Bears on Bikes

Cub Scouts · Adventure, Elective

Bears on Bikes teaches you to ride safely and take care of your bike. You'll check your helmet, adjust your seat, pump up your tires, and go for a ride. Knowing your bike well makes every ride safer and more fun.

Why it's worth it

Bears on Bikes helps you become a rider who can take care of your own bike. You'll check your helmet, set your seat height, test your brakes, and pump up your tires, the same checks bike mechanics do. Then you'll take a 30-minute ride with your buddy. Riders who know their bikes have safer, smoother, and more fun rides.

Start this week

Do a quick bike check with your adult: squeeze the brakes, spin the wheels, and press on the tires.
Find a bike pump and look for the pressure number printed on the side of your tire.
Practice the left, right, and stop hand signals while standing still.
If you don't have a bike that fits, ask your den leader whether one can be borrowed.

Stay safe

Wear a helmet every time you ride, and check your brakes and tires before you go.
Ride with an adult on paths away from traffic, and stop at every street crossing.

Requirements · 7

Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab).

Requirement 1
Show how to wear a bike helmet properly
Tip: Make sure your helmet sits level, the straps are snug, and it doesn't wobble.
Requirement 2
Decide what to wear when riding a bike
Tip: Pick bright clothes and closed-toe shoes, and tuck in loose pant legs.
Requirement 3
Demonstrate proper bicycle hand signals
Tip: Practice the left, right, and stop signals while standing, then on your bike.
Requirement 4
Show how to adjust the saddle height
Tip: With an adult, set the seat so your leg is almost straight when the pedal is at the bottom.
For example: Sit on the seat with one pedal at the bottom. Your leg should be almost straight, with a little bend in the knee. If not, have an adult help raise or lower the seat.
Requirement 5
Show how to operate the brakes
Tip: Squeeze the brakes while walking your bike to feel how they stop it.
For example: Walk your bike and squeeze each brake lever. The bike should stop without sliding. If your bike has coaster brakes, push the pedals backward to stop.
Requirement 6
Learn to inflate your tires with a pump; discuss why riding on low or flat tires is unsafe and can damage your bike
Tip: Use a pump to fill your tires. Talk about how low tires make the bike harder to control.
For example: Find the pressure number (PSI) on your tire, attach the pump with your adult, and fill to that number. Low tires make steering wobbly and go flat more easily on bumps.
Requirement 7
Go on a 30-minute bike ride with your family, den, or pack, using the buddy system
Tip: Ride for 30 minutes with a buddy on a safe path with adults along.
For example: Ride 30 minutes on a paved trail with your den. Use your hand signals, leave space between you and your buddy, and stop together at every crossing.

Talk about it together

Which bike check will you keep doing before every ride?
How did your bike feel after you adjusted the seat or filled the tires?
What did you and your buddy do to stay safe on the ride?
Where would you like to ride someday?

Good questions to ask a bike mechanic

What's the most common thing that goes wrong on kids' bikes?
How often should I check my tires?
How can I tell when brakes need fixing?

Helpful reads

Cub Scouts: a guide for families, How Cub Scout ranks and adventures work from kindergarten through fifth grade, what an adult partner does, and how to keep it fun at meetings and at home., Families · Leaders · 4 min read

For leaders & parents

Hold a bike check station before the ride with pumps and tools.
Pick a paved path away from traffic for the group ride.

People & places that can help

Local bike shop — Can help with seat height, brakes, and tires.
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (opens in a new tab) — Bike safety tips for families.
Scouting America: Bears on Bikes (opens in a new tab) — The official requirements and den activity ideas for each one.
Safe Kids Worldwide: Bike Safety (opens in a new tab) — Helmet fit checks and bike safety tips for kids.
League of American Bicyclists (opens in a new tab) — A nonprofit that teaches safe riding for all ages.

Bear, Rank · 7 requirements

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Tips, examples, and questions are ideas from experienced leaders, not extra requirements. Your unit leader or counselor decides when a requirement is complete.