The short answer

The best gifts for e-bike riders are things that wear out, get lost or get broken: gloves, lights, tire repair kits, pads. Anything that has to fit a person (helmets, shoes, pads, clothing) or a bike (batteries, chargers, grips) needs a quiet check first. And most products sold as "for e-bikes" are the same thing as the normal version with a bigger price.

Here are twelve ideas by budget, written by someone who rides an e-MTB and gets asked this every December.

Under $30

  1. Gloves. Riders wear through them and lose them constantly. Light full-finger trail gloves are always welcome. Check their size, or buy the same brand they already wear.
  2. A tubeless tire plug kit. Small, cheap, and the thing that turns a long walk home into a two-minute fix. Most trail riders run tubeless now.
  3. Chain lube and a cleaning brush. Boring, used every week, always running out. Normal bike lube is fine; e-bike chains do not need a special one.
  4. A good water bottle or hydration bladder. Old ones get grim. A new bladder for their existing pack is an easy win.

$30 to $80

  1. A front light. E-bikes make after-work rides longer, and autumn makes them darker. A bar-mounted light for dusk rides gets used all winter. Many e-bikes already have a road light, so look for a brighter trail light rather than a duplicate.
  2. A multi-tool with a chain breaker. The one tool every rider should carry and half of them do not.
  3. Knee pads. E-MTB riders spend more of every ride descending. Ventilated pads are light enough to wear all day, but sizing matters, so this one needs a measurement or a gift receipt.
  4. A shirt they can ride in. Most riders don't want team lycra, but an everyday t-shirt is soaked by the first climb. The Watts tee is a light polyester tee that dries faster and still looks normal. It is $55.95, ships free, and if the size is wrong within thirty days I send the right one and they keep the first. It is printed to order, so in the US allow up to two weeks.

$80 and up

  1. A new helmet. Helmets should be replaced after a crash and every few years anyway. Fit is personal, so this is best as a gift card for a local shop or a trip there together.
  2. A skills clinic. More speed uphill means more speed downhill. A half-day cornering or jumping clinic is the gift most riders would never buy themselves.
  3. A shuttle or bike-park day. Some bike parks allow e-MTBs and some do not, so check first. Lift-served laps are a treat even for people who own a motor.
  4. A spare battery, carefully. It is the most useful big e-bike gift and the easiest to get wrong. It has to match the exact bike model, voltage and mount, and it costs hundreds of dollars. Only buy the manufacturer's battery, never a cheap copy: badly made lithium batteries are a real fire risk.

What to skip

  • Anything sized without a size. Shoes, helmets, pads and clothing that does not fit end up in a drawer.
  • Cheap batteries and chargers. Not worth the risk to someone's garage.
  • Generic "e-bike" gadgets. Phone mounts, bags and bells are fine, but there is rarely a reason to pay extra for an e-bike label.
  • Upgrades to parts you do not know. Grips, saddles, pedals and tires are personal. Leave those to them, or give a shop gift card.

If you only remember one thing

Look at what they ride with now. Whatever is worn out, missing or held together with tape is the gift. If nothing is, give them something that makes them laugh at the trailhead, or a day out on the bike.