
bikes and dogs
Dogs on bikes! Reader stories, photos, and my journey with my dalmatian Amélie

(Photo: Maritza Arango/BikePortland)
TREATS! That word summarizes peoples’ stories, tips and experiences around training their dogs to join them on the bike. Mine too. Treats have been my #1 ally through a journey of getting my dog Amélie to ride with me.
The journey I took before writing this story took me more than three weeks of observing my dog, training her with consistency, feeding her, giving her courage, trust and love and, finally, riding my bike with her. In the past few weeks I asked BikePortland social media followers about their experiences and attended the Pupperpalooza ride.
In this post I’ll share some of what I learned as well as a few reader stories.
Ask BikePortland: What’s the best way to carry a dog on my bike?
With summer in the air and June just a few days away, it’s officially biking-with-your-dog season in Portland.
A dog, a crash, and now, recovery
Biking with the family dog

(Photos by Madi Carlson)
What’s a family biker to do when the kids have graduated to riding their own bikes? One way to conquer the empty [bike] nest doldrums is by joining the #carrypupolympics.
I was born into a household run by cats and didn’t know the love of a dog until I was nine and we got Mandy, a mid-sized Shepherd mix, from the animal shelter. Mandy and I logged many miles on foot, but I never thought to combine playing with the dog with biking or skateboarding.
When I left home I became a small dog person and ended up with Lyle the chihuahua. My boyfriend at the time had wanted a chihuahua ever since, having been attacked by what he mistook for a woman’s fur while working at a taco restaurant drive-thru. Fortunately, Lyle had a lovely personality and I was delighted by his portability. Back then I rode a hybrid bike with a backpack so I tucked Lyle in front, between my t-shirt and sweatshirt, and brought him to college classes with me. This system worked well except for one time when a friend hailed Lyle from the sidewalk and Lyle leapt out of my sweatshirt. He got a bit scratched up, but luckily didn’t hold it against me or the bike and we lived to ride another day.
Ask BikePortland: Is it legal to ride with my dog?

(Photo by J. Maus/BikePortland)
Welcome to the latest installment of Ask BikePortland. Browse past questions here.
Portland is a perennial front-runner in national rankings of top bike cities, and the same goes for dogs. We love them both. But what happens when you demonstrate affection for pedaling and pooches at the same time?
Photo Gallery: Dogs and humans get wet and muddy at ‘Kruger’s Crossing’
Special thanks to Sellwood Cycle Repair for sponsoring our 2014 cyclocross coverage.
There aren’t many outdoor activities that embrace wet, cold, and muddy weather quite like cyclocross does. That truism was on fine display out on Sauvie Island yesterday at the annual Kruger’s Crossing event. The conditions went from standard mud early in the day, to epic flooding for the later races. There was even a bout of thunder and lightning.
Dogs and bikes: A ‘Puppy-Palooza’ inspired photo gallery

(Photos by J. Maus/BikePortland)
What is it about dogs and bikes? Is there a reason that what some people consider America’s best city for biking is also ranked as the best city for dogs?
New on Portland’s cyclocross scene: Dog racing
If you’ve attended a cyclocross race in or around Portland, you probably noticed that there are nearly as many dogs as bikes. For some reason, there’s a huge cross over between dog lovers and ‘cross lovers.
Now, one local race organizer plans to make the dogs part of the action.
Kris Schamp, owner of Portland Racing, said the idea came to him after watching the Cross Crusade up in Astoria over Halloween Weekend. “Seeing all the dogs out there sitting on the sidelines, I just thought ‘Hey, why don’t they get to race and have fun?'”