Dog biking / Bikejoring

When biking with dog, both the dog and the owner get to enjoy the thrill of speed. On this page, you will find information about bikejoring, a Sled dog sport, as well as biking with dog where the dog runs alongside the cyclist.

With the right gear, a little practice, and consideration of conditions, biking is a great hobby with a dog. It also works as a skill that makes everyday life easier if, for example, you don't have a car or just enjoy biking. More and more people also want to take their dog along for mountain biking or bike touring hobbies or start practicing fast-paced bikejoring. Many dogs love the fast pace!

  • Bikejoring / bikejoring

Bikejoring is a Sled dog sport where the dog runs ahead of the bike pulling it. A dog equipped with a pulling harness is attached to the bike with a bungee line and often the bike has a forward-facing bike antenna, or “antenna,” that keeps the line up and away from the front wheel. Bikejoring is a fast-paced sport that especially requires speed and fitness from the dog. Top speeds in the sport can exceed 40 km/h and bikejoring can be competed in at the World Championship level.

  • Biking with dog

The term bikejoring thus refers to a pulling sport, but you can of course bike with a dog more casually as well. In that case, the dog usually runs beside the bike, but depending on the situation, the dog can also be taught to run ahead or behind.

  • Kickbiking / kickbike riding / scootering / scooter riding

A sport close to biking, where the vehicle is a large-wheeled kickbike/scooter. Some, especially those less experienced with biking, find kicking easier than biking with a dog. Check out kickbikes here >

Why bike with a dog?

For most dogs, the most natural way to move would be a trot, not a walk. Thus, a human's walking or even running pace is unnaturally slow for a dog. On a bike, a person can offer the dog more brisk exercise. It suits satisfying exercise needs even when the dog cannot be exercised off-leash, for example due to prey drive or unpredictability. Biking is therefore also suitable, for example, as a base fitness maintainer for hunting dogs outside the hunting season.

Is biking suitable for all dogs?

Biking is a great hobby for healthy and well-built adult dogs. With a young dog still growing, it's worth practicing the basic skills needed for biking and being near and moving with the bike, but actual bike rides and especially starting the pulling sport should wait until the dog is fully grown.

Similarly, with an already aging dog, the length and speed of biking must naturally be adjusted to the dog's condition and health.

Speed according to the dog

Biking with dog the cyclist must always adjust their own speed to suit the dog's pace. Most often this practically means that the cyclist's pedaling cadence is very relaxed and the brakes are used frequently, except on uphill sections.

When biking, it is preferable to aim for the dog to move mostly at a trot. Of course, gallop sprints can also be taken and many dogs enjoy them, but galloping is a more stressful gait for the dog's body and joints than trotting. Trotting loads the dog's body and muscles more evenly, so the main focus should be there.

In Bikejoring, also known as a competitive sport, the goal is the fastest possible performance time, so sled dogs usually move at a gallop and the cyclist's aim is to slow the dog down as little as possible - but training for sled sport dogs mostly involves trotting and free movement.

gear for bikejoring traildog

Where can you bike with your dog?

Choose calm biking routes and times suitable for your dog: especially at the beginning of the hobby when passing is still under training.

When biking with a dog, plan your route so that the dog has a soft and comfortable running surface. Avoid asphalt and large sharp gravel and head for sandy roads, outdoor routes, and trails. If you cannot avoid transitions on harder surfaces, try to use softer shoulders even then.

Good running surfaces for the dog are also soft, not very rocky trails. However, always relate the terrain to your own riding skills. First learn trail riding by yourself and only later add the dog to the equation. For example, beginner mountain biking courses work well as a start for technique practice.

