The short answer

The best gifts for a dad who rides an e-bike are the ones he would never buy for himself: better lights, a helmet that is not ten years old, a service for the bike, a comfortable pair of gloves, or a day out riding with you. If it has to fit his bike (batteries, chargers, racks), check the exact make and model first.

This list covers both kinds of e-bike dad: the one who commutes or cruises, and the one who rides trails.

Safety upgrades

  • A new helmet. If his helmet is old or has been in a crash, it needs replacing. A helmet with MIPS or a similar rotational system is worth the money. Fit matters, so make it a shop trip.
  • Brighter lights. Many e-bikes come with modest lights. A strong front light and a bright rear light make evening rides much safer.
  • A mirror. For road and path riding, a bar-end or helmet mirror is one of the most useful cheap upgrades there is.
  • A good lock. E-bikes are expensive and stolen often. A heavy-duty lock is a practical gift for any e-bike that gets parked in town.

Comfort

  • Gloves. Padded gloves for cruising, light full-finger gloves for trails.
  • A comfortable saddle. Only if he complains about his current one, and ideally with a shop that lets you swap it.
  • Weather layers. A packable rain jacket or a windproof layer for chilly mornings.
  • Padded shorts or liners. Unglamorous, very appreciated.

Looking after the bike

  • A service voucher at his local shop. E-bikes wear chains, brake pads and tires faster than regular bikes. A full service is a gift he will feel on every ride.
  • A floor pump with a gauge. Correct tire pressure makes a heavy bike ride much better, and most people never check it.
  • A basic cleaning kit. Brushes, a bike-safe cleaner and chain lube. Note: never jet-wash an e-bike's motor or battery area.

The fun ones

  • A shirt he can actually ride in. If he rides in whatever t-shirt is clean, it is soaked by the first climb. The Watts tee is a light polyester tee that dries faster and still looks like a normal shirt. $55.95, free shipping, printed after you order, so allow up to two weeks in the US. If the size is wrong within thirty days, I print the right one free and he keeps the first.
  • A ride together. Rent an e-bike for yourself for a day and ride his favourite route with him. For a lot of dads, that beats anything in a box.
  • A trip. A weekend somewhere with good bike paths or e-bike-legal trails.

The big one: a spare battery

A second battery doubles his range and is one of the most useful e-bike gifts there is, but it is also the easiest to get wrong. It has to match the bike's make, model, voltage and mount, and it should be the manufacturer's own battery. Cheap third-party batteries and chargers are a real fire risk. If you cannot check without spoiling the surprise, give a card saying you will buy it together.

By budget

  • Under $50: gloves, a mirror, a cleaning kit, a rear light.
  • $50 to $150: a front light, a floor pump with gauge, a rain jacket, a shirt, a lock.
  • Over $150: a helmet fitting, a full service, a rental day together, a manufacturer battery.

What to skip

  • Gadgets with "e-bike" on the box and nothing e-bike about them.
  • Parts you are guessing at.
  • Any battery or charger that is not from the bike's manufacturer.

More ideas, not dad-specific: gifts for e-bike riders and Christmas gifts for e-bike riders.