Hello there! It’s Eri from the E-commerce & Photography team! With our super exciting anniversary party now behind us, I’m already getting that end-of-the-year feeling, as happens every year.
But wait! There’s one more event before the year ends! That’s right, Christmas is coming up.
When you think of Christmas, many people think of exchanging gifts with friends or partners, but I’m sure there are many of you who feel like this.
For the girlfriend saying, "My boyfriend loves bikes, but I know absolutely nothing about them!" or the wife thinking, "My husband seems to go to Circles often, so I wonder if he’d be happy with something from the shop! But what would be good..."
To help you all out, I interviewed our male staff members at Circles—representatives of bike-loving guys (and dads)—on the theme: "What kind of product from Circles would you be happy to receive as a Christmas gift?"
First, let’s ask Shige-chan, 36, who has been cycling for 16 years, loves the Chunichi Dragons, and has a wife at home who is affectionately called "The Manager"!
I want the RAL WB Loader!
I’d love to use this together when we go shopping! It’s perfect for when we load it onto our basket bike and head out, saying things like, "What should we have for dinner tonight?" The colors work for both men and women, and the design is something my wife would find cute, so we could even share it! He also gave us this reliable comment: "If we end up getting so many things we want to eat that the bag gets full, I’ll be the one to carry it!"
Next, let’s ask Asai-kun, 28, with 8 years of cycling experience, who immediately replied "She’s my sunshine!" when asked to describe his girlfriend in one word!
I want the VELO SPICA F.U.B Cap Combination!
The design is cute, it's easy to wear for cycling, going out, or outdoor activities, and it matches the clothes I already own. He says guys would definitely be happy with a hat like this because you can never have too many. He also gave us a cute comment: "It would look cute on a girl too, so eventually I’d love for us to wear matching ones or different colors."
Next, let’s ask Yanuck, 44, with 14 years of cycling experience, who has a talented and level-headed wife who is great at cooking!
I want the ASSOS Ultraz Winter Gloves!
He introduced these winter gloves that you can use right away after Christmas. It’s great to receive something you can use immediately, and I’d recommend this for anyone whose partner rides their bike hard even in winter. He says it’s a bit pricey to buy for yourself, but you’d be thrilled to get them as a gift! He says the size depends on the circumference of the widest part of the palm, so try checking by holding hands! If your boyfriend rides hard, he would surely be happy if you also gave him an ASSOS base layer to go with it!
Next, I asked Yoshi, 32, with 10 years of cycling experience, who has a wife who works in apparel and is very particular about her belongings.
I want the HOUDINI M’s Desoli Boxers!
Men often end up choosing cheap underwear like Uniqlo 3-packs, but he says he has a desire to wear high-quality items he's particular about, just like women do. The HOUDINI M’s Desoli Boxers are a bit of a stretch to buy for yourself, but he says, "I'd be super happy if my wife gave me these!" The high-performance and high-quality merino wool series is recommended for those who want their husbands to stay stylish both in outdoor activities and around town!
Next, let’s ask Rintaro-kun, 28, with 8 years of cycling experience, who has a girlfriend who enjoys cycling with him on his days off.
I want the RELAX FIT Benjamin Wallet!
He’s almost at the end of his 20s; he usually uses a nylon wallet from an outdoor brand, but he’s at an age where he wants a slightly more polished one. A money clip-style leather wallet is guaranteed to please him if you give it as a gift. It can hold coins and cards, and it’s perfect for someone who likes minimalism where the size and functionality match.
Next, I asked GO-kun, 23, with 5 years of cycling experience, who has a girlfriend who doesn’t ride bikes with him, but loves going on drives together!
I want the HUNTER CYCLES Hip Shooters!
These are slingshots specially made by Hunter Cycles. Since size doesn't matter, they are perfect for a gift, and the fact that you can only buy them at Circles, even if you search all of Japan, might be a compelling point. GO-kun commented that he’d love to go for a drive on his day off and play with this with his girlfriend! If a bike lover receives this as a gift, there’s no doubt they’ll think, "You really get me!"
Next, I asked Kamo-chan, 31, with 12 years of cycling experience, who has a girlfriend that shares fun experiences with him!
I want the BEDROCK SANDALS Mountain Clog!
Kamo-chan, who works at CWD, is obsessed with Bedrock. It’s cold in sandals during the coming dead of winter, but it’s recommended for those who have a partner who is also obsessed with them, just like Kamo-chan. Shoes are said to be hard to give as gifts, but if the person is already wearing Bedrock sandals, all you have to do is go up one size (since you'll be wearing thick socks in winter, and people are often concerned about the toe area), so it’s easy to give. Just like the hat Asai-kun introduced, eventually you can wear matching ones, so it’s worth the gift!
Next is Jomi-kun, 28, with 11 years of cycling experience, who loves delicious food and whose date course on his days off is usually cycling + meals.
I want the CLEVERHOOD Rover Rain Cape!
Jomi-kun works at Ariba and, on weekends, runs a pop-up curry shop called SpiceHour with his partner Kana-chan, and he commutes by bike even on rainy days. I think many people who ride bikes have rain gear, but people surprisingly don't choose poncho types, yet they are incredibly convenient and impossible to let go of once you use them, so they are guaranteed to be appreciated as a gift. He says, "Even if you only ride your bike like a 'mama-chari' (city bike), receiving such a cute rain cape would really boost your spirits for a rainy day commute!"
Orders in the web shop placed by 12:00 are shipped the same day! We have plenty of items that even women would be happy to receive, so please take a look at our web shop. Of course, we are also more than happy to take your questions in the store!
Bonus: Yoshi, who said he wanted underwear, really, truly has his heart set on this unannounced item, haha. I hope everyone finds a wonderful Christmas gift!
