Badge: Cycling

Do at least six of the requirements, including the three starred ones.

*** Learn about bike safety.
- Read the Safety-Wise checkpoints for Girl Scouts and biking.
- Learn about bike helmets: what to look for, how to make sure your helmet fits.
- Learn about bike equipment needed for safety such as brakes, lights, reflectors etc.
- Learn to use a bike lock and how to keep your bike secure.
*** Learn the “Rules of the Road”. What are the laws and regulations regarding bikes in your community? What are safe riding practices for bike trails, sidewalks, and roads? Show that you can safely ride your bike while staying in a lane, turn right and left using the proper signals, slow down and stop using your brakes and obey traffic signs, signals and other markings.
Bike maintenance
- Learn how to check and maintain proper tire pressure.
- Learn how to keep your chain and gears in good condition.
- Learn to repair a flat tire. Make a repair kit to carry with you.
Visit a bike shop or bike repair place – learn about the jobs that people do there. Or learn about a famous cyclist or talk to a bike expert and give a report to your friends or Girl Scout troop about what you find out.
Learn about bike trails, special bike lanes, or other ways that your community supports cycling in your area. Identify some great routes that are safe for cyclists.
With parent permission, ride someplace in your neighborhood (with a buddy) that you would normally drive to – school, friend's house, after school activities, store, etc. Do this at least 3 times.
Take a longer bike ride of 5-10 miles with friends or family (and parent permission and/or supervision)
*** Take Action. Identify some barriers that keep people in your community from cycling more often. Design a take-action project that addresses one of more of these barriers. Examples:
- put on a bike safety clinic for others (younger or your own age),
- make a poster, Public Service Announcement or other education campaign about bike safety
- make a brochure, map or website with safe, fun rides in your area to encourage others to do more cycling
- talk to decision-makers about something that will make cycling easier or safer in your community (bike racks at your school, more bike lanes or trails, etc)

Tips for using the principles of the Girl Scout Leadership Experience

Leadership Keys	Discover – Girls set goals for themselves, and challenge themselves to try new things and learn new skills
	Connect – Work with community organizations or experts in your community to complete these requirements. Learn about and connect with local resources that are available to help.
	Take Action – use what you've learned to help others or educate your community (Take Action is a required step in this badge.)
Girl Scout Processes	Cooperative Learning – work on this badge as a group – with a troop, interest group, or friends. When faced with a problem you can't figure out, turn to your friends for help. Someone else may have the answer, or you can work together to figure it out.
	Girl Led – Girls take a variety of leadership roles and take turns in different roles. While staying safe, girls make decisions about what activities they'll do to earn this badge, how they will do them, what adult experts they will consult and where they will go.
	Learning by Doing – Girls will do the activities, rather than merely reading or talking about them. After an activity, girls should discuss or journal about what they experienced – what was great, what would they do differently next time, what did they learn? When things don't go exactly according to plan, girls should take the lead in identifying the issues and developing solutions.