I get by with a little help....

....from my friends. Lots of people ask me about winter cycling "How do you do it?" Normally I have a couple of quick comments about dressing properly and bicycle preparation. Occasionally, as the case was earlier this week on the trip my wife and I took, I get someone else to do the work. Winter riding is slow; it is just the nature of the beast. However, having someone with fur dragging you along pretty much evens the score back up to summer speeds. Bikejoring is also a good way to injor yourself if you aren't careful. Unless you speak dog fluently (I still have a strong accent and I am told my grammar leaves a lot to be desired) you are bound to have issues with your co-pilot. There are lots of books out there on skijoring, which is vaguely similar, but I don't own any and haven't ever read any either. I am sure that they would be chock full of ideas to make riding with my dogs easier and less chancy, but I kind of enjoy the mystery of not knowing when they will decide to stop in the middle of the trail, causing me to take evasive maneuvers and likely end up in snow off the trail. I also enjoy the completely baffled look they give me as I lay there recovering. It’s something along the lines of "What the heck are you doing? Don't you realize we are in the middle of something here?"

More than anything winter trail riding is the perfect chance to ride with my dogs. My summer riding usually involves being near cars or high speeds and rock gardens, neither of which feel fair or safe for my dogs. It's about the only way I find enjoyable for us to both get a good work out. I know how I feel at the end of a good roll and it's usually pretty obvious that they have had fun too.