Go fatbiking or bikejoring with your dog
Cycling in the snow or on the beach with your dog? It is possible thanks to the fatbike! Hmmm… Go fatbiking or bikejoring with your dog but what is this sport Too W'ouf? It's riding a bike towed by your dog. Be careful, it's not just any bike: it's a mountain bike with two huge wheels! This activity to do with your dog during your vacation or weekend will be an opportunity to combine nature and sport for both of you.
To tell you about this canine traction sport, I interviewed three cani-fatbike fans: Daphnée and her two Malinois shepherds, Zaïa and Jorek. They explain to you the long, wide and across what is the fatbike with his dog. How to get started? Where to go bikejoring with your dog? What equipment you need… Thanks to them, you will know everything! 🙂
Go fatbiking or bikejoring with your dog
Doing a fatbike with your dog is simply doing cani-vtt or bikejoring with your dog on a fatbike, a bike with big tires. The dog is in front and can let off steam by pulling the bike. Of course, it will be necessary to accompany it if necessary by pedaling. You can hitch up to two dogs to your bike.
Daphnée learned about this canine sport, while looking for an activity to do with her dog during her winter sports holiday. Flipping through a brochure, she came across a fatbike rental shop. It was then that an idea crossed his mind:what if i try to hitch my dogs to this contraption”. And hop, neither one nor two, off they go on an adventure! Daphne and her two malinois shepherds practiced the cani-fatbike in Megève et Samoens, in parks and woods since there is quite a lot of snow.
Unfortunately, not all places are dog-friendly, and many winter sports resorts are far from being there… Nevertheless, some resorts such as the Nordic resort of Capcir dedicates a space for traction sports to do with your dog in winter.
Are you looking for a ski resort for your winter holidays? You will find your happiness in these articles: Top 10 “pet friendly” rentals Special Alps in winter ou This winter go to the Pyrenees with your dog.
The equipment needed for cani-fatbike
Like any canine traction sport, it is important to know how to equip yourself and your dog correctly. Here is the list of essential equipment for fatbiking with your dog.
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A straight mtb bar or an 30° curved mtb bar so that the stroke line does not wrap in the front wheel. That would be a shame, wouldn't it?
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A special traction harness – I very often talk about the most popular: the pulling harness, the x-back manmat harness. Do you need advice on choosing the right traction harness? Take a look at the article “The Top 10 Canine Pulling Sports”
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A dash line, about 2 to 2,5 meters, that you will attach between your dog and the mountain bike. It contains an elastic (or you can add one). The objective is to absorb the shocks when the dog leaves violently and suddenly pulls on the leash.
After that, there is a whole bunch of more or less mandatory or necessary equipment: helmet, gloves, goggles, bike repair tools, hydration for you and the dog, light device (sports dog lamp, luminous necklace, fluorescent vest….) and frontal for the night, boots in case of injury to the dog's paws, etc.
Daphne : “Wearing a helmet may seem futile, but it is strongly recommended. If in cani-vtt the falls happen, they are more regular in cani-fatbike, due to the difficulty of the terrain. Even if the tire studs catch on the snow, it's still snow and it slips. A first aid kit for you and your dog can be very useful in the event of a fall!
Tips for biking with your dog
Equipment is not everything! Before you start fatbiking with your dog, you must absolutely have a good command of your mountain bike and find the route without the dog. Sometimes, a course can hold surprises!
Daphne : “If your dog is already accustomed to pulling sports, such as canicross, cani-scooter, skijoring, cani-skate (…), it will be easier. My dogs are used to doing a lot of sport. They accompany me on foot or cani-vtt. We even take part in a few competitions during the year. ”
Learning the basic commands (left, right, stop, go, etc.) is essential for a good cani-fatbike session, at the risk of quickly finding yourself with all four irons in the air! Apart from that, all dogs can practice this activity, as long as they are healthy and have energy to spare! Depending on the terrain on which you are practicing the activity, sand, snow, mud... think that your dog will sink a little and that his effort will be even more intense. Plan sessions adapted to his abilities.
Daphne : “Preparation is important, but if your dog is used to pulling sports, there will be no problem. Before a cani-fatbike session, we start with a warm-up which most often takes the form of a walk. Then I hitch them to the bike. We alternate between traction and recovery. As we go out, we lengthen the duration and the kilometers. Our cani-fatbike outings always end with a moment of play: it's very important to consolidate the bond and relax my dogs.”
Choose a suitable terrain: you won't be able to ride a fatbike just anywhere. Do you want to try this activity in the snow? Prefer a “tapped” snow that is lightly packed by snowshoe hikers or snowmobiles. Most of the trails open to fatbikers are shared with snowshoe hikers. So be careful to avoid accidents.
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Let's go friends, let's go for a fatbike outing with your dog! I hope this article has made you want to fatbike on snow or sand with your dog. It looks completely Wou'f as an activity!
Thanks again to Daphnée, Zaïa and Jorek for sharing their experience as riders with us. Want to know more about their story? Discover their portrait Wow Good. You can also find their adventures on their Facebook page “Zaia and Jorek".
Last thing: do you want to try new activities with your dog this winter? Take a look at these articles: “The top 10 traction sports to share with your dog"; "Snowscooting with your dog" or "Canicross-blanc – canicross on the snow with your dog”. Lots of other articles are waiting for you on the Mag' of EmmèneTonChien.com ! Stay connected and listen and listen!
In the meantime, for more info, holiday advice and dog-friendly tips, follow EmmèneTonChien.com on our facebook page et our instagram account : )