bike trip to campout-camping merit badge

[gwd-scouter]

Some of our older guys are talking about doing a bike trek as part of the camping merit badge. This is the first time our troop would do anything like this and was wondering if any of the forum members have done such a trip. If so, do you have any tips/suggestions?

[Buffalo Skipper]

Our troop is doing a bike trek/campout later this month(our ASPL works at a bike shop and is an avid cyclist). Certainly the nights and time would count toward the Camping Merit Badge, if under the direction of a qualified merit badge counselor.

 

Interestingly, requirement 9.b. requires to do 2 things out of 6 possible options.

Number 3 is : Take a bike trip of at least 15 miles or at least four hours.

For some troops in the south (without snow or mountainous activities in a reasonable range), this may be a pretty good option.

[croushorn]

We did this a few years back and it really worked well. In fact, we need to do it again!

Two weeks prior, I had a local bike club come in and go over bike safety and repairs. We had some Scouts bring in their bikes to check over. All of us had to get helmets and we reviewed the first aid, safety requirements, and rules of the ride. Adults each had cell phones and hand held radios for communication.

We reserved a campsite at a scout friendly camp in a rural area south of where we live. I found a small trucking company that allowed us to park our vehicles at on Saturday morning. This is a farming area and isnt very busy. The 15 mile route I found was along paved roads, but not main roads that would be less travelled and had for the most part a decent burm to ride along. I drove the route at least three times prior to check and recheck it. It was a fairly flat route, but with a couple good hills including a final up hill that lead us into camp (that made for good stories afterwards at the campfire!).

We left our church early on a Saturday morning and had our trailer with Troop & personal gear delivered directly to our campsite. We parked our vehicles at the trucking company and had adults assigned to be interspersed and at lead and rear of group. I had a Mom drive my truck as a SAG vehicle for emergencies (luckily had none). Once we got to the campsite we had a driver shuttle us back to get our parked vehicles at the trucking company.

It worked out great, much smoother than I expected and we helped the boys earn one of the pesky requirements for Camping MB. It took about three hours if I recall, arriving late morning. Luckily it was a beautiful fall weekend and weather was perfect, not too hot and no rain.

These were the requirements I listed on the permission slip we were providing opportunities for the Scouts to earn: T: 5; 2nd Cl: 1a, 1b; 1st Cl: 1; Camping MB: 2, 3, 9b3; Cycling MB: 2, 6a, 6b, 6c, 6d, 6e, 6f, part of 8. But how we handle these things is the Scout needs to take initiative to get the requirements signed off or documented that they did in the case of the merit badges. Still, none of them have earned the Cycling MB.

 

[John-in-KC]

Our troop leveraged bicycling trips against camping MB, and also leveraged certain camping trips against cycling MB. Much depends on what the young person needs the most ... the miles or the nights.

[Beavah]

Yah, I'd think of things like this, gwd:

 

1) Do all the boys have bikes? I'm amazed to find that some lads don't own a bike these days.

2) Do all the boys have serviceable, road-worthy bikes? I reckon you'll find that the answer to this one is a resounding NO. So be thinkin' about how you're goin' to get 'em roadworthy.

3) Do all the boys have bikes that fit? My guess is that you'll have a third or more that either have bikes that are too small (most common) or bikes that are too large. Either way, they'll be sufferin' on a long ride.

4) Bikin' is one of the dangerous activities in scoutin'. If you've never ridden with kids before, prepare to be astonished and terrified by how little they know or understand rules of the road. Plan on takin' a bunch of time to teach 'em and let 'em practice on relatively safe, light-traffic roads.

5) Do yeh have any issues with fitness in the youth or adults? Fitness issues are goin' to show up a lot more on a bike trek than on a hike.

 

For your first time doin' this, recruit a driver to drive "sag wagon" with gear. That way yeh have an out for any boy who can't continue, and support if a bike breaks down. On busy roads, the sag wagon can hang behind the group with blinkers goin' which alerts other drivers and protects the lane a bit.

 

The kids tend to get into mountain bikin' these days more than road cycling. Someone else is goin' to have to help yeh with that, though.

