Bike Update & a Dog Trailer

My biking miles in September were three-quarters of what they were in August. The drop-off in miles started in mid-September when I realized I’d been overtraining. Up until that point, I was going pretty strong and using the electric assist less and less. That trend reversed overnight with me easing up significantly on miles and liberally using the assist as much as necessary to begin my recovery.

Ironically, when the month came to an end, I had used almost the exact average number of amp hours per mile for the month as I used in August. I suppose this makes sense as my mileage ramped up so fast in early August that I was using the assist more in the beginning of this biking adventure. In any case, I am well on my way to recovery from the overtraining although I think it may be a few weeks yet until I am at the same place I was in late August.

The cooler temperatures have definitely made biking more pleasant, although the early sunsets have their disadvantages. Because I volunteer at the CSA on Fridays, I worry a bit about the condition of drivers by early evening. It is common around here for folks ending their shifts at 3 pm to begin their weekend partying by 3:15, and the workers heading home at 5 pm probably get started just as quick. Adding in the darkness quickly descending by the time I leave the CSA increases the potential for a hazardous encounter on the road. For now, I am taking my bright rechargeable headlight, using my blinking tail light, and riding through the University campus to minimize vehicular traffic. If I begin to feel my safety is compromised as winter approaches, I will sadly return to driving to the CSA for a few months.


On a more positive note, I want to share photos of a dog's bike trailer with you. I first noticed this trailer at the CSA a couple weeks ago, not because I always key in on how people on bikes get their CSA shares home, but because there was a dog in it. I happened to have my camera with me this past week and asked his owner if I could take, and post, pictures of the trailer.


Henry built the trailer himself. It attaches to the bike with a hitch bolted down to the rear bike rack. Henry's dog, Baldrick, gets to come to the CSA each week in the trailer.


As you can see, it's a pretty good size. And it needs to be as Baldrick is a 60 pound dog.

When I asked Henry about getting the dog accustomed to riding in the trailer, he told me of the slow training process he went through. First, he put the trailer on blocks (rather than wheels) so that it was nice and stable. By putting Baldrick's food in the trailer, Henry made the trailer seem like a pretty good place for a dog to hang out. The introduction of wheels came next, with plenty of treats to continue the positive associations with being in the trailer. Pulling the trailer by hand got the dog used to movement, while, of course, receiving lots and lots of treats. Henry says Baldrick does pretty well in the trailer now but he still doesn’t like it when the city buses pass by too close.


How does Baldrick get in the trailer? Through the gate, of course. It folds down into a little ramp.


Once in the trailer, Baldrick’s collar is hooked to a carabiner tied to a cord secured around the front part of the trailer. This keeps him from trying to climb forward out of the trailer as well as preventing any wild leaps over the sides. Upon inquiry, it did not sound like Baldrick was inclined to leap wildly over the sides, although he does get a little excited over lizards. With Polie, though, I’d be a little worried about what would happen if he saw a cat…

Henry is willing to share his ideas about building and using bike trailers, especially for transporting your dog. If you would like to get in touch with him, or even talk to him about building a trailer for you, leave me a comment with your email address. I will pass it along to him.

I showed my sweetie these pictures of the bike trailers and he agrees with me that it may be a way to reduce our car-dependence even further in the long run. With a trailer for each dog, we could take them just about anywhere in the city by bike.