Gavin Dinges, 14, of Boy Scout Troop 599 of Merrill, recently completed his Eagle Scout project. As a result, the River Bend Trail and Merrill community have a new place to fix their bicycles.
Gavin’s love of biking with his family inspired his idea for a bike repair station on the River Bend Trail. After a crummy experience with a flat tire on a bicycle trail up north, he knew this idea was perfect for his Eagle project.
Gavin installed the bike repair station at the head of the River Bend Trail, at the end of Park Street in Merrill. The bike repair station is designed for making simple bike repairs and maintenance, from changing a flat tire to adjusting brakes. The bike repair station is equipped with basic maintenance tools such as an air pump, Phillips and standard screwdrivers, headset/pedal wrenches, 8/10 mm and 9/11 mm cone wrenches, Torx T-25 wrench, steel core tire levers, and a hex key set. The upper part of the station allows for bikes to be hung by the seat or top tube during repair. For help with repairs use the Quick Read (QR) code on the front of the repair station to view detailed instructions on your smart phone.
Gavin designed the plan and researched different manufacturers of bike repair stations. After careful consideration, he settled upon the manufacturer Saris Cycling Group, a Madison, Wis., based company which makes products locally and negotiated a 60% discount with them. The Friends of the River Bend Trail graciously donated the additional funds for the bike repair station and with other donations from his family and grandmother Sharon, he was able to purchase materials for the concrete slab and other remaining supplies.
On May 21, Gavin, with the help of mentor Delmer Polak and scout members of Boy Scout Troop 599, Drew, Jordan, Jacob and Alex, excavated and constructed a concrete slab and then on May 24 returned to affix the bike repair station to its permanent spot.
The project is considered to be the most meaningful requirement to becoming an Eagle Scout, the highest rank. A scout is directed to “plan, develop and give leadership to others” in a service project deemed beneficial to a school, religious institution or community.
Gavin has been involved with scouting since he was in the first grade, as a Tiger Scout. He crossed over to Boy Scout Troop 599 in 2014, and has held many leadership positions within the troop. He is the son of Garrett and Amy Dinges of Merrill.