Cycling merit badge and paved bike trails

[IndyDad]

Looking at the Cycling badge and Requirement 7 - Road Biking vs Mountain Biking options, I'm trying to figure out how a paved bike trail fits in while I help schedule some upcoming outings for my son's troop. We have a couple of long mileage paved bike trails in our state that would seemingly be a good fit for part of the requirements. These are trails separated from the road but do cross the road at various intersections where the cyclist has to stop and be observant of oncoming traffic.

Would such a bike trail count as 'road biking' or 'mountain biking'? In my view, they are are more road biking, as it uses flat paved paths that are good for both speed and long mileage... a road bike would be the more appropriate style bike on this trail. While the cyclist isn't riding right alongside traffic, they do have to observe traffic at the intersections. It's definitely not a mountain biking experience.

I watched one eagle scout's video on youtube describe his cycling badge, and it showed his troop riding a similar trail - he referred to his experience as 'mountain biking' because it consisted of a 'trail' and they went on a dirt trail during a small portion of the 22mile ride.

[qwazse]

See what the merit badge pamphlet ( not just the requirements, but he content in the body of the book) says. Beyond that, trust your intuition.
Like you, I’d consider it to be road biking. 

[InquisitiveScouter]

Yeah, this is a judgement call...there is no definitive answer.  Put it back on the Scout...ask him if he really considers this to have met the spirit of "mountain biking" rather that some legalistic definition (e.g., "I rode a mountain bike, so it must be "mountain biking")

IMO, paved is definitely out for "mountain biking", and there are some well-groomed crushed stone trails in our area (rails-to-trails), that I would also not count as mountain biking.

We do have a long, somewhat flat dirt trail with lots of mud, and a few ups and downs fortified with gravel to prevent erosion, and I have seen a number of Scouts fall in the thick mud and take spills coming down hills and trying to make a turn in gravel.  They learn 😛

The requirements for that option speak of dealing with obstacles and proper technique for mountain biking over rocks, roots, and gravel...things you should not do with a road bike 😛

[Eagle1993]

Agree with the comments above.

My son races NICA and is working on his mountain bike merit badge.   There are various features (roots, rock, etc.), dual and single track, much of it in the woods.  There are climbs and descents, etc.  I would say this is mountain biking.  I wouldn't count his flat, straight trail ride ... which they do for fitness ... as mountain biking.

 

[IndyDad]

Thanks for confirming, all. I find it odd that a number of the advice online from scouts who have done this badge suggest going for the Mountain Biking portion simply because of the shorter distance. I went with my son's troop last year as part of a mountain biking activity, and it was definitely NOT easy. My son and I who had never mountain-biked before took well over an hour just to do 2 miles. This included a lot of walking the bike over very high tree roots that our bikes couldn't clear and extremely narrow paths right next to steep ravines. I don't think I'd recommend that experience to anyone (at least, not this particular trail) and would strongly push for the longer-mileage road bike option of this badge. The thinking of, mountain biking = shorter distance = easier to complete is not accurate, in my opinion.

[Eagle94-A1]

From experience and observation, there is a reason why mountain biking has shorter distances. My troop started working on Cycling MB during COVID using the road biking options. Spent a year working up to the 50 mile trip and did it successfully. 3 of the Scouts decided to do the mountain biking program at summer camp a month and a half after doing the 50 mile bike trip.

THEY. WERE. OVERWHELMED. AND. EXHAUSTED. AND.QUIT. AFTER.THE.FIRST.DAY! (MAJOR EMPHASIS)

Again these were three Scouts who had spent a year road cycling with the troop and on their own. They completed the 50 miles in the time frame ( with anywhere from 45 to 80 minutes to spare), and the downhill mountain biking trail completely exhausted them.

[qwazse]

In terms of preference: it depends on the scout. A scout who finds road biking to be boring will find those extra miles to be sheer torture. A scout who finds rough terrain and close trails to detract from the scenery will think the opposite.

My colleague calls this cognitive discounting. It’s not worth the extra X for the perceived effort of Y. So, you learn who values what based on what they’d choose for a given award.

[Eagledad]

On 2/17/2022 at 9:00 AM, Eagle94-A1 said:

From experience and observation, there is a reason why mountain biking has shorter distances. My troop started working on Cycling MB during COVID using the road biking options. Spent a year working up to the 50 mile trip and did it successfully. 3 of the Scouts decided to do the mountain biking program at summer camp a month and a half after doing the 50 mile bike trip.

THEY. WERE. OVERWHELMED. AND. EXHAUSTED. AND.QUIT. AFTER.THE.FIRST.DAY! (MAJOR EMPHASIS)

Again these were three Scouts who had spent a year road cycling with the troop and on their own. They completed the 50 miles in the time frame ( with anywhere from 45 to 80 minutes to spare), and the downhill mountain biking trail completely exhausted them.

My doctor told me that if I want to prevent replacing my knees with artificial knees, I had to give up running, backpacking and mountain biking. Road biking is how I get my exercise now..

Barry