Our Story
Kitli started with a simple problem: finding gear for kids that actually holds up.
The best recommendations weren’t coming from websites. They came from other parents — the ones who had already made the mistake, found something better, and wanted to save their friends from doing the same.
It played out in group chats and driveway conversations — parents sharing links, talking about what didn’t work, and passing along better options.
That’s how parents figured out what actually held up. It wasn't through marketing or mainstream reviews, but families trusting other families who had already learned the hard way.
So we built something better.
Kitli is built on real family experience — kids playing, crashing, outgrowing, and handing gear down.
Parents don’t need more options. They just need to know what actually works.
What We Believe
Kids need gear that holds up. Parents need to know what actually works. That doesn’t come from algorithms or ad budgets. It comes from families who use the gear every day.
The People Behind Kitli
Who We Are
CO-FOUNDER
Meet Bobby Lea
Bobby Lea is a former professional cyclist who spent more than a decade racing internationally and representing the U.S. at three Olympic Games. After retiring from competition, he worked as a Gear Editor and in PR within the outdoor industry.
He now lives on a small farm in Pennsylvania with his two kids, who are happiest covered in mud, riding through the woods, or lapping the backyard pump track.
At Kitli, his gear testing looks like real life — family trail rides, canal-path adventures, and the occasional mountain bike race that ends with a well-earned beer.
CO-FOUNDER
Meet Mike Festa
Mike Festa has spent most of his life around bikes — racing mountain bikes at the pro level, running the Philadelphia Ciclismo cycling club, and continuing to compete in regional MTB and cyclocross races.
He lives in Devon, Pennsylvania, where he’s passing that love of riding on to his niece and nephew as they discover it for themselves.
At Kitli, he brings that same focus to gear — researching what’s worth it and helping surface the products that actually hold up.
CO-FOUNDER
Meet Shelby Lea
Shelby Lea is a mom of two and the household’s unofficial head of research and development — the one reading reviews, comparing specs, and pressure-testing every recommendation before anything gets bought.
Before kids, she competed at the highest levels of sport — first as a World Cup show jumper, then as an elite track cyclist.
She stepped away from mountain biking for a while, until her oldest pulled her back onto the trails. Now she’s trying to stay one step ahead of his skills.
At Kitli, she brings that same standard to gear — a bias toward precision, a healthy dose of skepticism, and a focus on what actually holds up in real family use.