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We had our first bike ride today

3K views 35 replies 9 participants last post by  NancyJ 
#1 ·
Empire will be a year old in a couple of weeks. Today I wanted to see if he'd enjoy a jog around the neighborhood so I hopped on my bike to see how he would react. He was all over the place, so I switched to his prong and he jogged perfectly.

I am definitely going to going to order an attachment for my bike do don't have to hold the leash.

Can anyone recommend either the Bike Tow Leash or the Walky Dog?

We only had one ride, so I can't tell in he enjoyed it yet. Next time I'll be able to see if he's looking forward to it now that he knows what we're doing.


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#2 ·
I have the Bike Tow Leash and really like it. I haven't tried it out on big boy Russell yet, but it's worked great for the girls. They can't pull me over (Carly tried).
 
#5 ·
I would be interested in your feedback. I was looking into this a year ago and am FINALLY getting a bike appropriate for this (my old road bike just has me too high off the ground for comfort plus I don't want to mess with it.........it is kind of a collectors item..hahaha...really.....worth about 3 times what I paid for it)

Both seem to be highly reviewed.

I did find this though which seems to support your decision. My big concern with the walky dog is the leg constantly hitting the bar. Don't know if that is the case or not.

http://www.thedogoutdoors.com/walkydog-vs-bike-tow-leash.html
 
#10 ·
I would be interested in your feedback. I was looking into this a year ago and am FINALLY getting a bike appropriate for this (my old road bike just has me too high off the ground for comfort plus I don't want to mess with it.........it is kind of a collectors item..hahaha...really.....worth about 3 times what I paid for it)

Both seem to be highly reviewed.

I did find this though which seems to support your decision. My big concern with the walky dog is the leg constantly hitting the bar. Don't know if that is the case or not.

What is the difference in the WalkyDog Plus and the Bike Tow Leash?
Can't say its true for all bikes, but this has not been an issue for us. The mount should be angled slightly rearward, my leg doesn't touch it. I think both products will work nicely though. We had "kid" trailer attachments on both bikes which use the same lower seat/chain stay area for mounting. It would be a pita to switch out for us so the walky dog set up made more sense for us.
 
#7 ·
1973 Schwinn Paramount. I am the original owner. All campy except for the brakes. I did rebuild the wheels (myself) - they put a 4x spoke pattern on a high flange hub. Also swapped out the Nuovo Record for the Rally derailleur to put wider ranges on the back (the good model)...Also ditched the Cinelli Stem for a Sun Tour because the reach was too far.

I worked as a bike mechanic after college hahahaha.
 
#9 · (Edited)
A friend is sending me a used Diamondback something. 26 inch "mountain bike" - probably front suspension. Probably low end. Perfect for not worrying about. It will cost me $37 for the shipping. I think a cheapmo bike is perfect for this.

Actually gear shifting technology advanced greatly when the Japanese entered the scene! You would not even dare try to shift the gears on the old Paramount without downtube friction shifters and trimming the front derailleur on each back derailleur shift because the cage was that narrow. and I want BOTH hands on the handlebars with a dog on a line. The version of the Rally I had stole the slant pantrograph design from the Shimano Crane but was still not technically as good, though it worked just fine for me.....it was my car for about 6 years and carried me from Portland Oregon to Missoula Montana fully loaded (and numerous other trips in the SE US)

So what are you doing about the pedal? The crank was not stripped? Normally pedals have harder threads than the crank (unless it is a steel crank).
 
#11 ·
So what are you doing about the pedal? The crank was not stripped? Normally pedals have harder threads than the crank (unless it is a steel crank).
The pedal is cross threaded in such a way that it is "stuck?". I can neither tighten nor loosen the pedal. It just spins in either direction with a wrench, but will not come out of the crank. It's probably the threads in the crank. I was just going to try to change it out eventually.

Good luck with your new bike!

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#12 ·
#17 ·
I haven't used a harness, since neither dog pulls at all. They just trot beside the bike. I'm using a martingale at the moment.


