TL;DR: Bikejoring is mountain biking with your dog in front, pulling, attached by a pulling harness and a shock-absorbing line of about 7 to 10 feet fixed to the front of the bike. Wait until your dog is 18 months old, use a bike with good brakes on both wheels and a helmet, ride soft trails below about 60°F, and build up from rides of under a mile.
Bikejoring is what happens when a dog that loves to pull meets an owner who can't run fast enough. Your dog does the pulling, you pedal, steer and brake, and together you cover ground at a pace neither of you would manage alone. It is the faster cousin of canicross, and that speed is exactly why it needs more care.
Most beginner guides stop at "get a harness and go slow." We did something different. We read the two rulebooks that govern bikejoring races, the ISDRA dryland rules used in North America and the IFSS international rules, and pulled out the parts that protect dogs. Race organizers have had decades to learn what hurts dogs on a bike, and their limits make a very good starting point for a backyard beginner.
What is bikejoring?
Bikejoring is a dryland mushing sport. One or two dogs run ahead of a bicycle in pulling harnesses, connected to the bike by a line with a shock absorber. Like canicross, it came out of the sled dog world as a way to keep dogs fit without snow, and it now has its own race classes. The IFSS race rules list one-dog bikejoring classes for juniors, elite riders and masters.
The roles are clear. Your dog provides the pull and chooses a line on the trail. You add pedal power on climbs, steer, call the turns and, above all, control the speed with your brakes. The bungee section of the line absorbs the jolts in both directions.
If you have never done any dog-powered sport, start on foot. Our guide to canicross for beginners teaches the harness, the line and the cues at running speed, which is a much gentler place to make mistakes.
Which dogs are suited to bikejoring?
Bikejoring needs a dog that is fully grown, healthy, athletic and keen to run out in front. The IFSS rules say dogs must be at least 18 months old to race, which matches the AKC's advice that strenuous exercise should wait until the joints finish growing at about one and a half years for most breeds.
Size matters more here than in canicross. The AKC's guide to biking with dogs points out that most small-to-medium dogs cannot keep up with a bike because of their shorter legs, and recommends a basket or trailer for small dogs instead. Huskies and other sled breeds are the classic bikejoring dogs, but pointers, shepherds, Labs and many mixed breeds take to it well. Our guide to the best dog breeds for running covers which builds handle sustained effort, and which ones, like flat-faced breeds, should stay home.
What gear do you need for bikejoring?
Five pieces, and the bike itself is the one people underestimate.
| Gear | What to look for | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Pulling harness | Built for pulling, fitted to your dog, load through the chest | A collar is never acceptable; ISDRA bans any collar that can choke |
| Bungee line | Shock absorber, about 7 to 10 feet when stretched | Absorbs surges and keeps your dog far enough from the wheel |
| Bike attachment | A rigid arm or mount at the front of the bike | Holds the line up and out of the front wheel when it goes slack |
| Mountain bike | Good brakes on both wheels, wide tires | You are the brake; the dog cannot stop a runaway bike |
| Helmet | Certified for cycling | Required in wheeled race classes by both ISDRA and the IFSS |
Our pick: spend on the brakes and the harness before anything else. A cheap line works fine. A harness that rubs or a rear brake that fades on a descent does not.
What the race rules say, and why beginners should copy them
You will probably never enter a race. Read the rules anyway, because every line in them is there to protect a dog. Here is what the two rulebooks require for bikejoring:
| Rule | ISDRA (North America) | IFSS (international) |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Shock absorber, 7 to 12 feet fully extended, measured from the front tire | Shock absorber, 6.6 to 9.8 feet (2 to 3 m) stretched, from the dog's rear to the front axle |
| Brakes | A braking system that works independently of the chain | A working brake on each wheel |
| Helmet | Required in all wheeled classes | Required, approved by a national test registry |
| Dog age | Fitness checked by the race marshal | At least 18 months |
| Surface | Avoid concrete, blacktop and sharp rock gravel | Set by the organizer |
| Race distance | Set by the organizer | 1.2 to 5 miles (2 to 8 km) per heat for one dog |
Two IFSS rules are worth taping to your handlebars. The rider shall not pace the dog by riding ahead, and pulling the dog or forcing it forward by any means is forbidden. If a dog becomes unfit or refuses to go on, the rider may not finish the heat. In other words, your dog sets the pace and decides when the run is over. The bike only follows.
What is too hot for bikejoring?
This is where bikejoring surprises everyone. A dog pulling at bike speed produces a lot of heat, and it can only shed that heat efficiently by panting. Race organizers are strict about it.
