mmonce

Sometimes it is difficult to coordinate work, family, in general free time with fellow buds to ride with. Everyone has a lot of responsibilities. Everyone except for your Favorite Riding Bud...... "The Mountain Biking Dog".

On the trails, I have seen all breeds from mutts, to AKC registered Champions, to shop dogs. They come in more sizes than your Wendy's Drive-Thru menu: Extra-large 175-lb (Great Pyrenees) to Beagles with large bellies and small heads (Molly Heskin). However, all these dogs have something in common....that is only a commitment to riding with you on your terms and your schedule.

My favorite riding bud is Woody, my 95-lb Golden Retriever. He would fetch my helmet, add some impressive teeth marks in the process and wag that tail with more excitement than a 5-year-old on Christmas morning.

I used to drive a '68 Ford Galaxy (Two bikes could fit in the trunk without removing any wheels...impressive) that had a black vinyl interior. Anyway on any given mtn. bike adventure, Woody would find every mud pit and take a little dip. Woody rode in the back seat and I usually spent more time cleaning car interiors than riding. To clean Woody, I would stop off at the local car wash along Main Street. Needless to say, I had a few on-lookers.

Woody could smoke me on the climbs (4 wheel drive), and I returned the smoking on the downhills. Although Woody was never the fastest or most graceful, he loved our adventures.


A few years ago was Woody's last real mtn. biking ride. It was in Tsali, NC and he had heat exhaustion only after two miles. He ran too hard, trying to be with me instead of slowing to run with my wife. This was singletrack and we tried to carry the 95-lb fellow. We then made a stretcher with logs and a backpack straddled between two bike toptubes. After a emergency visit to the vet, Woody was fine, however his mountain biking days were over.

Woody is now 13 years old. He loves to camp and still gets excited about biking adventures even though he can only watch and not participate. Somedays will I am wrenching in the garage, I'll take a quick bike spin and Woody tries to run to catch me.

His heart and mind still ride with me, even though his body can't.

cryptid01

Whew, you had me worried he wasn't gonna make it out!

Great story, thanks for sharing. My dog doesn't go on bike rides (he's too lazy), but he loves to hike and camp.

free_pizza

nice.

My dog barks like crazy and tries to eat my tire when it spins on my park stand. I dont think he would last 5 minutes on the trails with me.

mtnbiker66

Gastro's dog is the perfect camp dog. Laid back and loves to play ball when we all get back.
My dog sucks as a camp dog but shes great on the trail.

mikhs

Goldens are great dogs. Always happy and not a mean bone in their bodies. Sadly last summer we had to put our 13 year old golden down. Best dog I ever had. Even at the end when he couldn't get up because his hips had given out on him he never complained about anything. Geez, I'm getting teary eyed just thinking about him. Enjoy Woody in his retirement years and hopefully you will have a great companion for years to come.

pookaboo27

it makes me so happy to read posts about people happily biking with their dog(s). i used to live in new england, and nobody ever complained about seeing a dog on the trail. out here in california it's a whole different story! my dogs will run right by other people on the trail without a second look, and i will still get yells about not having them leashed. why are people so up in arms out here? it makes me sad. they must not have dogs of their own.

born2bahick

I never had a riding dog, but I had a hunting dog. the day she died was the saddest day of my life!

FlatFender

I dont want to be "that guy" but I hate dodging unleashed dogs on the trails.

NitroPye

Its a lot easier then dodgin the clueless people who walk on bike paths leashed when I'm road riding. Two women yapping while their dogs will be clotheslining people left and right.

That being said, I love how dogs are almost always smiling.

mtnbiker66

...and unleashed dogs hate you.

junkyard

I ride like an unleashed dog. And I cannot be dodged.

xcracer13

How do yall get your dogs to fallow you like that?

cryptid01

carry bacon

mtnbiker66

I just spit all over my screen........

never

How would that encourage your dog to follow you?

mtnbiker66

You've seen how she acts.

never

But spitting on your screen wouldn't help Sarah at all!

mtnbiker66

I never thought aboot it that way.

never

It's because y'all are crazy.

rankin116

He's ahead of me most of the time, and he comes back to check and make sure I'm still there. If I don't see him, I yell his name, and he comes. Pretty simple.

pyroguy_3

[latin accent] tchu have to be the pack leader[latin accent]

TheFlip

Nicely done, bravo.

Dannihilator

I'd take my one cat with me, but she has this habbit of catching and killing random critters, so I leave her home.

BearSquirrel

At 8 years old, my 4 legged riding buddy started coming up lame after rides. I try to take him on winter rides when I can as the snow slows me down, but he still sometimes limps after these rides. It's a sad thing to see. Even on hikes I have to corral my dog at times so he doesn't run himself lame.

a2psyklnut

I lost my riding buddy in my divorce. She was a 70lb Yellow Lab that would love the lead the way. Instinctively, she always did her "business" about 15 feet off the trail.

I got another Lab (Harley), but I didn't get her as a puppy, so she wasn't as well trained and doesn't obey verbal commands. So, I tend to leave her at home.