All about our homemade dog bike leash!
If you’re in an urban area with limited access to off leash areas, it can be difficult to give your dog(s) a way to discharge their energy and get a proper workout.
Compared to most dogs, we humans are slowwww…
However, once you’re on a bicycle, it becomes easier to keep pacewith your dog. That’s where using a leash that you can attach to your bike comes in!
About our Dog Bicycle Leash
Sure, you can go and buy different bike leash products – but they tend to cost quite a bit more than the homemade variety.
Our homemade B-Loop can be made for around four USD (or less)!
It takes under half an hour, even if you’re sewing by hand.
How to Use the B-Loop
- Wrap a sturdy piece of webbing (blue in photo), with a loop sewn on either end, around the front stem of your bicycle
- Place it as low down as possible to get the best center of gravity, and fit it underneath the brake cable
- Put a sturdy snap link through the loops (off to the side you want your dog on)
- Attach your dog to his or her leash
- Thread the end of the leash through the snap link
- Loop the leash handle onto the handlebar and pin it with your hand when it grips the handlebar
- If your leash has no handle, simply wrap the end once around the handlebar instead
- Make adjustments in slack to accommodate conditions
- At the end of your ride or if you want to park the bike and walk, simply slip the leash out through the link
Dog Bike Leash – Safety Instructions
The B-Loop needs to be used responsibly, regardless of the age of the person using the dog bike leash.
Here are some pointers:
- Your dog needs to be reasonably leash trained and you need to be a bicycle rider experienced in traffic before using this device on the road.
- If you weigh about the same or less than your dog, use a shorter bicycle, if possible, or lower the bicycle seat so you can instantly put your feet down on the ground on both sides if you need to.
- Always start out as slowly as possible.
- Keep the leash short for the first several sessions to get your dog used to running alongside the bicycle on one side.
- Keep both hands on the handlebars so that if the dog suddenly lunges, your weight will be forward enough so your steering does not become unbalanced.
- Watch out for a slack leash getting tangled around your foot.
- Make sure you can still use both your brakes!
- Watch your dog for signs of limping – it is best not to run the dog on hard road surfaces every day and to alternate with other forms of exercise.
Wishing you and your dog many happy bicycle trips!
