Cycling is about riding with skill, confidence, and good judgment. You'll learn to keep your bike in great shape, ride safely around traffic or on trails, and then put it all together on real rides. It's one of the Eagle-required choices, and a great way to explore your area.
Why it's worth it
A bike can take you farther than your feet, to school, a friend's house, a trailhead, or a state park on the other side of the county. This badge teaches you to fix and adjust your own bike, ride smart in traffic or on dirt, and plan longer rides with your troop. By the end, you'll know how to handle a flat on the side of the road and how to read a route like an experienced rider.
Start this week
- Check your helmet fit in a mirror: two fingers above your eyebrows, straps in a V under your ears, snug enough that it doesn't rock.
- Pump up your tires and squeeze your brakes. Write down anything that feels loose, soft, or squeaky.
- Ask your Scoutmaster for the name of a Cycling counselor, and contact them with a parent copied.
- Decide whether road or trail riding fits where you live, and look at the option's rides with your counselor.
Plan ahead: Requirement 6 includes a series of rides that build up over time. Plan them with your counselor early and fit them into weekends while you work on the other requirements.
Stay safe
- Wear a properly fitted helmet on every ride, ride with traffic, use lights and bright clothing near dusk, and ride with a buddy and an adult on troop rides.
Requirements · 6
Every official requirement and part, numbered to match Scouting America, in plain language. Sign off against the official wording (opens in a new tab) (updated 2025).
Note: Every requirement must be done on a human-powered cycle; electric and hybrid-electric bikes aren't allowed.
- Requirement 1
Safety and first aid
Tips for this section: Think about what actually goes wrong on rides, like falls, road rash, dehydration, and heat, and practice the first aid for each with a parent or older Scout.
Example for this section: Walk through real scenarios: a fall that causes road rash (clean, cover, watch for infection), a hot ride and early heat exhaustion (stop, shade, sip water), and a hard hit to the head (stop riding and get an adult right away).
- Requirement 1a
Explain to your counselor the hazards you're most likely to face while cycling and how to anticipate, prevent, mitigate, and respond to them; also explain how to think ahead, ride predictably, be conspicuous, and ride ready
- Requirement 1b
Show you know first aid for cycling injuries and illnesses such as cuts, scratches, blisters, concussions, sunburn, heat exhaustion, heatstroke, dehydration, hypothermia, frostbite, insect stings, tick bites, and snakebite; explain why you should be able to recognize the poisonous plants and animals in your area
- Requirement 2
Describe the bicycle laws in your state and town and how they compare with motor vehicle laws; explain where and how to ride on roads, including lane position, changing lanes, left and right turns, and going through intersections
Tip: Look up your state's bike laws and compare them to the rules drivers follow. Notice which rules are the same and which only apply to bikes.
For example: Compare bike and car rules: both stop at stop signs and signal turns, but cyclists ride as far right as is safe and may not be allowed on some highways. Look up your state's rules on lights at night and helmets.
- Requirement 3
Explain why the right clothing and gear matter while cycling, including a helmet that's the right size and fits well, and know the Scouting America Bike Safety Guidelines
Tip: Have someone check your helmet fit in front of a mirror. Then lay out what you'd wear for a hot day, a cool day, and riding near dusk.
- Requirement 4
Use a bike safety checklist to clean and adjust a bicycle, then present it to your counselor for inspection and do 4a-4f
Tip: Make a simple checklist for tires, brakes, chain, and bolts. Go through it in the driveway with a rag and a pump, and ask a bike shop mechanic about anything unclear.
For example: Use the ABC quick check: Air (tires firm), Brakes (squeeze, no slipping), Chain and cranks (clean, no wobble). Then clean the drivetrain with a rag, oil the chain, and wipe off the extra.
- Requirement 4a
Show the points to check regularly to be sure the bike is safe to ride
- Requirement 4b
Show how to adjust the saddle and handlebars so the bike fits you
- Requirement 4c
Show how to adjust the brakes and the gear shifters (derailleurs)
- Requirement 4d
Show every spot that needs regular lubrication
- Requirement 4e
Show how to fix a flat: take off the tire, patch or replace the tube, and put the tire back on
- Requirement 4f
Show that the bike meets local laws
- Requirement 5
Show your counselor basic bike handling: getting on properly, starting and stopping (including emergency stops), riding straight, turning, shifting gears, scanning, and signaling
Tip: Set up a few cones in an empty parking lot or quiet park path and practice starting, stopping, turning, and signaling until it feels smooth.
For example: In an empty parking lot with cones: ride a straight line, stop smoothly on a mark, signal left and right while holding a line, look back over your shoulder without swerving, and weave between cones.
- Requirement 6
Road or trail riding option. Choose 1 of 2
Tips for this section: Pick the option that fits where you like to ride. Plan each ride with your counselor, and always ride with a buddy and an adult who knows the route.
