Man’s best friends
While it has traditionally been posed that the dog is man’s best friend, we know many of you also reserve that honor for your two-wheeled companion—your bicycle. Like a good dog, a good bicycle is quiet, a provider of comfort during rough times, and easy on your carpet. But for those who have both a special canine and a special bicycle in their life, a common dilemma is how to give both of them attention at the same time. We’ve experimented with this extensively at the peopleforbikes.org office; here’s what we’ve learned.
There are a number of ways to include your dog in a bike ride, whether it’s for utilitarian or recreational reasons. It’s possible to tote small, well-behaved dogs in a basket or a messenger bag. One of our Twitter followers, Zak, sent us this photo of his dog riding in his rear bike basket. Another follower, P.J., has a photo of his adorable pup riding in a front bike basket set as his profile image. PFB supporter Timbuk2 even makes a backpack designed to carry dogs called the Muttmover.
PFB dog Churro liked riding in a basket as a puppy.
Angela won a PFB messenger bag and used it for her Yorkie.
For larger canines or for those who can’t be trusted to sit contentedly in an open basket, you can use a bike trailer like a Chariot or a Burley. Again, there are dog-specific options on the market—the Tail Wagon and the Croozer Dog are two examples. These enclosed trailers keep frisky dogs safe while you’re biking and can haul larger mutts (and groceries too!).
PFB dogs Sadie and Ryleigh getting ready for a spin in Denver.
After PFB dog Churro outgrew his basket, he moved to a Burley Tail Wagon.
Cargo bikes are another option. There are bakfiets for carrying children by bike; why not “barkfiets” for dogs? Blogger Leah Stone carries her therapy dog, Charlie, in a Madsen cargo bike. Below, PFB dog Wylie tries to hitch a ride in our office cargo bike.
And for those mutts who just can’t be contained, there’s always the possibility of letting them run alongside the bike. This is most enjoyable (for you, the dog, and other trail users) when done on quiet, natural surface trails. Without a doubt, the siren call of singletrack extends beyond humans to canines. While some trail systems are closed to dogs, others allow dogs to run off-leash. Mountain biking with your dog is a great way to exercise it and yourself at the same time. Many dogs love it and turn out to be natural trail dogs.
PFB dogs Churro and Magnolia ask for more trails please.
Photo “Happiest dog ever” by Flickr user Josh Lowensohn used under a Creative Commons License.
For those of you out there who prefer animal companionship of the feline variety, Grease Rag Ride & Wrench Minneapolis wrote that it is indeed possible to transport cats by bike too. None of us here at PFB own cats, so we’ll have to hold off on testing this ourselves.
Photo “On our way home” by Flickr user Low used under a Creative Commons License.
We’d love to hear about your experiences riding with dogs (or cats, or iguanas, or hampsters…) in the comments section below or on our facebook or twitter pages. Photos, videos, and stories are all appreciated!
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