Tips for biking with your dog

  • Getting started:
    • First accustom your dog to just being near the bike, walking, and the various sounds coming from the bike.
    • Get suitable gear. Information about different gear solutions can be found further down this page.
  • Be alert and anticipate: “one eye always observes the environment, the other the dog.”
  • Give your dog opportunities to relieve itself before biking and also during the ride with permission. This is part of anticipation. Most sudden stop situations relate to the dog stopping to relieve itself. Frequent permitted stops reduce sudden situations.
  • Notify other travelers in time about passing. Especially when passing dog owners, it's good to always shout that another dog is coming besides the bike, and give them time to move aside. Even a well-behaved dog running past can provoke the dogs being passed.
  • If your dog is beside you, try to pass so that the bike is between your dog and those being passed. 
  • Always tell your dog what is happening (turns, stops, etc.) The dog learns to listen and riding becomes smoother with practice.
  • Start using direction and speed change commands also on everyday walks and runs: this way they strengthen unnoticed.
  • Choose routes where your dog has as little contact as possible with asphalt or other very hard and rough surfaces.
  • Don't bikejor with your dog when the weather is too warm or humidity is high.
  • Take care of the dog's hydration.
  • Start and end the walk at a calmer pace and walking so that muscles have time to warm up and cool down.
  • Vary the pace and terrains of the walks.
  • Remember moderation in the length of walks especially at the beginning of the hobby and biking season. 
  • Always monitor the dog's endurance. It's better to end the walk before the dog gets tired. This way you will have an eager biking companion also in the future.
  • Always wear a helmet!

The right gear choices reduce the risk of dangerous situations

A leash held in the cyclist's hand or on the handlebar grip is unfortunately a common way that maximizes risks when biking with dog. Users of such a solution usually find themselves sooner or later on the road surface. It is pointless to imagine that a human's reaction speed would be enough to release the leash in the necessary hundredth of a second in sudden situations. Additionally, a loose dog can run away, get injured, and cause dangerous situations for other road users.

Although attaching the dog to the bike or cyclist with a so-called fixed solution may sound scary at first, it is actually the safest way to bike with dog. For bike control and safety, it is important that the cyclist can keep a firm grip on the handlebars with both hands and focus calmly on riding and observing the surroundings. 

The most important safety for biking with dog is always anticipation. In addition, there are gear suitable for biking with dog that reduce the risk of dangerous situations. Examples include bungee leashes around the cyclist's hips, so-called dog running racks attached to the bike (i.e., side-pointing "springers"), or bike antennas (i.e., forward-pointing flexible "antennas").

The choice of gear depends on whether the dog is meant to run ahead of the bike, beside it, or perhaps even behind. The most common way to bike with dog is with the dog running alongside the bike. In Bikejoring, the dog is always ahead of the bike.

When the dog is attached to the bike or cyclist, it is absolutely important for ergonomics that there is a bungee leash or bungee piece in between. The purpose of the bungee is to dampen jerks affecting both the dog and the cyclist. The dog should have well-fitting harnesses that do not choke or restrict leg movements. Read more about different harnesses and their fit here >

Different ways to bike with dog

Biking with dog alongside the bike

+ an easy way to start biking with dog
+ the dog is close and physically controllable
+ well-fitting so-called everyday harnesses (preferably Y-shaped) are enough as harnesses

- running with the dog can become crooked especially if the dog avoids the bike or the running side is always the same
- "wide transport" doesn't fit well on narrow trails            

Gear for running alongside 

  • Hip leash
    In the simplest attachment solution, the dog is attached to a flexible leash around the cyclist's hip. It is important that the leash is around the cyclist's hip bones and not high on the waist, so that possible jerks do not affect the back. The leash should be short enough so that the dog cannot circle to the front of the bike and the leash does not get tangled in the pedals. Tangling is also reduced by the leash going directly sideways from the hip, not straight forward like in pulling belts used in canicross.

    One of the best things about the hip leash is that it is easy to get off the bike with the dog. It is also versatile and does not require installations. A popular hip leash for biking is Ruffwear Roamer Bungee Leash shorter version. In addition to adjustable, quick attachment, it has bungee that dampens jerks and a handle from which the dog can be kept very close if needed, for example when passing. The leash is also easy and quick to wrap completely around the cyclist's hip when the dog is not attached.

  • Dog running frame (commonly springer)
    Springeriksi is the name for the so-called side running frame mounted around the bike's seat tube. This is a traditional model where the spring of the frame itself dampens jerks. The side running frame is well suited for example on busier roads for biking with a dog, as the dog stays very close beside the bike. However, it takes up space laterally, so it is not suitable for narrow trails.

  • Bike antenna that can be turned from front to side
    Some bike antennas can also be installed or turned to the side of the bike. Such a bike antenna is for example Kainpo Combi Plus. More about bike antennas below.

  • Leash attached to the seatpost
    This solution works well as a so-called temporary solution and is always better than a leash in the cyclist's hand. For example, a normal leash or a bungee leash can be doubled to shorten it to a suitable length. When short, the leash is less likely to get tangled in the pedals. In this way, the dog is attached to a point with a lot of mass (the cyclist sitting on the saddle), so the dog's lateral movements do not easily affect balance.

