Me and the dog.

[BDC]

This chapter actually stared here:

On a Victory 8 Ball Turbo that I rode and wrote an article for one of the motorcycle magazines I contribute to.
I was very taken with it. That's (one of) my stylez of motorcycle right there. (I do own a KLR650 too.)

Anyway, still buzzing from that ride, the next day I was out and about with the Mrs and said 'I'm going to have a look in the Bicycle shop next door.'

I rode out on a new Electra Straight 8 and she had a new Electra 'Cherie' that we have ridden pretty much every day since.

It turned out to be a pretty cheap way to scratch what was looking like a $25K itch for a matte black cruiser - while satisfying the need to do a bit more exercise.

So I set about creating suitable blackness (and something tall enough for my long legs).

The finished result came out most satisfactorily.

The other part of this story is about the dog. 'Doogle' joined our circus when we lived in New Zealand.
Just down the road from us was a 30 acre dog park that we visited every day and 'he loved to run and run and run.'

Then circumstances moved us home to Brisbane where there are virtually no amenities for dogs at all - and hefty fines for even letting them off a lead. I played Basketball for 30 years and have the knees to show for it. So running with him wasn't really an option, but add a recoil lead and now it's 'tell me, why are we stopping again?'

What our current locale lacks in doggie-like amenity - it makes up for in cycleways and easy places to ride.
Now we do the poop-loop at least twice a day and the cruiser is absolutely ideal for the job.

I've got a Garmin Edge 200 gps recorder mounted on the bars - It's an excellent 'no wires' speedo and odometer if you seek such a thing, and we have recorded over 1500 miles so far.

Put that pinky away!

Very pleasant riding it is too.

But all this meant that my NZ bike - a 10 year old 'entry level' Kona MTB - was mostly left hanging on the wall. Partly because it really was a bit too small for me, and partly because it's quite aggressive knobby tyres (can't really see from this angle) were pretty horrible on the paved cycleways.

After lurking and reading RRB for a while I was inspired to make it more suitable for local conditions too.

I had already upgraded the wheels and spokes to deal with a bit of air, so next I changed the bars, seat and got busy with the rattle can. Now it's the one I use for a longer ride or need to get going a bit quicker than the cruiser does.

And the dog doesn't care which one we take.

Still got a few things to do on it, and often have a trawl through the RRB gallery looking for inspiration before heading to the shed.

or out for a skid!

 

[deorman]

Is that a smokin' woodpecker I spy?
Sweet.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Very cool! The bikes match Doogle well!

Luke.

 

[Bob Gray]

I'm a regular dog biker myself and for much the same reason, (injured knee).

Here's what I've found works well for a lead. Securely attach a metal ring to the middle of your handlebars or gooseneck. I use a pair of tie wraps to do this, one on each side. Then take a bolt snap

and attach it to the handle of your leash using a single tie wrap, (use the cheap kind with a plastic catch).

When it's time to walk the dog simply attach the bolt snap to the ring on your handlebars. This leaves you both hands to steer and brake with and since the ring is in the center, if the dog pulls at something it doesn't yank your handlebars to either side as will happen if you simply loop the leash over the bar ends.

Also, by using a single zip tie to attach the bolt snap you have something that will break free if for whatever reason the dog pulls really hard, as might happen if you both go around opposite sides of an obstacle at 10 mph. The dog won't break it under normal conditions however.

 

[BDC]

Nice thanks - I think I even have one of those in stock somewhere.
Not so much for the cruiser - my mits are big enough to hold the lead and bars pretty comfortably and there is nada on the left grip to get in the road, but the MTB is a different story. Brakes and gear selector to foul.
Cheers.

 

[Bob Gray]

Just got back from an 8 mile ride with the dog. I don't know what it is about her, but she'll almost always wait until we're right in the middle of the biggest climb before she decides she has to poop.

 

[BDC]

Ha. Yep. Without fail. Apparently everything smells better up hill too.

 

[ifitsfreeitsforme]

I want one of those Garmin 200s.

 

[BDC]

Way cool. I can imagine the tangle with more than one towing. We have enough trouble meeting another doggie friend on the track.
It's a hot, sub-tropical climate here and our trails are through or around the 'burbs. Only wildlife we encounter are reptiles and birds. Lots of lizzards and a few snakes. There are turtles too in the pond he likes to swim in. I've got him trained well enough to pretty much ignore them now. I tried a harness - but he obviously doesn't like it - prefers the collar. He's good with right, left and wait, voice commands now too.
He also helps in the shed



Cheers.

And yeah ifits - the Edge is a pretty nifty gadget. So far it's proved reliable and pretty sturdy - and the Garmin web interface is very good for logging fitness goals and the like.

 

[LukeTheJoker]

Classic!

Luke.

 

[BDC]

Sounds pretty hairy - and fun. I tell my motorcycle magazine editor "I'll ride anything up to 'might explode'".

The only advice I can offer is 'treats' I've had pretty good success with liver flakes. The dog forgets everything else when they are possible. But then he is part Labrador and they are mostly stomach.