Tandem Cycling - Ride with a Dog

Does anyone have any experience cycling with a pet? If so, I'd like to hear about what kind of contraption you used. There are many commercially available designs out there. I'm curious what works and what doesn't.

I have a 10 lb dog who doesn't get enough attention during the week. My wife and I are tandem newbies (got the bike 2 months ago) and we're trying to train for an MS150 in a couple weeks. But I get serious dog-guilt when we come home from work, only to turn around and leave for a ride. I know the dog would love to feel the wind in his fur, just as much as I do.

Perhaps I should have posted this in a broader forum but I figured tandem enthusiasts are most inclined to keep adding passangers to their rides.

I have put our dog in a trailer we have for the young kids its a Schwinn Mark II

Trailer is the best option. Be sure to keep a leash on it so it does not jump out!

Does anyone have any experience cycling with a pet? If so, I'd like to hear about what kind of contraption you used. There are many commercially available designs out there. I'm curious what works and what doesn't.

I have a 10 lb dog who doesn't get enough attention during the week. My wife and I are tandem newbies (got the bike 2 months ago) and we're trying to train for an MS150 in a couple weeks. But I get serious dog-guilt when we come home from work, only to turn around and leave for a ride. I know the dog would love to feel the wind in his fur, just as much as I do.

Perhaps I should have posted this in a broader forum but I figured tandem enthusiasts are most inclined to keep adding passangers to their rides.

Cgallagh and I are interested as well. We have a pair of Schipperkes who are bribed with bones so we can get our miles in, and we have pet-guilt as well (is this just an American phenomenon, or is it worldwide?). We're considering some kind of trailer with a zippered screen to keep them in, we just don't know what kind yet.

Too bad we didn't ride when our kids were little; we'd already know what to do. :(

(is this just an American phenomenon, or is it worldwide?). . :(

pet-guilt, pet cementeries, leaving an inheritance to a pet,.... you name it! It is not worldwide.

A tandem team that we know uses a trailer to haul their pet... they even ride with it at the CRXTMAS parade!!

Never tried it (we have 3 dogs who stay home when we ride), but I'd think a 10 pound dog would be able to go in a backpack or sling type carrier made for dogs.

Would love to see a pic when you figure it out!

I converted a Burley Scoot kid trailer to a doggie trailer. Removed seats and belts, layed a soft mat, bought a spill-proof water dish. They love it.
Check it out.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2303803970101957124DIflVN

The Brits are rather dog-centric, too:

http://www.bizrate.co.uk/bicycles_cyclingequipment/oid542389209__nwylf--.html

There are reports of a dog riding in a trailer (same dog) for the Cascade Bicycle Club's "Flying Wheels" Century and the Seattle-to-Portland. Since the FW is billed as a training ride for the STP, I presume the dog did fine.

We recently had to put our dog down. She was wonderful and faithful companion for almost 18 years.

We started riding tandem only 3-1/2 years ago, so she was already too old and set in her ways that we wouldn't want to put her into stressful settings.

We will have another pet at sometime in the future and I was thinking that perhaps a smaller dog, under 15 lbs. or so, might be able to ride safely in a pet crate or cage secured on top of a rear cargo rack.

Has anyone ever trained a dog to ride comfortably in a safe container like this?

The trailers look like more than we want to drag around and a couple of other methods I've seen, like dogs perched unsecured on handlebar platforms, don't look very safe for pets or their owners.

Given that dogs seem to love sticking their heads out of car windows I imagine they'd like bike rides too. I have seen others taking small or medium dogs in trailers; only concern is that the dog would need to be strapped to avoid jumping out and chasing small animals but still able to move enough to lie down. Safety would also be dependent on the dog's behaviour - I wouldn't like a 15kg dog throwing itself at the trailer window if it sees a rabbit for instance.

I also saw a person taking a small dog for a ride. They had bungeed a wicker basket onto a rack, then loaded the dog into the basket using a cover that allowed only its head to stick out. The dog was loving it. I imagine you could get custom wicker basket made to fit any dog. Wicker is an excellent material for this as it is an excellent shock absorber and would help keep the dog safe in an crash.

