bike Park and Innerleithen to name a few.
You can read about our favourite UK uplift venues here with links to buy.
Eskapee Anthology 1.
Proving that print is definitely not dead, The Eskapee, lovingly crafted by Aussie snapper Damien Breach, created The Anthology 1. This 220-page tome contains all of the ‘Issues’ that made it onto the website over the last year and is the ideal companion for those long flights, train rides or rainy days where the imagination needs a good old kick up the backside.
Get a copy here.
Qalo Silicone Ring.
Buying a wedding ring for your Dad might not seem like the most obvious choice, but bear with us. Plenty of active couples worry about their wedding rings getting damaged during riding or that they run the risk of getting their hand or finger de-gloved in a crash. Qalo make silicone rings for that exact purpose that cover both issues. A bit of an odd one but it keeps your hands safe!
Check out Qalo here
Buy a Qalo silicone ring on Amazon here
Trail maps.
Another not-so-obvious option here. Everyone has their favourite trail or race, and now, Trail Maps are offering framed mock-ups of some of the most famous UK and international trails and race courses. If your Dad is always banging on about how good a certain trail is, why not immortalise it in print?
Check out the full selection of trails here.
Suspension Service.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIkGgFYgiBm/?taken-by=flotec_suspension
Another awesomely useful gift that costs just enough to say “I care about you” but not enough to say “you’ve cleaned out my bank account, cheers then”.
Probably at the pricier end of gifts in this list, but if you’re feeling flush it’ll go down a treat. We’ve got experience of using Sprung Suspension and Flotec, both do a cracking job.
The gift of a clean bicycle
Is your old man’s whip lacking a bit of shine? He’s probably too busy doing dad stuff (chopping timber, fixing motor cycles, staring sternly at the ocean, wrestling a lion … that sort of stuff) to worry about keeping his bike clean.
Why not treat him to some bike maintenance goodies to keep his bike running fresh and looking even fresher? Juice Lubes offer a lovely range of easy to use, easy on the wallet bike cleaners, polishers and fixer uppers. The Juice Lubes Scrub and Buff Bike Cleaning Value Package is the same price as an uplift at Bike Park Wales and gives everything you need to keep a bicycle gleaming all year long.
Buy the Juice Lubes Scrub and Buff Bike Cleaning Value Package online here.
… Or a well groomed beard?
Is your old man blessed with a full face of hair? Why not treat him to the gift of well groomed facial hair with handmade, British made, rider-owned beard grooming gear?
Tom Dowie’s Bedfordshire Beard Co provides just that with great quality, hand made and classy yet rugged shaving products and accessories. For those with a big budget there’s a gift-boxed Traditional Shaving Set, for those with a bit less there’s a fine range of beard oils.
What’s the link to MTB? Owner Tom Dowie is a one-time 4X champ and super talented rider. He completed 4X and moved on to ravaging the beard grooming game as his next challenge.
Prices vary but you can check out the Bedfordshire Beard Co website here.
A second pair of his favourite gloves
Sometimes you just find a product that works for you … and sometimes you can’t use it because it’s in the wash, left in a mate’s van or still stinking from a previous ride.
What do dad’s love? They love trusty, reliable stuff that isn’t new fangled or unexpected. So … why not treat the old man to a second pair of his trusty MTB gloves to make sure he’s always got what he needs. At short notice you’ll need CRC or the local bike shop.
Buy the Fox Dirt Paw SS17 gloves online here.