Biking with dog in front of the bike / bikejoring / bikejoring

+ the dog can choose its running line more freely than when running beside
+ running posture stays straighter more easily than when running beside
+ works even on narrow mountain biking trails
+ the dog can provide pulling power (if the dog pulls, it should wear a pulling harness)
+ in bikejoring hobby you can also progress to Sled dog sport competitions

- requires lightly trafficked routes and lots of skill practice

Things to consider: Does your dog already know directional commands? Can your dog remain indifferent to other movers and pass by? The basics of Sled dog sport are easiest to teach with canicross before moving on to bikejoring.

        Equipment when the dog runs ahead of the bike

  • Bike antenna
    Bike antenna refers to the flexible forward-extending so-called antenna at the front of the bike. It is intended for biking where the dog moves ahead of the bike, usually pulling. The Bike antenna keeps the pulling line up so that it does not get tangled in the front wheel of the bike even if the dog slows down. This significantly increases safety.

    The spring in the Bike antenna is flexible to follow the dog's movements. However, the bungee itself is not made to withstand pulling, so the pulling line must ALWAYS be attached around the bike frame (or to the loop on the attachment part of some adapter models). The leash should never be attached to the ring at the end of the antenna, but to the bike. It is recommended to use a flexible pulling line that stretches to about 2.5–3 meters with the Bike antenna. pulling line.

    There are different Bike antenna models because bikes also vary. Our selection includes several different adapter models, including those suitable for modern mountain bikes/full suspension bikes/fatbikes. The Bike antenna is usually installed either around the bike frame or around the steerer tubes - depending on the bike's design and the adapter model. Adapters that attach to the handlebars are also available.
     
    Check out the Bike antenna selection guide here.

  • Pulling harness
    The dog running ahead of the bike must absolutely wear a harness - a pulling dog should wear pulling harnesses intended for Sled dog sport pulling harnesses. Never pull with a collar, not even as a trial. Well-fitting pulling harnesses direct the pulling pressure to the dog's chest, away from the throat. Read more about finding the right harnesses in our fitting guide.

  • Flexible pulling line
    The competition rules serve as a good guideline: in bikejoring, the fully stretched pulling line must be at least 2 m and at most 3 m measured from the dog's rear to the front of the bike. It is forbidden to have any kind of metal hook or metal ring at the cyclist's end of the pulling line.

Biking with dog behind the bike

For dogs that enjoy mountain biking, it may be sensible to also teach running behind the bike without being leashed. Especially on very narrow and very uneven trails when mountain biking, this skill can come in handy.

+ physically the most ergonomic / safest in challenging terrains (no jerks or risk of bumps)
+ the cyclist can choose their line without having to watch out for the dog
+ enables traveling very technical trails with the dog

- requires especially good control of the dog without physical contact
- the dog must be indifferent to other travelers and animals


Moving back and following there is easiest to practice first on trails by walking or at walking speed, on a separate command.

Even if the dog is running freely behind the bike, a leash should always be quickly available for overtaking, for example. The previously mentioned leash suitable for side running, worn on the cyclist's hip, works well for this. The dog can also wear a combination of collar and leash around its neck. Such a product is, for example, NiteIze Raddog -collar, which contains a retractable short leash that can be pulled out when needed, so the dog can be connected instantly when necessary.

It is practical for the dog following behind the bike to be attached to, for example, a bell, whose sound lets the cyclist know the dog is keeping up without constantly looking back.

Following behind the bike is a skill that can be partially trained, but naturally it is not suitable for all environments or all dogs.

Bikejoring competitions

Want to join competition activities in bikejoring? In Europe, Sled dog sport competitions on snow-free ground are held in spring and autumn. Summers are the holiday and base training season for sled dog athletes, as hot weather is not suitable for practicing Sled dog sport. 

Race routes in bikejoring are usually gravel track type and the length is approx. 5-7 km. According to the rules, the dog must move ahead of the cyclist throughout the entire distance.

In competitions under the Finnish Sled dog sport Association, the international Sled dog sport Association's IFSS Competition Rules are used. National Rules complement the IFSS rules in national Sled dog sport competitions and Finnish Championships. Information about upcoming bikejoring competitions can be found here: Sled dog sport competitions and events. In competition announcements, the bikejoring series class abbreviation is DBM / DBW (bikejoring men / women).