Cycling Merit Badge

The six requirements, with requirement 6 drawn as the two options it is, and the choice inside Option A nested under it.

7 steps (31 parts inside them). 23 parts depend on questions you have not answered yet. · Version 1, published 13 August 2026 · About Cycling Merit Badge

No questions answered

This is the whole plan: everything that could apply to anybody. Answering the 2 questions at the address above takes out the parts that are not for you.

Which of this applies to you

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The steps

Stage 1 of 7

1 step

1. Know what goes wrong on a bike, and what to do Requirement

Two conversations with your counselor. The first is also where riding predictably, being conspicuous, thinking ahead and riding ready get explained.
2 parts
- 1(a). The hazards, and how you ride to avoid them
- 1(b). First aid for what happens on a ride

Stage 2 of 7

1 step

2. The bicycle laws where you live, and where you ride on the road Task

Your state and local laws, what is the same as and different from the laws for motor vehicles, and where and how to ride on roads and streets: lane position, changing lanes, left and right turns, and intersections.

Stage 3 of 7

1 step

3. Clothing, gear, and a helmet that actually fits Task

Why the right clothing and gear matter, including a properly sized and fitted helmet, and knowing the Scouting America Bike Safety Guidelines.

Stage 4 of 7

1 step

4. Clean and adjust a bicycle, then have it inspected Requirement

Using a bicycle safety checklist, then present the bicycle to your counselor for inspection. Six things to show.
6 parts

Stage 5 of 7

1 step

5. Show you can handle the bicycle Task

Mounting properly, starting and stopping including emergency stops, riding in a straight line, turning, shifting gears, scanning and signalling: demonstrated to your counselor.

Stage 6 of 7

1 step

6. Complete ALL of one option, under the buddy system Requirement

Road Biking or Trail and Mixed Surface Biking. One of the two, all of it. Every ride is done under the Scouting America buddy system.

Decide the option before you ride anything that counts. Option A is 100 miles across six rides plus a 50-mile day; Option B is 30 miles across six rides plus a 22-mile day. Miles ridden for the option you end up not taking do not transfer, and neither does the safety test.
23 parts, 1 ticked
- 6(A). Option A, Road Biking Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(1). Take the road safety test Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(1)(a). Two ways to turn left Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(1)(b). Turn right properly Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(1)(c). A right-turn-only lane when you are going straight on Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(1)(d). Curbside riding, and a row of parked cars Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(1)(e). Cross railroad tracks properly Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(2). A hundred miles across six rides Optional May not apply Often forgotten
- 6(A)(3). Then the 50-mile day Optional May not apply Usually comes after 6(A)(2). A hundred miles across six rides. This one comes after the six rides, and the badge says so. Eight hours is the limit for the 50 miles either way. If you are riding an organised tour, keep the cue sheet. You need it afterwards to draw the map.
- 6(A)(3)(a). Plan your own 50-mile route and ride it Optional May not apply
- 6(A)(3)(b). Ride an organised tour of at least 50 miles Optional May not apply
- 6(B). Option B: Trail or Mixed Surface Biking Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(1). Show mountain bike handling skills Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(1)(a). Position on the bike Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(1)(b). Shifting for climbs and obstacles Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(1)(c). Riding up and down hills Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(2). Take the trail safety test Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(2)(a). Trail etiquette, and who yields Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(2)(b). Cross an obstacle correctly Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(2)(c). Cross rocks, gravel and roots Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(3). The rules of trail riding, and when not to ride Optional May not apply
- 6(B)(4). Thirty miles across six rides Optional May not apply Often forgotten
- 6(B)(5). Then the 22-mile trail day Optional May not apply This one comes after the six rides, and the badge says so. Twenty-two miles in one day, laid out on a trail map: more than one trail system is allowed if you need it.

Stage 7 of 7

1 step

Counselor signs it off Milestone

The completion date is the date you met the requirements, not the date of the signature.

Usually comes after 6. Complete ALL of one option, under the buddy system.

Merit badge requirements are republished annually. A Scout beginning work uses the requirements as they stand then; a Scout already working may finish under the ones they started with. Guide to Advancement 7.0.4.3 governs which applies. This page records the date its copy was read. Check it against the official page before relying on it.

This plan is a planning aid: the current Boy Scouts of America publication is always the authority, and the sources used here are listed in full. Each step names its own.

No questions answered

Which of this applies to you

Your progress

The steps

Stage 1 of 7

Stage 2 of 7

Stage 3 of 7

Stage 4 of 7

Stage 5 of 7

Stage 6 of 7

Stage 7 of 7