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#20 ·
I believe the folks with the bike tow leash recommend using a collar and not a harness while the walky dog recommends a harness. It may have to do with head placement as it can swing back and I could see the dog's head hitting the rear wheel. I was planning on using an agitation collar if I got the one you have.
 
#21 ·
Dogfaeries, Nigel, Amurphy26 and jocoyn:

Thanks for your experiences with or without the harnesses. The very first test run with the bike I used Empire's martingale. I almost died lol. He was pulling laterally, crossing in front and behind the bike and just generally being a pain because he had no clue what we were doing yet. That was only going three houses away.

I switched to his prong and he trotted perfectly beside me immediately and we went around a couple of blocks like that.

I'm still feeling this out, but I enquired about the harnesses because I was thinking that for an extended run it may be more comfortable.

Also, if its anything like loose leash walking, then maybe the prong will train him and I can switch back to the martingale. I do like the fact that I wasn't killed when Empire saw a cat while in a prong, so whatever method I use will have to pass the cat/squirrel test. He is fine passing all manner of people, children, dogs, bikes ...

Of course the bike attachment will be different from holding a leash so I guess I'll see what works when it gets here.

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#22 ·
The Bike Tow Leash will prevent your dog from crossing in front of your bike or crossing behind. It pushes your dog away from the bike too. When Carly tried to go sideways, away from the bike, I just kept pedaling and she had no choice but to keep up. Not once have I felt that I was going to be pulled over, and I am a very clumsy person!

The first time I tried it out, I hooked it to Carly's collar and walked it down the driveway. I got on and pedaled down the street. She looked a little confused, but trotted beside me. If she tried to stop to look at something, I just kept pedaling and she had to go with me. This thing is really easy!


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#24 ·
Don't run puppy too much

I use the walky dog for Fiona. Her trainer said that don't go too far on the bike, because of the pounding on the pavement. I have to wait until she is 2 and hips check out before taking her far. Right now we just go around the corner, 1/2 mile.
 
#25 ·
I have a park at the end of my street that has a paved track. I ride the bike on the edge of the track, and force the dog to run in the grass. Works for me!

 
#26 ·
Well our bike leash arrived today. Installation was a breeze, no tools needed. The directions recommended using the martingale or harness with the front clip (more for body positioning than function as a back clipping harness will have the dog poisoned too far forward). So we put on the martingale and clipped it to the bike leash.

I was hoping that the height was correct because I did not understand the instructions for adjusting it. Everything looked good so we took a test ride around a few blocks.

There is plenty of room for us both to be side by side on the sidewalk. I could tell when he had to go to the bathroom because he tried to go into the grass and looked up at me, so I stopped and he immediately pooped.

This attachment also passed the cat and squirrel test, and he REALLY tried twice.

I am very pleased with the Bike Tow Leashes construction and performance for that trial run. I guess I'll see how it holds up over future wear and tear.


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#28 ·
Wonderful testimonial.....The stories on Amazon are equally as nice.

My "freebie" bike came yesterday and I got it together. Need to adjust one of the brakes tonight and air up the tires a little more but am getting back to riding around. Bikes have changed so much. It has clicks to shift gears (my only experience was the old downtube friction levers which had no clicks or stops-I did try bar end ratchet levers once but they were so unresponsive I got rid of them).

Of course I was hoping I could sit on the seat and put my feet on the ground but it is such an unnatural and uncomfortable position that I have the seat set like on my old road bike meaning I have to be off the seat and straddling the bar to touch the ground. At least I can keep both hands on the handlebars which are flat. So I am going to get really really comfortable riding again first!
 
#29 ·
Glad your bike arrived! I don't have gears, but everything is flat in Florida. I dont think I know what downtube friction levers are.

Hope you are able to get out and ride, it is so relaxing. Especially in the evenings here when it cools off. Our mornings are pretty much reserved for tracking and OB training. By the time we are done and he eats, then rests a few hours after eating, its too hot to do much, so we end up hiking trails under thick canopies.

Fetch and walks/rides will have to wait til the sun starts to go down.

Have fun!

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