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

[Accy cyclist]

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.

The ones i'm mainly having a go at are the chav layabout types around here. Last week i saw two examples of cruelty combined with downright bad manners! The first incident saw a chav charging down the pavement on a high street... shops etc. There he was flying down with three devil dog types in tow and everyone in his path had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by him or possibly fanged by his dogs! The second incident saw a chav with his dog on a rope fastened to the bike with a tyre on a chain fastened to the poor dog. The dog had no choice but to be dragged along by the chav as well as drag the car tyre! Most likely training it up for its next fight,the poor creature!

 

[shouldbeinbed]

The ones i'm mainly having a go at are the chav layabout types around here. Last week i saw two examples of cruelty combined with downright bad manners! The first incident saw a chav charging down the pavement on a high street... shops etc. There he was flying down with three devil dog types in tow and everyone in his path had to take evasive action to avoid being hit by him or possibly fanged by his dogs! The second incident saw a chav with his dog on a rope fastened to the bike with a tyre on a chain fastened to the poor dog. The dog had no choice but to be dragged along by the chav as well as drag the car tyre! Most likely training it up for its next fight,the poor creature!

So you thought rather than clarify that in your first post you'd just make sweeping generalisations.

 

[Crackle]

I take my dog with me sometimes. I tend to go places where he can run but if I need to put him on a lead I use a jogging lead on a chest harness for him and around the seatpost for me. He's a strong dog who can tow you along if he wants but using this method you don't feel anything but a jolt if he pulls hard, certainly he's never pulled me off balance. What works better than the jogging lead is one of those tether leads which are a soft wire, as this keeps it's shape and doesn't drag when he trots alongside. I've never wanted to attach anything permanent to my bike, plus I use different bikes so one of those contraptions wouldn't work for me.

The furthest I've been with him tethered to the bike is two 5 mile rides and I go slowly, around 7mph which is a light trot for him and quite similar to my running speed where he tends to stick on my heel. Off the lead I've taught him to come to heel, which is just to the rear wheel, his cue to stay there either running or biking is showing him the flat of my hand, which I do through any areas where he must stay to heel, approaching a crossing or a group or similar. if necessary we just stop sometimes and wait for the route to clear or stop and put the lead back on.

I must say he loves going with the bike, the excitement of running with it is extraordinary and off the lead when mtn biking I don't really need to hold back on the speed, just stop occasionally and make sure I have water with me for him. We've done up to 10 miles off-road. The key though is to build them up to that just as you would yourself. Keep an eye on them too and watch for things like, stones in paws, slight limps and lethargy. Don't take them in hot weather. I've shortened or dramatically slowed rides with him when it's been obvious he's not 100%, even to the point of getting off the bike and walking.

What you can do depends very much on the dog and I don't know how old they are but don't do too much before their joints are fully formed, which with big breeds is 18months or so.

 

[HB_Dude]

A company called 'Innerwolf' sell the things you need

 

[stuee147]

i used to ride with my old dog i started with just a long lead about 6ft long and just held it loosely with one hand so if she pulled it wouldn't really affect me, after about 4 or 5 mouths i stopped using the lead as i got pulled over one night by the police and they made me walk my bike saying it was considered as dangerous to have a dog on a lead with a bike weather attached to the bike or i was holding it it didn't matter i argued the point with them but after about 30min they gave me a choice either walk the last 3 miles home with the dog or get arrested for being a danger to other road users. i dont know if they could of done it but at 1am after a long day i just wanted my bed so i gave in. all i did was walk the 500yrds or so to a bridleway along the forth and rode along there with the dog.
after that i taught my dog to run along without the lead. i also had a dog trailer at one point when i had 2 dogs and they used to run along with me when it was quiet but when we went along busy roads they used to jump in the trailer and goto sleep.

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

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!

