cs1

IMO, this is from a cyclist and dog owner, don't walk your dog while your biking. I've got boxers and they're very well behaved but brutally strong. When your dog is behind you, you have 0 knowledge of what's it's doing. If the dog sees a squirrel or is distracted, and they always are, you're going down hard. Ultimately it's your choice but they call it "walking a dog" because you're supposed to walk not bike.

daredevil

Typically I would agree but with a properly trained dog, it can be done quite easily and safely. I do it daily and absolutely love it. My only suggestion is to let the dog set the pace.

btw, my dog walks/runs right next to me if not a little ahead but always in view.

cs1

Like I said, even the absolutely best trained dogs can be distracted temporarily. It only takes a second for the dog to pull you off balance. The results can be catastrophic.

daredevil

OK, thanks for the advice dad, I'm off to ride with my dog now.

chipcom 

If you ride a hybrid and the dog is a hybrid, you're cool.
But if the dog is a Purebred, look out for Underdog!

agc1976

lol, the purpose of walking the dog using the bike is to give him his proper exercise. Every dog must be exercised on a daily basis to keep his temperament balanced. Dogs that are not exercised will most likely exhibit undesirable behaviors inside the house. Some breeds will do ok with a 5-10 minute walk every day but some of the more energetic ones (like the one I have) require more (at least 30-60 minutes) per day. Sometimes you just don't have the time or energy to do this and must look for alternatives. A bike is a good alternative, since you can achieve the same result with much less effort and time.

daredevil

Just got back and I took the advice, did it without the leash today.

He stays right next to me and he's only 10 months old. I must be the damn dog whisperer or something. He's going to be a veteran bike walker by 1 year old. I had the leash along in case of course.

Alky

I'm late to this party but I started with a trek 7.6 and definitely regret it. I actually think the best thing for me personally would have been to start on a <$500 bike and get some time riding so I could figure out what exactly I wanted. Oh well.

mike047

I bought a Fuji Nevada 3.0/Giant Sedona DX/Giant Defy 3 in that order.

If I had bought the Defy first, I would have given up riding. There is virtually no flat land here and I didn't/don't have the strength to turn 30/42/52-12/26 gearset up the hills here.
The Sedona has a 28/38/48-11/32 set and I can manage it well, the Nevada is a 24/34/42-11/32 and I have no problems going anywhere with it.

scooter_dude

I had a Trek 7.6 FX to start with and the plain and simple truth is, it does everything, but does nothing particularly well. If you're going to ride any distance at all, your hands and wrists are going to hurt simply because you can't change hand positions much. You can alleviate some of this by putting bar ends and ergonomic grips on, but it only does so much for you. Also, you may have some difficulty staying with guys doing a consistent 18 mph. I would have trouble doing that on my Roubaix elite right now. Keep in mind, you can adopt essentially the same poisition on a road bike as on a hybrid by simply grabbing the tops of your drop bars. No one says you have to use the drops, but it is nice to have other hand positions available. I think I have been told drop bars offer 9 different hand positions, and if you ride 30 miles you'll use them all. If you ride 10 miles for that matter!! Long story short, I insisted on the hybrid when the LBS told me they could make me comfy on a road bike. $1100 later, I wish I had listened!! Now it a specialized Roubaix Elite Triple all day, and I couldn't be happier.