# Homemade bikejoring equipment...



## Zoopie

I want to try bikejoring with Dexter, but I prefer to build something before investing, to see if he likes it.

Anyone made their equipment? What did you use and how did you attach it to the bike?

I'd prefer Dexter to really pull and be in front of the bike. He's used to sledding and very strong, so it'd be safer this way for both of us.


----------



## Sibe

I used a leash at first. For Denali I used a flexi-lead because she didn't pull; that way the line was always "tight" and wasn't getting tangled. I assume Dexter will be pulling though as he does when sledding, and since you want him to! With Kaytu, I started with a regular 6 foot nylon leash. I, like you, didn't want to pay for a line then find out that she didn't enjoy it or it wasn't going to work for whatever reason. The leash worked fine for getting started but I don't recommend it for long-term use as it has no shock absorption.

I now have a double scooter line from Alpine Outfitters. The bungee section has the perfect amount of resistance and shock absorption to give us a smooth ride. Since the leash has no stretch, each stride would cause a slight jerk.

I also have a homemade "scooter noodle." I just made it recently. The one from Alpine Outfitters is $20. Mine cost less than $0.50.

I used a piece of PVC pipe about 12 inches long. The PVC is 3/4". I used a big drill bit and drilled a hole in one end, just through one side, not all the way through.









And then I used a piece of rope to attach the PVC to the clip on the line, so the PVC will stay where it needs to be.









The PVC was too small to fit over the clips on the line so I had to take the line apart. The line from Alpine Outfitters has a "knot" of sorts in the middle where the two pieces are connected. I slid them apart to put the line through the PVC. The "knot":









And now I have a scooter noodle! Which as you can tell by the pic is clearly doing its job as it's all scuffed up.









If you don't want it to hit the tire at all you can drill a hole in the other end and attach rope from there to your handlebars.


Here is how they run. If you notice, Denali's harness stops in the middle of her back while Kaytu's goes all the way to her butt. Because of this difference, I used a neckline and attached it to the end of Denali's harness to give her the extra line so she can run evenly with Kaytu. I improvised the neckline between their collars using a piece that came with my flexi-lead and 2 carabiners.


----------



## Zoopie

MAJOR thank you. With the pictures and everything! That'll be extra helpful. I'll start working on that as soon as today.


----------



## MusherChic

The only thing I made myself is my gangline. I have never had a need for a noodle and I bought my bungee (although I'm sure you could easily make one of those as well, I just don't know how. lol)

My very first team dog section of gangline I made by tying knots in regular rope. Some people find this works well enough for them, especially if they're nifty at tying special knots. I wasn't, so I'm sure my gangline would have fallen apart eventually but it worked until I got another one. 

I now make mine out of the usual hollow braided poly rope which you should be able to find at pretty much any hardware or marine store ( the fids too). I used a book for the measurements but this article explains it better. ...
It looks complicated at first but once you start doing it and get the hang of it, it becomes really easy. 

For snaps and what not, I like to use the brass ones because they don't freeze. I also like to use a locking carabiner so there's no chance of it coming unhooked somehow. 

Oh and if for some reason you can't find fids, people have used knitting needles with the flat end cut off to splice their rope instead.


----------



## Zoopie

I possibly solved my issue (and saved some time) in a sketchy way. I simply gave a kid detention this morning....He can work on that after school (and he could even get extra science credits if he thinks of everything). Mwahahahahhahahahahahah!


----------