- Requirement 6a
Option A: road biking
- Requirement 6a1
Road safety test with your counselor
- Requirement 6a1a
On a city street with light traffic, make a correct left turn from mid-street, and show another left-turn method to use when traffic is heavy
- Requirement 6a1b
Make a right turn correctly
- Requirement 6a1c
Show what to do at a right-turn-only lane when you're going straight
- Requirement 6a1d
Show correct riding along the curb and edge of the road, and how to ride safely past a line of parked cars
- Requirement 6a1e
Cross railroad tracks the right way
- Requirement 6a2
Using the buddy system and staying off main highways, ride 10 miles twice, 15 miles twice, and 25 miles twice; write a report of the rides with dates, routes, and interesting things you saw
- Requirement 6a3
50-mile ride. Choose 1 of 2
- Requirement 6a3a
After 6a2, plan a 50-mile route on a road map that avoids main highways, then ride it with a buddy, using your map, in 8 hours or less
- Requirement 6a3b
After 6a2, complete an organized bike tour of 50 miles or more with a buddy in 8 hours or less, then make a map of the ride from the tour's cue sheet
- Requirement 6b
Option B: trail or mixed-surface biking
- Requirement 6b1
Mountain bike handling skills
- Requirement 6b1a
Show your counselor the neutral and ready positions, separating your body from the bike (side to side and front to back), and body position for cornering
- Requirement 6b1b
Show your counselor how to shift gears for climbs and obstacles
- Requirement 6b1c
Show your counselor how to ride uphill and downhill, including when to stay seated, crouch, or stand
- Requirement 6b2
Trail safety test with your counselor
- Requirement 6b2a
Show good trail manners toward hikers and other riders, including when to give the right-of-way
- Requirement 6b2b
Show how to get past an obstacle correctly, either riding over it or getting off and going over or around it
- Requirement 6b2c
Ride across rocks, gravel, and roots correctly
- Requirement 6b3
Describe the rules for trail riding, including how to tell when a trail shouldn't be ridden
- Requirement 6b4
Using the buddy system, on mountain bike or multi-use trails your counselor approves, ride 2 miles twice, 5 miles twice, and 8 miles twice; write a report of the rides with dates, routes, and interesting things you saw
- Requirement 6b5
After 6b4, map a 22-mile trip on a trail map (combining trail systems is OK) that stays off main highways, then ride it with a buddy in one day using your map
Places to visit
Ask an adult to set it up, and go with your family, den, patrol, or crew.
A community bike shop or bike co-op
Mechanics and volunteers can show you how to fix a flat and adjust brakes, and many co-ops let you use tools for free or cheap.
How: Go with a parent. Call ahead to ask about open shop hours or youth repair nights.
A rail trail or mountain bike trail system
Practice longer rides away from cars, or learn trail etiquette and how riders share paths with hikers.
How: Plan it as a patrol ride with adult leaders. Check the trail's website for conditions, rules, and parking.
Where it can lead
- Bicycle mechanicRepairs and builds bikes; many learn on the job or through short mechanic courses.
- Transportation plannerDesigns bike lanes, trails, and safer streets for whole cities.
- Police bike patrol officerPatrols parks and downtowns on two wheels.
- Outdoor trip leaderGuides bike tours and mountain bike trips for camps and outfitters.
Ask yourself
- Where would you like to be able to ride that you can't get to now?
- What part of riding in traffic or on trails makes you nervous, and what would help?
- What did you learn by fixing something on your own bike?
- How did your longest ride change how you think about distance?
- How do you look out for the other riders in your group?
Good questions to ask your counselor or a bike mechanic
- What's the most common repair you see, and how could riders prevent it?
- Which tools should I carry on every ride?
- How do you choose a safe route through a busy area?
- How do you know when a bike is the right size for someone?
- What do you do when you get a flat far from home?
Helpful reads
- Earning a merit badge, step by step, From picking a badge to getting the final signature: how to find a counselor, set up meetings safely, work the requirements, and keep your progress., Youth · Families · 6 min read
- Contacting counselors, experts, and organizations, Email and phone scripts, who to ask for, how to follow up, and how to say thanks, with a parent copied every time., Youth · Families · 7 min read
- Choosing your next merit badge, How to pick a badge you'll actually finish: start with what you care about, balance Eagle-required and just-for-fun badges, and make the most of camp., Youth · Families · 6 min read
For leaders & parents
- Host a bike maintenance night where Scouts inspect and tune each other's bikes using the same checklist.
- Plan group rides that build up gradually, with an adult leading and another riding at the back.
People & places that can help
- Merit badge counselor — Talk with them early; they can explain what's expected.
- Local bike shop — Mechanics can show you adjustments and help with helmet and bike fit.
- National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (opens in a new tab) — Bicycle safety information for riders and families.
- League of American Bicyclists (opens in a new tab) — Riding skills, traffic tips, and safe-cycling classes across the country.
- Rails to Trails Conservancy (opens in a new tab) — Find car-free trails built on old railroad lines near you.
- Adventure Cycling Association (opens in a new tab) — Route maps and ideas for longer bike trips.
Pairs well with
Any one of these counts for Eagle
Helps you earn
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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.