Bicycle Queensland’s gift guide for bike riders

As we move into the season of gift giving, the question always comes up – what do you give to a bike or scooter rider? The difficulty arises when you don’t know what they already have – or if you don’t quite know what their preferences are for riding accessories or even the riding they do. Thankfully, here at Bicycle Queensland, we are here to help!

If you’re wondering what to give an important rider in your life, or the fussy rider on your office Kriss Kringle, take some advice from Bicycle Queensland staff and supporters, to guide you safely through the season ahead.

‘Bicycle Queensland have a great variety of clothing,’ CEO Alton Twine suggests. ‘We have options in the BQ shop for riding jerseys and shorts, alongside other accessories.’ You may need to guess sizing – although you can always use the option to purchase a gift voucher instead.

Andrew Demack, our Director of Advocacy, is a rider who knows just about every backstreet and bikeway across Queensland. And his gift idea suits his sense of adventure.

‘What could be better than giving the gift of a million great riding routes? A subscription to Ride With GPS for route planning will be a gift that keeps on giving.’

When it comes to accessories, Lindsay in BQ’s Accounts department said the best choices would be ‘gloves, socks or a nice bag for your bike. There are a lot of nicely designed bags for your handlebars, so I think choosing one to suit the rider would make a lovely gift.’

Of course, nothing relates how much you care for someone like giving the gift of public liability insurance, equipment and event discounts, accident insurance and income protection, as Amanda Hernandez pointed out.

‘I think a Bicycle Queensland membership would be a lovely gift to receive. There are options for concession card holders through to households of three or more – individual pricing is $134 and really gives peace of mind when riding or using an e-scooter.’

You can buy a BQ Membership via a voucher in the BQ Shop

‘Nothing is as useful or versatile as a buff for a bike rider,’ Paul Dalitz, BQ’s Projects Officer told us. And he’s right, they can be used for winter warmth, sun protection, to keep dust out and all sorts of other uses. They’re a very handy item and we expect to have some BQ branded items available in 2025.

‘Always having your spares on hand is good,’ said Philippa Heming, BQ’s Administration Officer.  ‘What’s even better is having somewhere to store them. So I think a good saddle bag is really useful for any rider. Better yet, include a tube, tyre levers and multitool so they are ready to go.’

‘Hydration,’ said Imogen Smith, BQ’s Grant’s Officer when asked what gift she thought was good for riders. ‘A great bidon is a very useful gift, and pretty cheap as well.’ You can get two BQ bottles posted for $25 in the BQ shop, they are BPA free, recyclable and easy to wash. ‘A plastic bottle will last a very long time’ added Imogen, ‘just put it through the dishwasher after each use and it will be your hydration companion for years to come.’

‘Take someone for a ride,’ said Mike Blewitt, from BQ’s marketing department. ‘Giving the gift of your time to take someone out for a ride, without a schedule, is pretty rare these days – and a very unique gift that only you can give them.’

Of course, there are all sorts of other options for gifts for bike and scooter riders. We have a number of books in the BQ shop, for riding and bushwalking in Queensland.

Cherie from our friends at Ground Effect suggested the typical gift of a set of socks – but make it fancy with their Hoopla socks, currently on sale for a a bit over $20.

‘As lightweight merino liner-socks, the Hoopla socks let your feet breathe inside performance-fit cycle shoes. There is still elastic arch and ankle support which keeps the socks in place.’

The Hooplas are made from: 42% merino; 24% elastic; 19% lycra; 15% nylon – and they’re made in Aotearoa | New Zealand.

When we asked some of our BQ Link retail partners, Sam Willis from Electric Bikes Brisbane had a couple of great options that really suit Queensland.

From a lovely 700mL Camelbak Podium bottle in EBB livery ($29) through to a long-sleeve UV resistant touring jersey. This one is pretty unique as it includes pockets for storage and also a collar for a bit more sun protection over your neck.

Still stuck for ideas? Contact one of your local BQ Link dealers, who may have great advice, or even be able to help out with a gift voucher.