The holiday season is here, and for some, it's time to start thinking about gifts for the cyclocross fan in your life. In the next two weeks, we will be bringing you some gift ideas to help make sure it is a Merry Crossmas for one and all.
Books are a classic holiday gift idea, and they offer hours of enjoyment and a lifetime of knowledge. This year, several have come across our desks that are worth considering. Our Winter reading list includes:
- Gravel Cycling by Nick Legan
- Cyclocross Photo Albums by Balint Hamvas
- Rainbows in the Mud by Paul Maunder
- The Haywire Heart by Chris Case, Dr. John Mandrola and Lennard Zinn
- Behind the Stare by Geoff Proctor
Learn more about them and why they might be great fits for the cyclist in your life via the slider below. Have a hankering for something on this list? We are not opposed to sharing this list to drop a not-so-subtle hint to anyone watching your social media feed.
Of course, it needs to be said, Cyclocross Magazine receives no compensation from companies for inclusion in our Holiday Gift Guides. We only consider products we've had experience with. No advetorial here.
(Click the next arrow to view each gift idea.)
Rainbows in the Mud by Paul Maunder
Rainbows in the Mud is the new book about the 2015/16 cyclocross season from Paul Maunder. photo: courtesy
Why is it a good gift?
English author Paul Maunder spent the 2015/16 cyclocross season chasing down the story of the sport of cyclocross. Maunder started the season at CrossVegas, and then headed to European races from the Three Peaks in Yorkshire all the way to Worlds at Zolder. Along the way, he follows Katie Compton and Gage Hecht and captures the importance of place in cyclocross.
We reviewed Maunder’s book earlier this year and found it an enjoyable read that does a good job capturing the appeal, flavor and idiosyncracies of the sport of cyclocross, particularly in Flanders.
Who is it good for?
Rainbows in the Mud would make a good gift for the cyclocross fan who has been getting up early on weekends for years to watch grainy streams of Euro races or for the newbie who got their first taste of European racing during the U.S. World Cups this season. The details from the European races help bring the races to life and the general info provides insight on parts of the sport such as why Flanders is considered the spiritual home of cyclocross.
Rainbows is geared toward the adult crowd. In our review we noted there are no photos to accompany the story, and this was driven home recently by a brief review a seven-year old boy who grabbed our review copy. After skimming through the book, he said, “Daddy, there’s zero pictures!”
Your recipient’s possible reaction?
“Now I need to see the racing for myself. Can we spend a season in Europe?”
Price
$20 (paperback), or $8.49 kindle
More info: bloomsbury.com or possibly available for less online:
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