BSA Bike Safety Guidelines

BSA has a list of BSA bike safety guidelines on the Scouting.org site. The guidelines and procedures apply to all BSA unit, council, and national program activities involving bicycling.

Sweet 16 of BSA Safety and Cycling

If you follow the link above, you will see that many of the guidelines relate directly to the Sweet 16 of BSA Safety. Others are specific to cycling though. Here is a summary of some of the bike specific guidelines.

• All cyclists must wear a properly sized and fitted helmet and appropriate clothing.
• Cyclists must ride with traffic and watch out for hazards.
• Cyclists must follow safety rules, including local regulations. They must never ride in an unsafe manner such as two to a bike or hitching to a vehicle.
• Cyclists must use caution at turns and intersections.
• Bikes must be appropriately sized and adjusted for the rider.
• Bikes should have horns or bells and reflectors. Extra gear must be properly secured. Mirrors and water bottle mounts are recommended.
• Bikes must be properly maintained.
• Street racing is a hazard. Race only on a course which is free of vehicles and pedestrians and only with proper supervision.

For the complete list with all of the details, see BSA Bike Safety.

Bicycle Safety Crossword Puzzle

This simple crossword puzzle introduces bicycle safety concepts. Use it to start a discussion about safe cycling with your Scouts. It includes a list of words to use in the puzzle.

Bike Hike Safety and Etiquette

Before going on a bicycle ride with a group of Cub Scouts, Scouts BSA, or Venturers, review some bike safety and etiquette rules. Includes a printable discussion aid to help you follow the BSA bike safety rules.

Bike Inspection Checklist

Before riding a bike, Scouts should know how to do an inspection of the bicycle and check that it is in working order. The bike inspection checklist below will give you a good starting point. You will need to explain each step to the Scouts so they learn the terminology and why each part is important. Keeping a bicycle well maintained is part of the BSA bike safety guidelines.