Bikejor – Not again!
I was running through Greenham Common yesterday when I came across someone who was Bikejoring on a scooter. He basically had a husky tied to a scooter with large wheels. He was scooting, the dog was pulling and they were going along.
I read up about this and saw that you can also do it with a mountain bike. I have all the other kit that I needed so I gave it a go this morning. I went out first with Tango, an English Setter that loves running. It was a little bit tricky getting started and after 100m or so we came across a mad black lab. After a bit I let Tango go and they played for a while. Then it was back to the bikejoring.
This went well-ish for 400m until we got to the woods. Then he stopped quickly and when he restarted the rope was on the wrong side of the handle bars and as I pulled it lose it snapped off the bit that indicates what gear I was in. Then there was a lot of tricky, fast riding through lot of chicanes with holly bushes, low branches and big tree routes. At one stage Tango veered off suddenly to get a drink from a tree that holds water. I survived that and got back ok.
Next up Sparkie. Another English Setter who loves to run. He’s probably not as fit as Tango but he pulls harder. The start was better and I got better control of what the rope was doing. We were probably going faster through the woods as I was putting effort in so that I stayed with him. Then we got to a chicane bit that has lots of lefts and rights and at the same time lots of little up/down bits. I was doing well to start with and then I got to the hard left turn that was on quite a steep downhill. I overcooked it and came off. Blood all over my knee and hands. I got up and called Sparkie over. Then I straightened the handlebars and got on. Only to find ot that the wheel was back to front. Off again. Grip the wheel with me knee and turn them through 180 degrees and carry on.
Then on a shallow downhill bit I could see that there was a sharp left turn, around the roots of a fallen tree, then a sharp right across a bank about 2 foot high before a left back down the hill. Just before I got to it, Sparkie stopped. I braked hard and veered to the side to miss him. The brakes were too good. I went straight over the handle bars. Not a good plan.
So, no more bikejoring for me. It’s too risky for me and (if I don’t brake quick enough) the dogs.
I could see it being easier on a scooter with big wheels. As I can’t help as much, we would go slower and that would be safer.
If I ever do do it again. Remember to use gloves, long trousers and the back brake!