Anyone got any advice on good kit for cycling with a dog of dogs

[Dave the Smeghead]

I want to expand the cycling I do with my dog. Occasionally I cycle the peri-track on the airbase or do some in a local country park but am currently using a long lead that loops over my shoulder.
I have been reading about these devices that attach to the bike such as the Springer or the Walky Dog.
Has anyone any experience with any of these devices? Before I shell out my hard earned on the best one?
I am thinking of possibly buying 2 so I can run both my dogs at the same time, so any advise gratefully received.
Thanks

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

I want to expand the cycling I do with my dog. Occasionally I cycle the peri-track on the airbase or do some in a local country park but am currently using a long lead that loops over my shoulder.
I have been reading about these devices that attach to the bike such as the Springer or the Walky Dog.
Has anyone any experience with any of these devices? Before I shell out my hard earned on the best one?
I am thinking of possibly buying 2 so I can run both my dogs at the same time, so any advise gratefully received.
Thanks

That should be "advice" not advise.

 

[L14M]

Not got a dog but go out with a mate of mine and his german shepherd, he uses a long (4-5m) rope tied to his handlebars.. He makes sure to keep it slack though.

 

[numbnuts]

Yeah don't do it.

 

[ufkacbln]

They are fine depending on the dog......

A large dog, or a determined dog will pull the bicycle off track or off balance

 

[Saluki]

Try this lot http://www.innerwolf.co.uk/browse-by-sport-activity/cycling-bikejoring.html

Our Mark goes bike joring with his Akita x and his Husky. He gets his harness and gang lines from here. Also he has a sticky outy thing to stop the lead fouling his wheels. A bit of training and he was off. He goes miles with his pair.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I run one of my greyhounds on a 6 foot training lead, she's quite new to us and I still can't trust her recall totally. I wasn't aware there were specific bike attachments but don't have any problems and have never fallen off even when shes been going full on or has crossed across the front of the bike. There's enough lead to watch and control her before leads end

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

Yeah don't do it.

Why's that then?

They are fine depending on the dog......

A large dog, or a determined dog will pull the bicycle off track or off balance

My dog won't. I have put too much effort into training her. The new one needs some work but she will get there too, fairly keen to work for me (at the moment)

 

[Sara_H]

I use a trixie bike lead. My dog pulls alot under normal circumstances, but although he tries to pull on the bike lead he hasn't been able to pull enough to pull me off course due to the the physics of the bike lead and the damper spring.

Not sure how it'd work with two dogs though!

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

Try this lot http://www.innerwolf.co.uk/browse-by-sport-activity/cycling-bikejoring.html

Our Mark goes bike joring with his Akita x and his Husky. He gets his harness and gang lines from here. Also he has a sticky outy thing to stop the lead fouling his wheels. A bit of training and he was off. He goes miles with his pair.

Nice site. Thank you.

 

[Saluki]

Nice site. Thank you.

You are welcome.
Sometimes we go with our Mark. We take our Jack Russell with us. She goes out on a gangline with the Husky & the Akita x. When she gets tired we pop her in our cut down ruksack and she hitches a lift.

 

[Sara_H]

This is my daft mate after a ride out on his:

He really enjoys it. I use it more fore transporting him than a need for exersize, I sometimes have to take him to my Mums for doggy day care before I go to work. I actually ride quite slowly so that he's going at a slow trot, don't want to stress him out with it by making him go too fast.
Having said all that, if I go too slow or when we go uphill he does assist somewhat, bit like an e-bike, but a d-bike!

 

[Accy cyclist]

Do dogs and bikes go together? Years ago i'd occasionally cycle the canal path and the long gone railway line around here with my beloved Jack Russell when she was young and able to keep up,but i didn't have her fastened to the bike as it could unbalance the bike and it to me looks like you're giving the dog no choice in whether it wants to follow or not! I see certain types cycling on the pavement sometimes on the road,with dogs in tow and i think "That shouldn't be allowed to happen"! Not only for the dog's sake but the pedestrians who have to dodge out the way and the motorists who have to take evasive action. Not forgetting the normal cyclists who might get fanged!

 

[pauldavid]

This is my daft mate after a ride out on his:

He really enjoys it. I use it more fore transporting him than a need for exersize, I sometimes have to take him to my Mums for doggy day care before I go to work. I actually ride quite slowly so that he's going at a slow trot, don't want to stress him out with it by making him go too fast.
Having said all that, if I go too slow or when we go uphill he does assist somewhat, bit like an e-bike, but a d-bike!

It's good that you got him a step through frame to make it easier to get on but I still think it looks like a bit of a stretch to the bars, he only has short front legs you know!

 

[Sara_H]

Do dogs and bikes go together? Years ago i'd occasionally cycle the canal path and the long gone railway line around here with my beloved Jack Russell when she was young and able to keep up,but i didn't have her fastened to the bike as it could unbalance the bike and it to me looks like you're giving the dog no choice in whether it wants to follow or not! I see certain types cycling on the pavement sometimes on the road,with dogs in tow and i think "That shouldn't be allowed to happen"! Not only for the dog's sake but the pedestrians who have to dodge out the way and the motorists who have to take evasive action. Not forgetting the normal cyclists who might get fanged!

There's something magic about the physics of one of these leads being attached to the frame, as your weight is going down through the frame it adds a lot of stability. There's also a massive damping spring on it. My dog will make an attempt to go in a different direction, but although I can feel the "tug" he isn't able to pull me off course.
I keep a very close eye on him, if he needs to stop, we stop. The route I take him on is mostly through our local park with quiet roads on either side, but as with any other kind of cycling, I obviously take great care around other people and my road position is not really any different to what it would be without him, so it shouldn't really be any more of a chore for drivers to pass us safely.