The Recreation column in this week's Isthmus suggests a handful of gift ideas for the recreation enthusiasts on your holiday shopping list. But there is no shortage of ideas from which to draw inspiration. Here are four more.
Hand-crafted custom-built bicycle
Madison is home to a small community of artisans who are establishing strong reputations as custom bike builders. Among them: Jon Kendziera of of ZR Cycles. Prices for frames start in the low four figures and climb from there, depending on frame style (touring, cyclocross, track racing etc.), materials, construction method, the bike's intended use, each individual rider's needs and other variables.
Icebreaker Clothing
"This stuff is like crack," raves local triathlete Brad Werntz, co-founder of Boulders Climbing Gym and founder of the Madison-based Pemba Serves sales agency for such outdoor-industry brands as Atlas snowshoes and Petzl lights. "Once you use it, you just can't stop," he says of Icebreaker's Merino wool T-shirts, sweaters and other apparel. "I wear it almost every day, year round." Starting from about $10-$25 for , 220 W. Broadway, Monona.
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From Ironman Wisconsin and the Madison Marathon to the Horribly Hilly Hundreds and local Planet Bike, which donates 25% of its profits to grass-roots bicycle advocacy groups.