I have a friend that is bed ridden. It is hard to come up with topics to talk about. Like you can't ask what have you been doing lately.
The biking equipment will give you a great topic to discuss when you are talking with your brother. You can give him a call each time you use one of the tools and tell him how much you appreciate having the tool. When you take a ride on one of the bikes you can give him a review of the ride and how much you liked the way the bike handled. This will allow him to be included in your biking activity.