Off season Skijor Training
with your Bicycle

Skijoring is living my dream, but there is snow only six months of the year. I need an off season method to efficiently make strong dogs. Fitness for my dogs and myself is a year round endeavor. I can't justify a cart or ATV with a small team of three dogs. The mountain bike was the logical choice for me to keep my dogs fit.

Running with leashed dogs that are heeling as off season training method, is too slow for dogs. In line skates may occur to be an alternative to skis except again you have no brakes and the activity is confined to pavement.

The mountain bike, like skis is a faster way to move overland and still take advantage of dog power. Skis and mountain bikes both have control over dogs by the snowplow stance on skis and the brakes on your bicycle. It has long and often occurred to mushers to use a bike for training. It hasn't been until recently that bicycle technology with the new brakes and suspension have caught up to the needs of the serious dog musher. I encourage all mushers to take a new look at the bicycle for training dogs.

The mountain bike may be more versatile than a cart because you can lift it over downed trees, fences and other obstacles and you are not confined to wide trails or roads.

You must be at least a competent cyclist to attempt bikejoring. There is more to being a good bike handler than just staying upright. Like skijoring, it would be very difficult to hook up a good dog when you cannot ski well already. For someone starting out and even for the seasoned, bikejoring is potentially dangerous. You should have a dog trained to lead. A dog darting off to the side for minor distractions can cause a crash. Start out with a well tuned bike and only one dog . Be extremely alert to trail hazards. Wear a helmet and gloves.

There are limits to the number of dogs even the finest bike can safely handle. On technical terrain and steep descents with the best braking system, the maximum would be two dogs. I recommend only two dogs maximum in front of a mountain bike. When just learning to bikejor and when your leader is not so well trained, you may have a few incidents where you may run over the line and it will wrap around the hub. Usually this type of accident will rarely cause you to crash and given the proper length line [about ten feet with the bungee extended] and good brakes, you will not be in danger of running into your dogs.

The Hook Up

There are several contraptions on the market devised to attach dogs to a bicycle. Avoid all those that don't allow the dog to run directly in front of the bicycle. A dog pulling from the side will be harder to control because of the sideways forces on the bike. A dog running alongside you requires a wider road and rules out the single track trails.

The connection I use to attach the dog to the bicycle is what I call the bridle. It is a simple loop of nylon cord about six to eight inches long when folded that is tied under the stem with a non slipping knot so the end of the loop with a snap lies over the top of the bars. The bridle connection allows the rider the most control because the forces of the dog pulling are in line with the bike as you steer. The line pulls from the center of the bike and is high enough to keep it off your wheel. Never attach a line from the handlebar grips or any part of the bike that is not front and center.

The force of the dog pulling will change your center of gravity on the bicycle higher and more forward. You will have to compensate for this difference by positioning your body over the bicycle a little farther back, particularly when descending.

Some bikejorers prefer to attach the bridle loop at the head tube. The head tube attachment will lower your center of gravity but will also drag the line over the top of the wheel, causing premature wear of your line.

The lead used is the same line used for skijoring. The line consists of a nine foot total length of hollow poly rope with a heavy duty bungee cord about three feet integrated into the core of the rope. On one end of the line is a snap to link to the dogs harness and the other end has a loop that connects to the snap on the bridle on your bicycle or skijor belt. For two dogs side by side it is best to use a neckline between your dogs attached at their collars. The neckline will prevent your dogs from spreading out across the trail and creating a hazard for other trail users. Another handy two dog line to have for the back country is an in line lead. Dogs in line are better on some narrow single track trails and on fresh snow for breaking trail. Dogs in line are not competing for the best track. The in line lead is a good lead for training leaders. By putting the faster dog in the lead it may also be a better lead for racing. The fabrication of the lead is easily done with the use of a fid splicing tool or you can buy a lead from many different sled dog suppliers.

The harness is the typical X back harness. It is different from the walking harness in that the loop to attach to the line is at the tail of the dog instead of the middle of the back. The X back allows full freedom for the legs and expands to facilitate breathing.

The mountain bike you select for bikejoring should not be a cheap department store bike. There is a profound difference in the bike acquired at a bike shop for a little more. Parts for department store bikes are difficult to find or replace and a tune up could cost as much as the bike itself. Front suspension forks add control to your ride and are relatively low maintenance. Full suspension bikes have many designs and some have faults or crazy rocking horse ride effects. There are numerous pivot points that can get sloppy with wear. You could become a slave to bike maintenance.

If you already have a bike consider upgrading your brakes with the new V-type brakes or disc brakes . V-brakes are the breakthrough in bike technology that mushers have been waiting for. With the strength of just one finger for each lever your team is under control. Older style cantilever brakes required you to squeeze so hard on the levers for so long that hand fatigue was often a problem.

You might consider wider rims to gain a little more leverage from your rim brakes.

Several components of your bike have to be tuned frequently in order to insure proper brake function. Your wheels must be true, meaning that when you spin the wheel there is no side to side(straight ) or up and down (round) motion. The wobble in any direction should be less than one sixteenth of an inch. I will take the time to true my wheels to a few hundredths of an inch. A wheel truing stand and a spoke wrench will enable you to attain these tolerances.

Brake pads should be adjusted to be in line to the curvature of the rim. If the pad is skewed then it could rub the tire causing a blowout. Most nicer brake sets have a toe-in adjustment that allows you to angle the pad close to the rim at the leading edge and about a sixteenth of an inch(depending on the length of the pad) away at the rear. The toe-in allows the pad to flatten on the rim under pressure without causing squealing sounds or chattering vibrations.

Controlling dogs with a bike will tend to use up brake pads especially in wet and muddy conditions. Check your brake pads frequently for wear and alignment.

Cables have to be free of rust ,kinks and frays to function correctly. If your brakes don't return after you squeeze them, chances are it is friction from the cables. Check and lube your cables frequently especially if you use water to clean your bike.

An option that will also improve your braking power on top of the V-brakes is a brake brace. The brace is a horseshoe shaped device that prevents frame flex when applying brake pressure.

You have to watch your dogs and what they are encountering every moment. The scent of a deer or bear could cause sudden surges or your dogs could decide to goof off and mark something while you weren't paying attention.

Be careful you don't let your dogs go so fast that you lose control. This usually happens on down hills. The speed that you can safely control has a lot to do with your riding ability, your brakes, and the terrain. It is better to be conservative about speed because it is a fine line between control and mayhem. I usually don't to run my dogs at top speed until I am on skis.

Be sure to choose your rides carefully so they are dog compatible. Early in the morning is the coolest time. I like a trail that has frequent water available to cool the dogs and a soft dirt or sandy surface. Keep the distance conservative and plan a water strategy.

Don't be persuaded by your biking friends to do a killer ride if the distance and temperature is too much for your dogs. The dogs well being should always be the first consideration. A fit cyclist can easily go fifty miles whereas my dog runs are usually under ten miles.

I like the bikejor season because it gives me a lot of one on one time with my dogs. I prefer to use just one dog mostly. The bonus is that they all become confident leaders. The summer and fall runs are low ressure outings where we take a little time to smell the flowers. The main objective is fun for all.