Another alternative could be to get the dog to run alongside if you ride on a trail or other traffic free environment. With gradual training I imagine most dogs would be able to do 5 miles or so at a reasonable pace. Greyhounds, huskys or similar breeds may be able to give you a good run for your money.

My roommie has a chihuaha and is thinking of putting it in a milk crate on a rack. I think if she rides with it on trails and sidewalks (ducks VC attacks) then it shouldn't matter if it jumps out a couple times before it realizes that it hurts.

Thank you all for the responses. :)

I'll try the backpack / sling approach first. Our dog is curious and energetic so I'd be most comfortable with him firmly attached to me. If that doesn't work, I'll try to rig a wicker basket. I'll test the options out on a single bike first. Being a new captain, I have enough to think about on a tandem with out a dog licking my face. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

We ride some narrow busy roads so the trailer idea makes me nervous. I've never towed a trailer but they seem dangerous outside of rail trails and lonely country roads. Agree or disagree?

ThinLine: your dogs are cute!

regomatic: sorry to hear your dog recently passed. I was strongly averse to getting a small dog but my wife talked me into it. She was right (aren't stokers always right?). He's great. At 10 lbs, he'll do anything a big dog does (while making a minimal mess in the yard :p ).

A member of our Cycle Club regularly takes Jan "Bo Jangles" for rides all over town (she has been "cycling" for over 2 years now).

She used to ride in a custom box on the front of the handlbars - but after a small accident earlier in the year, it was decided she would be safer at the back.

From a recent conversation with her owner, Jan has done well over 5000 miles this year already :)

Apparently she even knows now from the shoes that are put on as to whether she is going out for a ride (or he is going out by himself)

As you can see, nothing fancy - plastic basket securly attached to a good solid rear rack. There are 2 short cords with quick release clips for attaching to her collar.

I also converted a child trailer to be dog friendly. Took out the seats and kind of flipped the side supports backwards so that the front mesh screen would be in the back, and rolled what used to be the back up and out of the way to improve air flow. More to keep my dog Cooper comfortable than anything else. He loves it - we've done several 80 mile rides, and a couple of multi day rides as well.

These folks

http://www.hunterk9.com/site/870877/product/511

have all sorts of doggie stuff, including helmets ... at which point the dogs look like they should be on horseback, riding English style.

56010Like others we converted a child trailer by taking out the seat essentially making it a flatbed.
Initially left it open and used leashes to keep all three of our Yorkies from jumping out, but that led to lots of tangled leashes and unhappy puppies.

I bought some platic mesh fencing and covered the top of trailer with it basically turning it into a large kennel. They gets lots of air and love it. As soon as we begin getting dressed in out biking clothes they get all excited. If we go on a ride without them we are in big trouble, ha, ha!!

Of course the trailer also had to be painted with cow-spots to match the bike and the team, duh!

Pat & Gabrielle
TEAM COW ROCKS.

If you're dogs are larger or you want to spend the extra money, Cycletote makes a"doggy version" (http://www.cycletote.com/doggy_tote.html). It really is not much different than the other manufacturers except for maybe the top cover. However, if you have a real need for extra space for your dog(s), they could probably turn their larger "special needs" (http://www.cycletote.com/special_needs.html) trailer into a pet trailer.

We very often carry our 16-pound Dachshund in a dog basket on the rear carrier. This little fellow loves it, as this pictures proves:

http://www.xs4all.nl/~mmhoff/images/Guus_mand_tandem.jpg

I love seeing these pics. We have two mutts, but they weigh in at about 110 lbs for the pair. At that weight, they would have to peddle too to join us.

Actually you'd be surprised how well these trailers roll with 100lbs in it, once you get going you hardily notice it. In fact on the flats it will help keep your momentum its on the hills you'll notice and downhill you can imagine what happens!

A couple at MTR this year put on a workshop about traveling with your pets. I didn't go to the workshop because I wasn't interested but I saw them on the road carrying 2 dogs on their bent. I'm thinking that you should be able to find them with a little research.