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2015 S’NS GIft Guide

'Tis the season of giving and from technology to games to clothing and more, SPORTS 'N SPOKES has great gift ideas for the active person on your list.

There always seems to be a little love/hate relationship with the holiday season.

We all love spending time with family and friends, the parties and receiving gifts this time of year. However, we generally hate all the hustle and bustle of trying to see everyone, preparing for all the parties and especially dealing with the masses while shopping for gifts.

While we at SPORTS ’N SPOKES can’t help with your holiday scheduling or clean for a party, we can make getting a great gift for someone a bit easier. These gift ideas end the guessing game on what to get the athlete, weekend warrior or general sports lover on your list this year. All these gifts can be purchased on the Internet, too, so you never even need to leave the house.

Music On The Move

Everyone loves good tunes while handcycling, during a roll in the park or just hanging at home. But wearing earphones can prevent you from hearing a car horn or even a knock at the door.

A simple solution is the colorful and portable Ivation Bullet. This 3.5-ounce speaker plays music via Bluetooth, MicroSD card or auxiliary line and features a 10-hour rechargeable battery. The speaker itself comes with four skins and matching mounts that are very easy to take on and off a handcycle or wheelchair.

The Bullet comes with everything you need to start listening to your favorite song right away, including the speaker, four skins and mounting straps, charging cable, auxiliary line and even a strap for your wrist.

$29.99, amazon.com.

Toolin’ Around

Whether it’s competitive or recreational, handcycling is fun and great exercise, but it’s frustrating to need a repair away from home and not have the right tool. The Ringtool from Reductivist can fix that problem by placing several tools right in your pocket.

The Ringtool fits on standard key rings and features 10 tools, including seven drivers, two spoke wrenches and a bottle opener. The tool can also be used as a drill bit so you can add a little power and speed to any bike repair.

The Ringtool is made in the United States, comes with a lifetime warranty and the company says it’s approved by the Transportation and Security Administration.

$34.84 (tax included), reductivist.com.

Roll With It

An inventive member of the U.S. Air Force is proving not all fun and games require batteries, power cords or WiFi.

Rollors is a modest game of skill that can be played anywhere there’s a flat surface. Combining the elements of horseshoes and Bocce, the game features oversized wooden disks (aka Rollors) that players roll towards a color-coded, wooden goal 25 feet away. Points are awarded to the player/team that positions his or her disks closest to the goal.

Lt. Col. Matt Baurer first visualized the concept for Rollers between deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan. His creativity has resulted in an award-winning and unique game that is great for all ages.

$49.95, rollors.com.

Give the Gift of Fitness

Help your friends and loved ones stick to their New Year’s resolutions by giving them a membership to a local gym that accommodates wheelchair users. Not sure what to look for in a wheelchair accessible gym? Check out our story about the rise of fitness centers specifically for people with disabilities.

If your town is lacking in accessible gyms, consider purchasing your health fanatic a membership to SCI Total Fitness instead. The cyber-training brings fitness into your home with online workout videos made for people who use wheelchairs. Three available packages give you access to various workout programs, goals, fitness tracking, rewards and two new videos every week.

Starting at $25/month, scitotalfitness.com.

Cliff Notes

If you or someone you know enjoys reading SPORTS ’N SPOKES (S’NS) magazine each month, it’s a good bet you’ll both like The Editorials from Sports ’N Spokes 1975 – 2007 by Cliff Crase.

The book offers a peek into the history of wheelchair sports through the editorials of S’NS’s late co-founder and inaugural editor. Written in Cliff’s unique style, the editorials are a reflection of his charismatic personality and provide great insight into the development of adaptive sports.

Edited by his wife and fellow magazine co-founder Nancy, the 280-page book includes the original pictures that accompanied Cliff’s writings, as well as many additional unpublished photos from the magazine archives.

$23.97 (proceeds benefit the Paralyzed Veterans of America), blurb.com/b/6516777

We’ve Got You Covered

Protect your electronics in style with phone and tablet covers that represent your athlete’s interests. This one, below, from Zazzle shows a wheelchair racer rolling across the back. Other options include wheelchair basketball and funny sayings including “I’m a bit of a wheelchair basketball player.”

Can’t find your sport? Create a custom case with a favorite action shot, a team photo or your own clever quote.

Starting at $39.95, zazzle.com.

Say It With a Shirt

For the friend who’s always cracking a joke, providing comic relief or trying to make a statement, grab a wheelchair-centric graphic tee. Sayings such as, “Keep Calm It’s Just a Wheelchair,” “I’m just In It For the Parking,” and “Free Rides,” poke some fun at all the onlookers.

Choose a pre-existing shirt from sites like Zazzle and Café Press, or come up with your own saying or graphic to have printed on the T-shirt of your choice.

Starting at $24, cafepress.com, zazzle.com.

Hold The Phone

For those wheelchair athletes who like to handcycle, here’s a handy-dandy way to keep their iPhone nearby, too. It’s a Quad Lock Mounting System bike lock and holder. Quad Lock says it’s the lightest and strongest iPhone bike mounting system on the market and is compatible with Quad Lock cases and Quad Lock universal adaptor for Android.

The case is made from a durable thermoplastic polyurethane outer shell with a tough polycarbonate core, according to the Quadlock website. The phone can be mounted using Quad Lock’s mount-o-rings (two large and two small) or secured with two nylon zip ties, all of which are included.

Case: $39.95; bike mount: $29.95, quadlockcase.com.

 

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