12 Days of Christmas Gifts: Day Four—the Triathlete

It seems like saying "Buy Local" has become the in thing to do, but for small businesses in our area, there is nothing new about shopping locally. For the next 12 days, we're going to post an item each day showcasing some of the great businesses in Edgewater and Davidsonville.

Day Four: It doesn't seem that long ago that Oprah ran the Marine Corps Marathon, proving that just about anyone with a little training could. You didn't have to be a professional athlete—or have been running since your teens to get out there and get it done. 

For thousands of people in the Washington area, there is no better hobby than fitness. And locally, we have one of the best spots in the country for cycling. The rural nature of the roads lends itself to long rides, few stoplights, rolling hills and sometimes a beautiful view of the Chesapeake Bay.

New in town, but already established as the place for cyclists and triathletes  is . The store just opened at the end of summer but it has a good stock of supplies for the cyclist or triathlete in your life.

Stu Waring, co-owner of Parvilla, took us on a retail tour of the store pointing out some good stocking stuffers and gifts.

First, lights for the bike. "If they are riding at this time of year, it is likely to sometimes be in the dark.  A light is a great way to keep them safe," he said. Lights run from $20 to $50. A Garmin bicycle-attaching GPS so that you don't get lost retails in the $150 to $350 range.

Waring also identified gloves and jackets as ideal for outdoor training this time of year ($20 to $70 and up). 

For those who like to ride, but don't care for the winter conditions, a trainer allows a cyclist to ride his/her own bike indoors ($140 to $400).

Waring said that a gift certicate for training at the store's new indoor training facility would be a hit.

At the training room, you bring your own bike, which is hooked into a trainer. The trainer is hooked to a video that shows a pre-programed ride. As you pedal along, you are looking at a screen in front of you with hills and straightaways, simulating an outdoor riding experience (without the bad weather component).