Towing a 90# dog....
06-11-15, 06:16 PM
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Towing a 90# dog....
We are semi-carfree, as in I need one for work.
My SO wants to get a trailer so that she is not reliant on me to take the dog for vet visits and picking up dog food, etc. So we are considering a trailer.
The dog is old and has about a 1 mile limit on walks in our hilly neighborhood and it is 2.5 miles to the vet and about a 600' drop, most in the half mile closest to home (we actually live on a Strava segment that climbers love). I am concerned about both the drop and the climb back.
She (the SO, not the dog) raced back in the day and continues to be a great cyclist. Loves to climb. The bike is a Surly LHT with an MTB drivetrain (lower gears than stock) and V-brakes. All in I think the weight is ~295#'s.
Any thoughts or experiences?
Many thanks.
My SO wants to get a trailer so that she is not reliant on me to take the dog for vet visits and picking up dog food, etc. So we are considering a trailer.
The dog is old and has about a 1 mile limit on walks in our hilly neighborhood and it is 2.5 miles to the vet and about a 600' drop, most in the half mile closest to home (we actually live on a Strava segment that climbers love). I am concerned about both the drop and the climb back.
She (the SO, not the dog) raced back in the day and continues to be a great cyclist. Loves to climb. The bike is a Surly LHT with an MTB drivetrain (lower gears than stock) and V-brakes. All in I think the weight is ~295#'s.
Any thoughts or experiences?
Many thanks.
Last edited by PeregrineA1; 06-11-15 at 06:16 PM. Reason: content
06-11-15, 07:07 PM
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Pedaled too far.
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Climbing with a trailer and a 90 lb dog will certainly put a strain on the rider. I'd test before I commit. As long as the trailer is set up correctly, down hill shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Have you presented this situation in utility bikes?
Have you presented this situation in utility bikes?
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06-12-15, 06:30 AM
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Is the dog on board with this? (so to speak 
)
)
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"Think Outside the Cage"
06-12-15, 07:48 AM
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The dog is the happiest mutt on the planet. Loves to be out and about, at least in a car, truck, boat, or walk, so probably on/in a bike/trailer.
I think we will borrow a friends kid trailer/bike combo and throw a bag of dog food in it and let her try it out on the flats first and go from there.
I think we will borrow a friends kid trailer/bike combo and throw a bag of dog food in it and let her try it out on the flats first and go from there.
06-12-15, 08:03 AM
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The dog is the happiest mutt on the planet. Loves to be out and about, at least in a car, truck, boat, or walk, so probably on/in a bike/trailer.
I think we will borrow a friends kid trailer/bike combo and throw a bag of dog food in it and let her try it out on the flats first and go from there.
I think we will borrow a friends kid trailer/bike combo and throw a bag of dog food in it and let her try it out on the flats first and go from there.
[hr][/hr]
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Last edited by Roody; 06-12-15 at 08:06 AM.
06-12-15, 01:23 PM
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Pedaled too far.
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Can the dog make it up the big hill under its own power? If it could help in that section it might help a lot.
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06-12-15, 03:32 PM
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This family towed a Surly Bill trailer with their 90 lb dog across a large part of the Western United States: The Family Ride | Cyclo-touring with ?Man?s Best Friend??
06-12-15, 08:45 PM
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He can make the last bit on foot. Home territory and all.
The trick is getting him to cooperate with the ridden bicycle as opposed to walking the bike, trailer, and dog simultaneously. He loves to stop and smell the roses and I can picture some challenges.
The only way to know is to try. We'll start with the borrowed rig and dog food.
The trick is getting him to cooperate with the ridden bicycle as opposed to walking the bike, trailer, and dog simultaneously. He loves to stop and smell the roses and I can picture some challenges.
The only way to know is to try. We'll start with the borrowed rig and dog food.
