24 Father’s Day Gifts Handpicked by a Bike-Obsessed Dad

Skratch Labs Energy Chews

One of the keys to eating enough on long rides is different textures and flavors. I generally drink my calories when riding but I always carry some chews also so I can stop briefly and actually chew something.

Skratch Labs Energy Bars

The other thing I always carry with me are these bars from Skratch. It’s a totally different texture but unlike competing brands the Skratch bars aren’t dry and they are also a bit tart.

Salt Stick Energy Gummies

There’s science behind the idea that cramps come from a hyper-excited motor neuron repeatedly misfiring and locking the muscle up, rather than just dehydration or an electrolyte imbalance, and that it’s possible to make it stop with a shock to the vagus nerve. That shock comes from sour foods and so I also carry sour Salt Stick Energy Gummies with me. NOw to be clear, Salt Stick doesn’t make this claim and they might not be sour enough. I don’t worry too much though because they still taste delicious and the cramp thing is just a potential bonus.

Pickle Juice Sports Drink Shots

Now if cramps are really a big problem, this is what will absolutely stop them immediately. I’ve used it for years and it works.

Tailwind Endurance Fuel

Like I said, I tend to prefer to drink my calories on the bike and this is my go to choice. Bonus is that I got a code for Velo readers. Follow the link (that price is for a 30 serving bag but you can choose whatever you want) and you can take 20% off your first purchase with the code BESTNUTRITION20.

Infinite Nutrition Custom Drink MIx: 20% Off

This one is a bit more involved but it might be right for those who are deep into the science of nutrition. The way it works is that you take a survey, or use a sweat sensor, to create a custom mix for you based on your individual needs. Not everyone will feel like this is necessary but for sciency dads, VeloNews20 is a one-time use code that will get you 20% off.

Oakley Velo Kato

These are THE glasses. They don’t fold, they look somewhere between absolutely amazing and slightly ridiculous, and there are no better lenses you can buy as long as you select the Prizm Road Lenses.

POC Propel

These are the glasses I wear more than any others. I love the look but they are also specifically designed to be more aerodynamic than other glasses. I don’t think that actually matters that much but it’s still a great story.

These are newer glasses that cost a bit less and I love the look of them. They are firmly in my regular rotation.

Oakley Meta Vanguard

These are really a combo gift. Choose the Prizm Road lenses again for the amazing Oakley lens tech and it comes with great headphones, a good camera, and the best mic on the market. You can read more in my Oakley Meta Vanguard review.

Roka Oslo 2.0

I have had the original Oslo for years, in non-prescription sunglasses guise, and I am currently on a prescription pair of the Oslo 2.0. I love these glasses for the style but they are also light and stay put on your face. They are great for regular life and while they aren’t your typical sports glasses, they are also fantastic on a bike.

Smith Seeker

This is another option that works on and off the bike but the Smith Seeker has even more general sports usability. The style calls back to 80s mountaineering glasses and these would stylistically work for hiking, climbing, skiing, and gravel bikes. Of course regular life is great too and they include a neck strap that I love when I move in and out of the sun.

Feedback Sports Velo Wall Bike Storage Rack

This is really a gift for the whole family because it helps everyone with better bike organization. It’s something I featured in my how I manage to store bikes article and you can see from the image, I’ve got expensive bikes on it and I’ve used it for years. You do need to be able to drill into a wall but otherwise these are my favorite ways to get a bike on a wall.

Feedback Sports Rakk 2.0 Bike Storage Stand

Now if you would rather not, or can’t, drill into a wall then use the Rakk 2.0 You can see this in every single bike picture I take here on Velo and I also have one that I use for whatever bike I’m riding tomorrow morning that I have in the kitchen. These are dead simple, don’t drop bikes, and they even work well to bring along to a trail head.

Silca Chain Waxing System

I wrote a whole article about the Silca Wax System and why I don’t care about the performance benefits but I love this system anyway. I feel like this is one of those things a lot of dads are not sure about buying but have been considering. It’s a great product and you can help give someone the final push.

Silca Ultimate Chain Stripper

If the dad you have in mind uses a different wax system, the Silca chain stripper works anyway and it’s still the best choice.

Muc-Off Tubeless rim tape

Notice that pink roll of rim tape in the front of that picture? That’s Muc-Off tape which I specifically recommend in my article about how to set up road tubeless tires. I prefer Muc-Off tape because you can see through it, that makes puncturing the valve hole easier, and because it’s got just the right amount of stretch for an easy application. If you are having an issue with tubeless tires holding air it’s always the tape. This is a great consumable that would be perfect as part of a package of regularly used products.

