Kitty’s Christmas 2013 Gift Guide: Cycling books, cups and fairy lights

We’ve given you prints, tees, cycling kit – and now all the other stuff that I kind of liked but didn’t know what to do with. That means, books, coffee accessories and just cool things. Great for stocking stuffers!

Coffee – elixir of the gods

There really is nothing quite as satisfying as sitting down to savour an excellent cup of coffee after a long ride. Or to start your ride! And excellent coffee requires some excellent cups. These retro bike team espresso cups from Cycling Souvenirs are fun and stylish – just like you! – and they feel solid and weighty in your hand. These cups are not digitally printed so the kiln-fired finish is high gloss and should last, oh, forever. A set of four costs £40 and includes Brooklyn, Renault, Molteni and La Vie Claire. UK and European delivery free.

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Retro teams espresso cups: Cycling Souvenirs

(Full disclosure: Cycling Souvenirs very sweetly sent me a Molteni cup earlier this year. I love it!)

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Castelli espresso cups: Castelli Cafe

Castelli Cafe weighs into the espresso debate with two sets of cups: the first set is white with Castelli scorpion branding and Italian colours, the second a white and grey Cafe Racer design. Each set (£35) comes with two cups and saucers. Delivery on all UK orders is free.

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Cafe Racer espresso cups: Castelli Cafe

Please note: Castelli Cafe only delivers to mainland UK – they cannot accept orders outside the UK. So if you’re outside the UK and you want the cups, start schmoozing a Brit or two …

You’ve got the cups, now you need something to put in them. Of course, you could go for the Nespresso system, but why not try eightpointnine’s gourmet coffee. Design the coffee that tickles your tastebuds, choose between beans or ground, and you can even name your blend! Then the coffee elves in the Cotswolds will prepare it and deliver it to your door (in a box that fits through the letterbox). Starts at £5.89 for 150g, three boxes for £17.67 (postage included).

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Dear Diary, today I rode like Cancellara

If your hands are not jittering too much from all the coffee you’ve just had, why not write down your training schedule, your thoughts on cycling or just your cycling kit wish list? Here are some notebooks to tuck into your back pocket …

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Race Notes: Rapha

The creme de la creme of ride journals, Rapha’s Race Notes come in A5 (£40) or A6 (£30) and have fine-grained black leather covers, gilt edged pink graph paper and exclusive Rapha prints. Come on, it’s Christmas – splurge! Delivery is via registered Royal Mail at £4 for orders under £100, £8 for express delivery. All orders over £100 enjoy free delivery.

The Beautiful Ride does a number of groovy notebooks including this stylish Super Domestique notebook (£18).

Super Domestique notebook

Super Domestique notebook: The Beautiful Ride

Want something more colourful? Why not Prologue (£18)? Remember how I mentioned Cancellara – that would be him on the cover of this one. All notebooks from Beautiful Ride are A5, hardcover, matte laminated, 128 off-white pages.

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Prologue notebook: The Beautiful Ride

Words, words and more words

Suze Clemitson, aka FestinaGirl on Twitter, spent most of the first part of 2013 writing 100 Tours 100 Tales. This eBook uncovers little known facts and forgotten stories about the first 100 Tours (I say first 100 – I’m hoping to be around for the next 100 as well!) An entertaining way to brush up on your Tour facts for 2014’s Grand Depart in Yorkshire. A steal at £5 for the eBook download from Velocast.

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Rouleur always publishes a year-end photography annual. This year, they concentrated on the Centenary of the Tour de France. Seven writers and photographers were each given three stages to cover and the result is a gorgeous record of three weeks in July. Order through the Bloomsbury website and the online price is £36 with free postage. (Also available through Bloomsbury USA and Australia.)

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Tony Martin – Centenary, Tour de France

For history buffs, or Italian cycling fans, or Coppi fans – or all of the above – Rouleur has also published Coppi: Inside the Legend of the Campionissimo (£27 online) by the wonderful Herbie Sykes. This is a stunning photographic record of this iconic cyclist – many never before published. A square 220x220mm format, 320 pages, anyone would be overjoyed to find this under the tree.

Rouleur Coppi cover

Light up your life!

Want one last fun thing? How about some cycling team fairy lights?! These little gems from Cycling Souvenirs will look a treat struck along the mantelpiece or on your Christmas tree. Available in two different styles, each ten-light set costs £45 (batteries not included). UK and European delivery is free. Go on, you know you really want to!

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Retro team fairy lights: Cycling Souvenirs

All prices and links are correct at time of going to press. To avoid disappointment, make sure you order in good time for Christmas delivery. Last posting date from Royal Mail is 17th December but I’d give yourself some wiggle room. In fact, just order them now. If you’ve given or received any of these gifts this Christmas, let us know. We’d love to hear what you think of them!

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