Biking with Dogs

As any dog lover knows any time you can share  an activity you enjoy with your dog it instantly becomes more fun.   Things you can't do with a dog at your side, lets just say they interest me a lot less then dog activities.  So when my husband first got really interested in biking 3 years ago I wasn't very keen on getting involved myself.     I watched as he brought a Brompton Folding Bike



and later a Bike Friday. 








The nice thing about a folding bike is you can take it on the train, a must if you work in Manhattan like we do.   It made my husbands commute shorter and it helped him stay in shape, but it didn't involve dogs so I didn't pay all that much attention.

Then I read an article in Bark magazine about biking with dogs.  The article described a couple who biked across Europe with their dogs, I figured if they could bike across Europe I could manage to bike around the park.    The first thing I did was get my own Bike Friday.  That way I could ride it to work and shorten my commute as well as use it on weekends with my dogs.  I choose the Bike Friday over the Brompton because it is easier to fold and its handle bars would better accommodate a basket.   I have to say I LOVE riding the bike to work it shave at least 40 minutes of my commute and I get home to the dogs half an hour earlier.


Once I had the bike I ordered the basket recommended in the article from Cynthia's Twigs.  These baskets are beautiful and you can order pillows and liners in adorable colors and best of all they have a secure harness attachment so there is no worry about the dog escaping.   Then I went into Manhattan to the most adorable bike shop Adeline Adeline.  I wanted to buy everything in the store but I restrained myself and bought just this bell





The truth is my Bike game with a bell but how could I resist a doggie bell as cute as this one!

I decided I wanted a helmet that would advertise my love of dogs as well so I had one made by Belle Helmets.  It has a pug and a bulldog painted on it.  Here is a picture of Bob modeling it:

I was a little nervous about whether or not the dogs would like the basket.   For Tubby the answer was definitely no, he was a little too big and  couldn't get comfortable.   Dr. Zira, was also afraid of the basket which was no surprise to me since she is a pretty nervous girl.  Ping, however, LOVED the basket right away.   Here are some picture of her enjoying it:

If you have a large or more active dog and want to exercise with them you can use a walky dog to have them safely run beside you on the bike.   I'm considering this for Norbert but I am  a little afraid that this might be a bit too much for his mild arthritis.  Definitely is a great idea for a young active dog!

Another dog/bike product I would love to own is the burley tail wagon.  This is supposed to be safest pet wagon on the market and can accommodate larger dogs. 

We will definitely be biking more in the fall when the weather cools down.