Muc-Off Disc Brake Cleaner

If your disc brakes are making a racket you have some choices. You could try to figure out why but assuming they are in good shape you could also just use this and be done with it. Pull the rotor and the pads then soak it all and put it all back together. In my experience it is fixed 100% of the time. Make some dad’s life simple.

Muc-Off 8-in-1 Bicycle Cleaning Kit

I have this exact same kit (pushcased before it came with the tub) and I use it all the time. The cleaner does a great job dealing with the drivetrain, the bike protector gets wheels looking great again, and the various brushes all have their place. Buying the kit is a great way to start and the tub is a nice bonus for storage I wish I had. Easy gift.

Silca Elettrico Ultimate Mini Inflator

I’m not really into the idea of bringing an electric pump with me on rides but this pump has absolutely changed the way I deal with bikes at home. It’s perfectly accurate and much faster to use before a ride. There are others on the market but the Silca doesn’t heat up, it’s built like a tank, and it makes less of a racket.

Topeak Joeblow Tubi 2stage

The one thing that electric pumps can’t always handle is seating a tubeless tire. For that you sometimes need a bunch of air fast and that typically means a design where you pressurize a canister then release it. That system is awful. The Tube 2stage has a switch and depending on the position it’s in it flows more than double what other pumps flow. This is far and away the easiest way to set up tubeless tires and the last non-electric pump anyone will ever need to purchase. I discuss it further in my article covering “The Right Way to Set Up Tubeless Road Tires.”

Dynaplug Racer Pro

If you are worried about a dad getting stranded after a flat on a ride, Dynaplug is the best system on the market for tire plugs and the Racer Pro is my preferred system for carrying the plugs. You can read more in my article about what I carry on every ride so I don’t get stranded. There’s actually a number of good gift choices in there.

Swiss+Tech ST50022 Stainless Steel 6-in-1 Key Chain Multi Tool

This is another of the things I carry on every ride but it’s a great gift because very few people actually carry something like this because it’s not something you think about until you find yourself stuck. If you have to swap in a tube then you need to be able to get the valve stem out. Sometimes it’s impossible with your fingers and this tiny pair of pliers can save your ride.

Park Tools Hydraulic Brake Bleed Kit

I recently had to reach for my bleed kit and I realized how nice it was to have a nice one. You do have to know if you need a DOT fluid system or a mineral oil system though. If you aren’t sure, SRAM is the only DOT system and everything else is mineral oil.

Wera 8000B Zyklop Speed Ratchet 3/8 drive

When I wrote about the best tools to remove a cassette I discussed how a good ratchet is an important part of the system. In that article I had pictures of a Dewalt and most dads have something similar but you don’t have to worry. A Wera wrench is one of those things where you don’t have to worry about them already having a ratchet, this one will be an upgrade.

Feedback Sports Grip Whip

That article about best tools to remove a cassette discusses a few different options but this one isn’t in there… yet. This is the best option I’ve tried and it’ll be in that article soon. Even if the dad you are purchasing for has a chain whip type of tool, this one is better.

Feedback Sports Modular T-Handle Kit

I don’t have an article about more general tools but I absolutely love this kit. There are other t-handle hex wrenches but I love that this kit is easier to store and I also love the look and feel of these tools. They are a joy to use.

Insta360 x5

This is the easiest way to share video adventures. It’s easy to hold, and it works without needing to plan exactly what it’s going to point at. The audio is also incredible and I use this for every review video. Read more in our full Insta360 X5 review

Insta360 Go Ultra

What’s cool about the Go Ultra is that it’s tiny and it can go in creative spots. Use the magnet and put it on a jersey, stick to something metal, whatever creative shot you can think of the Go Ultra can probably pull it off. It’s also a capable still camera if you keep it in the dock.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro

I’ve been testing this for the last few weeks and I can now confidently say there is no better action camera if image quality is the primary metric. You can use it as a stills camera or, obviously, for video and the capabilities are beyond what either DJI or Insta360 currently offer. This is a pro level choice.

Suunto Sonic

When I am on a bike ride I always have these with me. They don’t impact your ability to hear your surroundings and I love that they start and stop with a single button. If they are off they basically disappear and don’t require storing them. As a nice bonus they are currently offering a $50 discount.

Sony WF-1000XM6

The one downside to the Suunto Sonic, and bone conduction in general, is that when not used in a sports setting they just aren’t very good headphones. If you want to get a dad a pair of headphones for on the bike but also as an everyday carry item, these Sony earbuds are my suggestion. There might be better sounding headphones that exist in the world but these sound incredible and they stay put when you are sweaty and riding. On the bike use one earbud at a time then off the bike they offer amazing movie cancellation and great integration with smart assistants. These are currently on sale for $30 off.