Wasn't planning on doing it anywhere built up. No high streets or anything like that. I would only take them to country parks or similar to ride and for them to run. I certainly wouldn't do it for the dog to drag anything with them - that sounds horrible and so unfair on the dog. My 2 are pets and are members of the family. Hairy and sometimes smelly but members of the family nonetheless - just like my wife! No I am sorry dear, yes I will sleep in the garage tonight - again!
One of my girls is part Lurcher so loves to run - and far faster than any human can; even Hussain Bolt!

 

[Profpointy]

Yeah don't do it.

Wot he said ^

One of my chaps at work was riding along with his dog's lead attatched to the bike. Down he went - broken arm - 6 weeks off work (and he was freelance too so malingering he was't)

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

Wot he said ^

One of my chaps at work was riding along with his dog's lead attatched to the bike. Down he went - broken arm - 6 weeks off work (and he was freelance too so malingering he was't)

In fairness if he had gone down even without the dog he could've broken his arm.
I broke mine falling down some stairs, no bike, no dog, no children involved, just rushing like mad and trying to do 3 steps at a time. Word of advice - don't do that!

 

[Profpointy]

In fairness if he had gone down even without the dog he could've broken his arm.
I broke mine falling down some stairs, no bike, no dog, no children involved, just rushing like mad and trying to do 3 steps at a time. Word of advice - don't do that!

Just to be clear, the dog pulled him off (fnaar, fnaar), so it wasn't a "normal" falling off coincidentally accompanied by his dog.

...but that said, another collegue's Mrs had her knee broken by her none-too-bright greyhound which ran into her at full tilt, having missjudged his trajectory slightly, so dogs be dangerous I say! but would be a shame not to have a dog for fear of some freak accident

 

[shouldbeinbed]

Just to be clear, the dog pulled him off (fnaar, fnaar), so it wasn't a "normal" falling off coincidentally accompanied by his dog.

...but that said, another collegue's Mrs had her knee broken by her none-too-bright greyhound which ran into her at full tilt, having missjudged his trajectory slightly, so dogs be dangerous I say! but would be a shame not to have a dog for fear of some freak accident

I missed a step on the stairs at home, fell and broke my ankle quite badly. Lets all live in Bungalows!

jeez.

 

[Profpointy]

Agreed. My friends' dalmatians put their noses under the back axle of her horse-drawn carriages the moment they first saw them, without having to be told. It's a mystery to me why they do this, there hasn't been time for the behaviour to evolve, but they love it.

.... And it's a cheaper licence for a black and white !

Boom-tsh !
i thank you

 

[Saluki]

[QUOTE 3039425, member: 9609"]My childhood dog was a dalmatian, we lived at the coast and it was possible to cycle about 6 mile up the coast on a mixture of tracks and beachs (12 mile round trip) you could go as fast as possible and this dog would effortlessly keep up, never known a dog that ran as so beautifully. it didn't even get out of breath, more machine than mammal - an amazing dog.[/QUOTE]
Dalmations were bred as carriage dogs, way back when. They were good looking and fashionable. Running and looking good was their thing. Its a shame I see so many overweight ones nowadays.

 

[Dave the Smeghead]

Dalmations were bred as carriage dogs, way back when. They were good looking and fashionable. Running and looking good was their thing. Its a shame I see so many overweight ones nowadays.

So if they were being run by a person cycling they wouldn't get that way. Unfortunately too many people own dogs that actually have no idea how to "keep" the dog.

 

[rovers1875]

I've got one of the Walky dog things (from the inner wolf). They do what they say on the tin. You attach a bracket to the seat post and a pretty heavy duty steel tube with a sort of bungee cord cord running through it just clips to the bracket. The bungee takes up the slack (long leads can get tangled) and also acts as a damper if the dog pulls. The dog took a week or so to get the idea, but now quite happily trots along side of me till I get to the canal when I let her loose. If you park up you can use the walky dog as a lead (alright it does seem more like a truncheon) so although not exactly cheap they do work quite well. mine has always been used since I got it. I did bodge up something from a bit of copper pipe and and a bungee before I bought one, it did work but looked daft and was not as practical. The dog gets much more exercise and I get to nip out for an extra ride most days. Just make sure you use a harness and not a collar.