ISDRA's rules say that temperatures from 50 to 60°F (10 to 15°C) or greater at any time before or during a race should cause an immediate review. The IFSS goes further and sets a ladder for every class except canicross:
| Temperature (humidity under 85%) | What IFSS races allow | What we do on a training ride |
|---|---|---|
| Below 61°F (16°C) | Normal racing | Normal ride |
| 61 to 64°F (16 to 18°C) | Shortest distance only (about 1.2 miles) | One short, easy ride, in the shade |
| 64 to 72°F (18 to 22°C) | Under 1 mile, as a demonstration only | We run or walk instead |
| Above 72°F (22°C) | No bikejoring team may be harnessed | No pulling at all |
That is why bikejoring is a fall, winter and spring sport. If you live somewhere warm, your season is the first hour after dawn on cool days. Humidity makes all of it worse. For the full picture on heat, read running with your dog in hot weather.
A 6-week bikejoring plan for beginners
The AKC's biking advice is to start very slowly, over very short distances, with short rides where you can stop regularly. This is how we turn that into a schedule. It assumes a dog already comfortable in a pulling harness and three sessions a week, never on back-to-back days.
| Week | Each session | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Walk your dog beside the bike, then roll slowly with the dog attached, 10 minutes, lots of treats | The bike is boring, the harness means work |
| 2 | Easy pulls on flat, wide, soft trail, 4 or 5 efforts of 1 minute with walking breaks | Your dog learns to keep the line tight |
| 3 | 3 or 4 efforts of 2 minutes, add your first called turns at junctions | Cues start to work at speed |
| 4 | About 1 mile with stops every few minutes | First continuous ride |
| 5 | 1 to 1.5 miles, one gentle climb where you pedal hard | Shared effort, not a dog hauling you |
| 6 | Up to 2 miles at an easy pace, always on soft ground | A steady trot your dog finishes keen |
Add distance, not speed. If your dog looks back at you, slows, or is stiff the morning after, repeat the week. If your dog is not yet fit for steady running, build a base with how to start running with your dog before the bike comes out.
Which commands does a bikejoring dog need?
You are behind your dog and moving fast, so you steer with your voice. The classic mushing cues work well:
- Hike or let's go to start
- Gee for right, haw for left
- On by to pass a distraction without stopping
- Easy to slow down, whoa to stop
- Line out to stand still with the line tight while you get on the bike
Teach them on foot first, in canicross or on walks, and only use them on the bike once your dog responds without thinking. A dog that ignores "on by" near a squirrel at running speed is an inconvenience. At bike speed, it can put you both on the ground.
How to stay safe on the trail
There is no published injury study on bikejoring dogs yet. The closest evidence is a 2018 survey of 160 canicross dogs, in which 21.9% had had at least one injury, most often cuts and abrasions on the front footpads. Labradors and dogs running with another dog were at higher risk. Rocket is a Lab, so we watch his pads closely, and we would expect faster speeds on a bike to make pad wear more likely, not less.
The habits that follow:
- Check the front paws after every ride. Our guide to dog paw injuries shows what to look for.
- Stay off pavement. The AKC calls concrete hard on joints, and ISDRA keeps race trails off concrete, blacktop and sharp gravel.
- Brake before the dog slows. On descents, keep the line tight with light braking so the bike never overruns your dog.
- Start with one dog. Two-dog bikejoring is a separate skill, and running with another dog was a risk factor for canicross injuries.
- Carry water and stop often. Offer a drink at every break, not just at the end.
When to call your vet
Book a checkup before you start if your dog has a known joint, heart or breathing problem, or if you are not sure your dog has finished growing. The AKC recommends confirming with your vet that your dog is in the right physical condition before biking together. Call your vet during training if you see:
- Limping that is still there the next day or keeps coming back after rides
- A pad cut that is deep, keeps bleeding or has not closed after a couple of days
- Stiffness, reluctance to get up, or a dog that suddenly refuses the harness
- Heavy panting that does not settle in the shade, weakness, stumbling or collapse, which is an emergency
Mistakes we see all the time
- Clipping to a collar. The pull goes straight through the throat. Always a pulling harness.
- Starting on the road. Pavement is hard on joints and hot pavement burns pads.
- Riding in mild weather that feels cool to you. At 65°F you are comfortable. Your dog is not.
- Pedaling to keep the speed up. That is pacing, and the IFSS forbids it for a reason.
- Skipping the walking weeks. A dog that fears the bike will never pull confidently in front of it.
In short
Bikejoring turns a dog's urge to pull into a shared ride, but the bike adds speed, heat and moving parts. Copy the race rules: a pulling harness, a shock-absorbing line of about 7 to 10 feet, brakes on both wheels, a helmet, soft trails, temperatures below about 60°F and a dog that sets its own pace. Learn the basics in canicross first, then build up over six weeks.
Knowing whether your dog has recovered between rides is the hard part of any pulling sport. Rocket, the activity tracker we're building, is designed to show how active and how rested your dog really is, and you can join the waitlist to hear when it's ready.