“THE” Christmas wish list

Being a gear guy, you may have assumed my wish list would be nothing but bike gear. Alas, it won’t be. There will be some gear, but not “a lot.”

1. 260$ CDN: Stylish euro eye wear. Perhaps the biggest investment, and therefore most important Christmas gift is a good pair of specks. I highly recommend Oakley’s Radar. (http://oakley.ca/custom/radar)
   

   Oakley Radar's - Oh so stylish!

2. 10-55$ CDN: Coffee. Not that crap Tim Horton’s; rumored to have nicotine added, rather a quality ‘spro such as Quest or DownEast. Maybe buy a Moka Pot to go with that Espresso. Espresso is known to give you a kick prior to racing/training, especially if you aren’t a coffee drinker, may as well begin sometime!? (http://www.bialetti.it)
   

   Mokka Pot

3. 225$ USD: Good cycling shorts. Though I don’t personally own any, these are what I want. They are the ultimate in bling, comfort, and looks. Who said spandex can’t be sexy? (http://www.rapha.cc/rapha-condor-bib-shorts-09/)
   

   Rapha - bib shorts

4. FREE: Humour. This is free! Or next to it. Some things that make me laugh:
   • The Officials Rule of the Euro Cyclist
   • Bevan and James Oz IMTALK podcast
   • The one and only BIKESNOBNYC
   • Tommy Johnagin
   

   NYC Bike Snob Blog

5. IF YOU HAVE TO ASK: I have a problem. I like bicycles. While a Cervelo is a nice bike, I want CUSTOM! Handcrafted in the land down under, and making works of art out of steel and titanium this is what beauty is all about. And with models named “espresso” how can you go wrong?  (http://www.baumcycles.com/)
   
6. 150-300$ USD: Its almost December 21st which means two things. a) winter is definitely here b) finally the days are getting longer. On November 30th it was a glorious 5 deg C and dark at 1700. So, i strapped on my Light and Motion, and voila, daytime again! My favourite model, STELLA!! (http://bikelightingsystem.com/ )
   

   Stella Light

7. 55$ USD: I am a sweat’er. I can’t help it, I’ll just blame genes. As we all know, in Canada its potentially cold 10mos of the year. SO, let’s take away that sweat, and prevent cooling. Wick wear if you will. My favourite, and best working wick wear is that produced by Craft clothing. Made in Sweden (its cold there) one single Craft “base” layer can be used for all seasons. TJ’s choice? ProZero Long Sleeve! (http://www.craft-usa.com)
   

   Craft Pro Long Sleeve

8. 2,500$ USD: Wheels. Again, I go with the custom theme. Yes, Zipp is to Cervelo, as EDGE is to Baum. American bling. These carbon rims are produced inhouse, in “A-mur-ka”. You have your pick, climbing rims, all rounders, or deep dish. How about clincher or tubular? Not the most aerodynamic, not the lightest, not even the most coveted, but still they look good, and I want them! (http://www.edgecomposites.com)
   

   Edge Wheels

9. Priceless!: Alpe d’Huez. Yes. The mecca of all things glorious! Now, not to totally make this an all cycling wish list, I’ve included the D’Huez Tri, for all you multisport athletes. Known for its 21 hairpins, I guess you could run up the “hill.” But, I think it’d be way more fun to cycle up it. Maybe, even cycle down it. Hanging out in Central France isn’t such a bad gig either, is it?
   

   Alpe d'Huez