 

Beavah

 

[funscout]

When our troop offers the camping merit badge biking option on a campout, we also have activities back at the campsite for those who choose not to or are physically unable to do the 15 mile bike ride. Of course this means a minimum of 4 leaders (but preferrably more) are needed - 2 to go with the bikers and 2 to stay back at camp. Since several of our leaders and parents like to bike, we always have plenty of adults to help. We are fortunate to be able to camp very close to a bike trail, so this ride isn't as dangerous as the ones on public roadways. Most of the boys who choose to do this are either currently working on the bicycling merit badge, or have already completed it. Our biking merit badge counselor goes over safety issues and basic biking info. with the boys before the camp-out.

 

Make sure the boys have plenty of water, as well as snacks with them. Helmets, of course, are a must. One of the adults should carry a 1st aid kit, although all the boys should have a small kit with them. Spare parts/repair kits should be carried, and I agree with the SAG wagon driver being on standby. We usually do a round trip bike route, so we don't have to bother with pickup at the end of the ride.

 

If you're not sure about the quality of the boys' bikes, you could have them bring them to a meeting before the ride. Some boys insist on riding their one speed bikes, but they soon learn that a geared bike is much better on hills. Of course, we try to talk them out of bringing their one speeds, but those youngin's are able to do what we adults can't do! Usually any boy who does the bicycle merit badge will end up buying/borrowing a decent bike for the 20 and 50 milers. You can probably rent bikes for any boy who does not own a bike.

 

Depending on how many boys go, you may want to have two groups, with the faster boys (with leaders) in the front, and the slower ones (with leaders) in the rear. Otherwise, the whole group will only go as fast as the slowest rider.

 

Have Fun!

[croushorn]

We had a couple stragglers, a couple riding BMX bikes that were a little undersized. But all made it. 15 miles isnt really that far, at least on bike. Unless youre heading up Pikes Peak, most gentle ups and downs arent that big of a deal. One fella was at the end walking up this killer hill that ended the ride. Another adult & I were bringing up the rear (as I always keep the boys in front of me in whatever we do), followed by the SAG truck. He was huffing hard; and I waved to the sag to go on ahead as I knew the camp was just up the hill. But the Scout didnt and his eyes filled with terror wheres she going??. So we both joined him in walking and talked him along. We got to the campsite just a while later than everyone else and we all lived to tell about it. I didnt think to check and see if there were Scouts that didnt have bikes. If they didnt they apparently just didnt take part and it wasnt brought to my attention. Would be a good thing to survey though.

I liked the Saturday morning time was best as it is probably the safest time of the day and day of week to be riding. You do need to strongly review the safety rules and stress a no-screwing around policy or Momma gets a call to come get you. My guys did great and we had no problems.

 

[nolesrule]

Sounds like fun. I wish that my old troop had done this a few times.

[SWScouter]

I just want to point out that bikers ride motorcycles while cyclists ride bicycles

[Bob White]

"Certainly the nights and time would count toward the Camping Merit Badge, if under the direction of a qualified merit badge counselor."

 

 

Buffalo Skipper, are you suggesting that the merit badge counselor needs to be on every outing for it to count toward the fullfillment of a merit badge requirement???

 

Because that simply is not true. The scout has to fulfill the requirement but nothing requires the counselor to be there.

 

 

[croushorn]

Well, in our council, the Scoutmaster is a MB counselor for Camping MB, so in effect he would be!

[Gonzo1]

GWD,

I'd agree with Beavah in that all the scouts who cycle should have servicable bikes that fit. Have a "chase vehicle" with tools, parts and can carry gear and food, then the scouts and adults can cycle instead of worrying about gear.

 

I'd suggest a minimum of at least 5 speeds for all bikes, and maybe a short, one day trip, maybe two one-day trips as warm ups and to work out the bugs.

 

Then, I'd just do the trip. If a scout wants to apply it toward a merit badge, that would be up to him, rather than having the troop trying to pigeon hole people into one badge or another.

[bmcdonald138]

Several years ago my Troop in Korea did a week long/Spring Break 50 miler. The key is doing a good map reconnaissance of the planned route, preferably have an adult or two ride the route first, have vehicle support in case of a Scout becoming sick, tired, too slow etc, have Scouts riding bikes with 10 gears or more, be prepared for rain and heavy wind (that's what made our trek difficult), all must have helmets and reflective vests or belts, avoid heavy trafficed routes, food and water support while riding and a good place to camp on the way.

 

All this and then some applies to the 50 mile/8 hour requirement in Cycling Merit Badge too. Young Scouts can accomplish this distance, but it is difficut, especially if the scout does not have a bike with good gears. Have fun, we did!