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What is Bikejoring? The Complete Guide to Biking with Your Dog

Everything you need to know about bikejoring, the dog-powered sport where your dog pulls you on a mountain bike. Covers equipment, training, safety, common mistakes, and competitive racing.

· 6 min read

If you have ever watched a dog sprint down a trail and thought they could probably tow you along for the ride, you have already grasped the basic idea behind bikejoring. It is a dog-powered sport where one or two dogs run in harness ahead of you while you ride a mountain bike behind them, connected by a bungee towline. It is fast, exhilarating, and one of the best ways to exercise a high-energy dog.

Bikejoring has grown rapidly in recent years, attracting not just traditional mushers looking for off-snow training but also cyclists, trail runners, and dog owners who want a more engaging way to exercise with their dogs. Here is everything you need to know to get started.

How Bikejoring Works

The setup is straightforward. Your dog wears a pulling harness and runs ahead of the bike. A bungee towline connects the dog’s harness to the front of the bike through a device called a bike antenna or bike arm, which keeps the line elevated and away from the front wheel. You ride behind, pedaling to assist on uphills and managing your speed on descents.

The dog does the pulling. You do the steering, braking, and navigation. Together, you can cover trails at speeds that neither of you would reach alone.

Essential Equipment

Getting the right gear is important for both performance and safety. Here is what you need.

The Bike

A mountain bike with disc brakes is the standard choice. You need reliable stopping power because a pulling dog adds significant speed, especially on downhills. Fat tire bikes and gravel bikes also work well, particularly on sandy or loose terrain.

Avoid road bikes. Skinny tires and drop handlebars give you almost no control on trails, and the riding position makes it difficult to react quickly.

Bike Antenna (Bike Arm)

The bike antenna is a spring-loaded rod that mounts to your handlebar stem or head tube. It holds the towline up and away from the front wheel, preventing it from getting tangled in the spokes. This is not optional. Without an antenna, the line will inevitably catch your wheel, which can cause a serious crash.

Good antennas cost between 30 and 60 EUR. Look for one made from flexible steel or fiberglass with a secure mounting system.

Dog Harness

Use a proper pulling harness, not a walking harness or collar. An x-back or h-back harness distributes pulling force across the dog’s chest and shoulders. The harness should fit snugly without restricting leg movement or chafing.

If your dog already does sled dog racing or skijoring, the same harness works for bikejoring.

Bungee Towline

A 2 to 3 meter bungee towline with a quick-release snap absorbs shock from sudden pulls and direction changes. The bungee section is critical because rigid lines transfer every jolt directly to the bike, making it harder to control.

Always use a line with a panic snap that you can release with one hand. If something goes wrong, you need to be able to disconnect from your dog instantly.

Helmet and Gloves

A bike helmet is mandatory, full stop. You are riding at speed on trails with an unpredictable pulling force on the front of your bike. Falls happen, even to experienced riders.

Cycling gloves protect your hands in a crash and improve your grip on the handlebars. Long-finger gloves are best for trail riding.

Getting Started: Training Your Dog

Not every dog is a natural bikejoring partner, but most healthy, energetic dogs over 15 kilograms can learn. Breeds with a natural pulling instinct, such as huskies, malamutes, pointers, and herding breeds, tend to pick it up quickly.

Step 1: Teach basic commands. Your dog needs to understand “go” (or “hike”), “whoa” (stop), “gee” (right), and “haw” (left) before you add a bike to the equation. Start on foot, using a waist belt and towline, and reinforce commands with treats and praise.

Step 2: Introduce the bike slowly. Walk your bike beside your dog in harness before riding. Let them get used to the sound and sight of the bike moving behind them. Some dogs are spooked by wheels initially, so patience is important.

Step 3: Short first rides. Your first bikejoring sessions should be on flat, straight trails with no distractions. Keep them under 10 minutes. Focus on building your dog’s confidence and reinforcing commands. Gradually increase distance and complexity as your team improves.

Safety Tips

Bikejoring is a fast sport, and speed creates risk. Follow these guidelines to keep you and your dog safe.

  • Check the temperature. Dogs overheat easily. Do not bikejor when it is warmer than 15 degrees Celsius. Train in the early morning or evening during warmer months.
  • Inspect your gear before every run. Check the bungee for wear, the harness for fraying, and the antenna for secure mounting. Equipment failures at speed are dangerous.
  • Start slow on new trails. Ride the trail without your dog first if possible, so you know what to expect around every corner.
  • Watch the ground surface. Hot asphalt burns paw pads. Stick to dirt, gravel, or grass trails, especially in summer. Use dog booties on abrasive surfaces.
  • Carry water for your dog. Always bring a collapsible bowl and enough water for your dog to drink during breaks.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Skipping the bike antenna. The towline will get caught in your wheel. It is not a question of if, but when.

Using a collar instead of a harness. Pulling from a collar puts dangerous pressure on your dog’s neck and trachea. Always use a proper pulling harness.

Going too far, too fast. Build distance gradually. Your dog’s paws, muscles, and joints need time to adapt, just like a human runner training for a longer race.

Ignoring trail etiquette. Yield to hikers and horses. Slow down when passing, and make sure your dog is under control around other people and animals. A bad encounter on the trail gives the entire sport a bad reputation.

Competitive Bikejoring

If you catch the bug, competitive bikejoring is a well-organized sport with races held across Europe, North America, and Scandinavia. Events are typically run on dirt trails over distances ranging from 4 to 12 kilometers, with classes for one-dog and two-dog teams.

Races are timed individually, so you are competing against the clock rather than directly against other teams on the trail. This makes it an approachable competitive format even for newcomers.

Organizations like the International Federation of Sleddog Sports (IFSS) and the European Sled Dog Racing Association (ESDRA) sanction official events and maintain race calendars.

Track Your Rides with MushingPlan

Whether you are training casually or working toward your first competition, tracking your bikejoring sessions helps you train smarter and avoid overworking your dog. MushingPlan provides GPS tracking with real-time pace and distance data, training analytics to monitor your dog’s workload over time, and tools to plan and log every session. It is the all-in-one platform built for dog sports athletes who want to get the most out of their training.

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