Wow! If you will be tinkering with the bikes for an entire troop, you need just about everything, including some sort of course on bike maintenance and/or a good manual.

On the bike you have - the first worthwhile accessory I would purchase would be a pair of toe clips for the pedals (after the helmet). They are rather old fashioned, but they will improve pedaling efficiency immensely. They can be used with almost any kind of shoe which is not the case with more modern pedals. Toe clips can go along to the next upgrade.

If/when you want to upgrade, a quick and relatively easy path is the purchase of lighter, stronger wheels with aluminum rims and quick release hubs. They will make an immense difference in the ride of this bike and they can also go along to your next bike, if you stick with this same tire size.

Just a bit more about helmets, a subject on which I am a bit fanatical, having been present at more fatality scenes than I care to recall where a proper lid would have made a big difference. You will find an enormous price range in helmets, many of which will cost more than your bike. Look for the certification level - that is critical. As I understand it, all helmets certified to a given level all provide the same degree of protection. Anything extra you pay is just so much bling.

For carrying gear, I would heartily second a rack. Backpacks ride high, and mess with your balance, while gear carried low on the bike will actually stabilize it, especially if a front rack is used. I also recommend a waist pack when riding. It sits low and contains valuable items that go with me, even when I hop off. It even has a mesh bag for another water bottle.

I'll bet that very shortly you will be able to school all of us in bike repairs - a whole scout troop (good grief!)

LOL hikermor, I'm hoping it won't be nearly as bad as it sounds. Most of the bikes the troop uses either belong to the scout and are in generally good repair, or are rented (or borrowed from someplace that rents) and are also in generally good repair. The rented/borrowed bikes are probably the worst case bikes as you can never really be sure what you are getting. We found this out the hard way with the 25 mile trip I mentioned on or about the 14th of last month. As it was a district/council event (part of a triple crown event our troop/district is hosting, the 50 mile canoe trip was the first leg, the 25 mile bike trip we just had was the second leg, and there is a 20 mile back pack trip in april that will be the last leg), we had to find other sources for bikes. Most were in good repair but a few of the bikes left a little to be desired. The most common on the trail repair was apparently securing loose cables using a roll of duct tape.

At any rate, the tools will most likely not be for me, but for the scoutmaster, who is a mechanic, and an assistant scoutmaster who is an experienced rider (I say this by virtue of him being on far more of these type bike trips than I have) and also mechanically inclined. However, they like to travel light and typically leave a lot of stuff behind, either at home or in camp. When they need something, they know who the guy is that is usually prepared (bordering on over-prepared) and come to me asking if I have this or that, which I typically do.

Now all this said, I used to ride a bike a LOT as a kid. Any time the weather permitted, and a lot of times even when it didn't. In the place I grew up, just about every kid in the subdivision had a bike, so we'd ride the streets to get here or there, and there were assorted trails off the beaten path as well. My dad and I used to troubleshoot my bikes all the time, tightening this and loosening that so I do know my way around a bike, but it has also been quite a while since I've tinkered much with one so I wanted to be sure I am as prepared as possible to deal with it, especially while on the trail and away from home or camp site.

As a final note, with regards to the troop and riding bikes, we usually only ride about once or twice a year. However, after seeing how much DS enjoyed riding a bike at the event, even though he had some difficulty with it, DW and I decided it was time he had a new bike to get more experience riding. Surprisingly, DW also wanted a bike, so it's likely to become a family thing which is also very good.

LED bike lights are getting so small and cheap, its good to include at a minimum a red blinky one, * and maybe a white headlight in your kit for early and late rides or darkening storms.



(*Sorry for the technical language - I'm in the business.)

I plan on replacing my old style PFD blinker with one made for bikes! I was just about blinded by one of those new LED headlights while driving.the red flashers make those C cell pilots blinkers look like toys.

Thanks for reviving this thread, Teacher!

We've been doing a lot of biking this summer and have started needing to make repairs on the fly. The theory of my emergency kit has started to be enhanced with real life experience. So far, the worst has been a broken chain on one of the kiddo bikes, a flat tire on mine, and some adjustments to the Kiddie Trailer.

I have a small basic emergency repair kit attached to my bike seat, along with a Leatherman Wave, and have been carry other stuff in a secondary pack. (i.e. a bright LED headlamp and removable front and rear LED lights, water bottle, etc.) I use a backpack to carry my extra gear and get home stuff when I'm commuting to and from work, and agree that a bike rack or panniers would be better. I also have a bag that's designed to hang from the handle bars, but it's too bulky when I load it, and it hangs in the front fender, obscuring the front reflector. So, I've moved that bag to my newest upgrade.......

We bought a bike trailer a month or so ago! It cost a whopping $25 at a garage sale. WOOHOO! It's designed to carry two kids and some gear or groceries, and it's awesome! I've towed two kids all over town with picnic stuff in the back, and we've also a couple of big road trips with my daughter in one seat, my backpack in the other, and picnic and fishing gear in the back cargo area. The blaze orange flag is a little dorky but we'll probably upgrade it with a pink and purple streamers soon enough. LOL!

I am a rack and panniers guy when loading the bike significantly, as in a multi-day tour. When more lightly loaded, I like a medium to large size waist pack. It is low to the ground, doesn't affect my agility on the bike as far as I can tell, and stuff in it is always with me. That stuff will usually include a Wave, although dedicated bike stuff (patch kit, hex wrenches) is typically stashed in a bag hanging from the saddle.

I really want a rack and panniers set up, hikermor! I'm saving my pennies and researching DIY alternatives.

bpj,

Go with a good quality rack, like Tubus, Surly or Bruce Gordon. You won't regret it. The lightweight aluminum ones are cheaper but are much more likely to break when you can least afford it. Avoid racks that mount to seatposts like the plague, if you ever intend to carry any weight at all.

I really like Ortlieb panniers (Arkels are really nice as well), but if you are on a budget you can make your own out of kitty litter buckets (or something similar). There are instructions on the internet all over the place and they are quite simple to put together. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noCNXUsmyYs. You can make your own brackets or buy some ready made.

Trailers work well (especially for kids) but I also prefer panniers for touring.

I use an Ortlieb handlebar bag for my routine riding, it carries my pump, Alien tool, energy bar, shower cap for my Brooks saddle, and any other miscellaneous stuff I need that doesn't weigh much. Spare tubes, levers and patch kit go under the saddle.

Greg

I was going to nominate REI pannniers (Novara), but I see that brand is no longer in their lineup, being supplanted by a whole bunch of Ortlieb bags. I would therefore second Sackett's remarks.....

Thanks so much, Greg! Much appreciated!