Bicycle

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Selecting a Bicycle

Bicycle Types

Bicycle 

Bikes have evolved a lot over the last century and are generally specialized, more so now than in the past.  Since our Scouting Adventures will take us on many types of paved surfaces and trails, some bikes will work better than others and some bikes won't work at all for certain outings.  For most of our Cycling Outings, a "Gravel Bike" or "Mountain Bike" will be preferred.  That said, on many of our Outings, a Road Bike or Hybrid Bike will work well, so you should check with the trip leader before selecting a bike for a particular Outing or particular Adventure Year. 

Recommendation:

• • Talk to our Bike Team FIRST

    • We'll let you know what type of bike(s) will work for the year

    • Your bike will have a HUGE impact on your ride experience

      • Having the wrong type of bike or one that doesn't work smoothly will result in you falling behind the group and needing to work much harder to keep up

      • High end bikes will enhance your ride experience a little, but are NOT recommend 

  • Mountain or Gravel Bikes are preferred, depending on the type of outing and the High Adventure planned for the year

    • These can travel on most of the bike trails we go on

    • A Gravel Bike can travel fast on roads and most trails and can handle many less technical trails

    • A Mountain Bike will allow you to tackle more technical mountain trails, but will be slower on paved surfaces compared to other bikes

      • NOTE: If we go on an all road High Adventure, a Mountain Bike will be slow and painful to ride

    • You DON'T need to purchase a NEW BIKE

      • If you do - expect to spend $900 plus on an entry level bike (Giant Talon 1)

      • If you shop around, we can sometimes find an acceptable new bike on clearance for $400 plus

    • We can keep an eye out for acceptable used bikes that will work and won't break the bank

      • We can also help steer you clear of used bikes that you will want to avoid

  • Examples of entry-level mountain bikes

    • Reasonable bikes that can be purchased for under $500 when on sale

    • Co-op Cycles DRT 1.1 Bike 

      • Reasonable "economy bike"

      • Great beginner bike

      • Good customer support and service

      • Try before you buy

    • Mountain Bikes occasionally go on sale at Costco (Diamondback Overdrive) 

      • Outfitted with Micro Shift components - which are not as dependable as Shimano components

        • Shimano components on bike separates budget bikes (acceptable) from economy bikes (meh)

      • These don't last as long as other bikes - but should last a season of riding

        • Reasonable option if you want to try out biking or get Cycling Merit Badge and then move on

      • Expect to tighten things up a bit as we put miles on these

    • Anything sold at Walmart isn't expected to survive through High Adventure, at least not the way we ride

A lot of science goes into engineering a bike for a specific style of riding and quality and performance varies greatly from manufacturer to manufacturer and from model to model.  Bikes can also be customized in so many ways, allowing you to fine tune your bike for comfort and/or performance.

Before you go out and purchase a bike, spend some time looking at bikes at REI and our local bike shops.  Talk to the sales reps there and learn about the differences in bikes.  Then come talk to our Troop's Bike Team.  The best bike for you or your Scout may not be a $3000 race bike, but a bike a 10th of the price on sale that is better suited for the adventures we actually go on.

The following serves as a VERY BASIC introduction to bike types.  

Bike Types

Bike geometry, construction and components are set up for specialty use.  A Road Bike won't work on technical forest trails and a Mountain Bike won't keep up on long paved roads.  It is vital that you pick the right type of bike if you want to enjoy our bike outings. 

See our Bicycle Types Page for more on this

Selecting a Bike

There are several factor to consider when selecting a bike

• What Bike Type will work for this year's biking adventures

• Sizing of Bike

• Cost and how to shop used

See our Selecting a Bicycle Page for more on this

Cycle and Gear MUST be Inspected and Maintained

Your gear needs to be inspected for appropriateness, functionality and for safety.  A full out inspection should be conducted annually and a basic inspection should be performed before any ride. 

• Needs to be done by Scouts

• Needs to be done by Adult Scout Leader

• Bikes cleared by mechanics often fail