Toad
Active member
You may have seen my thread on the Kansas forum about how the dogs and I are trying to get in better shape before prairie chicken season. Here's what I have been doing, and it has been beneficial to all of us. Here's my setup in case anybody else wants to give it a try...
Disclaimer: I'm just an average joe with no engineering degree. This rig could potentially be dangerous with an unexperienced or distracted bike rider, or a dog that is not fully under control. I ride on gravel roads out in the country with no traffic, and both dogs were trained on foot until I was confident it was safe to get on the bike.:thumbsup:
Basically, I have mounted a 15' retractable leash to the handlebar post on my mountain bike with velcro straps. I have modified the leash by removing the little button that stops the leash from going in and out. It would occasionally get depressed by the brake/shifter cables and lock the leash in or out, so I removed it and covered the hole with electrical tape. While I had the leash open, I also increased the tension on the spring so it applies slightly more force when retracting the leash (This was intended to help keep slack out of the leash since it is above the front tire).
The dogs run in a padded pulling harness I found online. Attaching the leash directly to the top eye of the harness made it a little "jerky" whenever the dogs hit the end of the 15' leash, so I strung a bungee cord between the two side D-rings, and attached the leash in the center of the bungee cord. This really takes the shock out when the dog turns on the afterburners, and helps me maintain better control of the bike.
My personal preference is to start at a water source, and then ride out and back. On cool, wet mornings I will ride farther out before turning back. On hotter days, I do more reps of a shorter distance (going out and back from the water multiple times). I also have an insulated water bottle on the bike so I can stop and water the dogs if they look like they are getting hot and we are still a fair distance from the starting point.
I know there are many ways to skin a cat, and I'm sure you all have exercise programs of your own. I like this because it is helping BOTH the dogs and I to get in better shape before the season, and because it doesn't require any land access (Just a mile or two of lightly traveled gravel road near a creek or pond.) The dogs are loving it, and I know we are in better shape now than we were a year ago at this time.:thumbsup:
Disclaimer:
I'm just an average joe with no engineering degree. This rig could potentially be dangerous with an unexperienced or distracted bike rider, or a dog that is not fully under control. I ride on gravel roads out in the country with no traffic, and both dogs were trained on foot until I was confident it was safe to get on the bike.:thumbsup:Basically, I have mounted a 15' retractable leash to the handlebar post on my mountain bike with velcro straps. I have modified the leash by removing the little button that stops the leash from going in and out. It would occasionally get depressed by the brake/shifter cables and lock the leash in or out, so I removed it and covered the hole with electrical tape. While I had the leash open, I also increased the tension on the spring so it applies slightly more force when retracting the leash (This was intended to help keep slack out of the leash since it is above the front tire).
The dogs run in a padded pulling harness I found online. Attaching the leash directly to the top eye of the harness made it a little "jerky" whenever the dogs hit the end of the 15' leash, so I strung a bungee cord between the two side D-rings, and attached the leash in the center of the bungee cord. This really takes the shock out when the dog turns on the afterburners, and helps me maintain better control of the bike.
My personal preference is to start at a water source, and then ride out and back. On cool, wet mornings I will ride farther out before turning back. On hotter days, I do more reps of a shorter distance (going out and back from the water multiple times). I also have an insulated water bottle on the bike so I can stop and water the dogs if they look like they are getting hot and we are still a fair distance from the starting point.
I know there are many ways to skin a cat, and I'm sure you all have exercise programs of your own. I like this because it is helping BOTH the dogs and I to get in better shape before the season, and because it doesn't require any land access (Just a mile or two of lightly traveled gravel road near a creek or pond.) The dogs are loving it, and I know we are in better shape now than we were a year ago at this time.:thumbsup:
