Spirit of Wolfy

Above video.  11 years ago with Wolfy in Thetford Forest.

Below video, today, training Byker.

Bikejor today

Grabbed the chance at a recreational bikejor today with the staffies, Dollar and Dixie.  Earlier though, I gave Byker another bicycle socialisation session:

Early training for bikejor

The bike socialising / training continues.  Byker is acting a little less shy of the bicycle.  I walk through suburban areas with him on a canicross belt, while pushing the bicycle - pulling brakes, making noises, etc.  Then when we reach a more rural cycling train, after a little while, I let him off line.  Then I'll mount the bike -let him see me that way, and gently cycle, meeting people, him meeting other dogs.  I want him to keep friendly, and non-aggresive, so that's also good.

I do also put him on the towline, and even mount the bike - just short stints of bikejoring.  I have to be careful not to let him encourage me to go further - he's too young.  His skeleton and limb joints still have to strengthen before I let him exert.

Right, now I'll take the two Staffies out on the bike!

Bikejoring with the Staffies

Recreational bikejor

So, I wonder, could I introduce our little canicross dogs to bikejoring next?  After all, I had dug up an old 2 dog line and a pair of harnesses that fit them.  All I needed was a bikejor antenna.  The fitting that allows you to suspend a tow-line from the dogs to the bicycle, clear of tangling in the front wheel.  Now, when I use to bikejor 10 - 12 years ago, finding a commercially made bikejor antenna was pretty difficult.  For the first few years I improvised with a home made effort involving a section of plastic tubing.  When I did eventually buy an antenna, it was from a guy in the Netherlands, that took forever to deliver following payment, and I think, he was losing interest in the business:

The Dutch bikejor antenna that I was using in 2008

Only in 2017, I found that there were several different models of bikejor antenna available for sale on the Internet!  So, I bought one, and I gave it a go:

They had fun.  Okay, these two particular staffie crosses are possibly not going to win any bikejor races.  It's strictly leisure bikejor for them.  See the a little of the excessively long video at the top of this post.  13 miles at a snail pace - but they are living.  After several leisurely bikejors, they get excited when they see the bicycle being wheeled out.


Now ... I wonder what about that pointer-cross that I've dreamt about being human to, what if such a dog were to come into my life?  Next post - an introduction to my bikejor project, Byker.