Juggling with bike and dog...

For the past 15 years, I’ve observed more and more bike riders combining cycling and trying to hold their dogs on leash. It must be a deep-seated craving for wanting to multitask at all costs. Fitting too many activities in a finite amount of time, or perhaps wanting to show up one’s bike skills to the rest of us. 

Still, I’m of the opinion that if “bikejoring”, as it’s called, might look like a fun and clever activity it’s unfortunately generally practiced carelessly, putting both the dog and the rider at risk. Observing whether the rider is attentive to the dog's condition, using proper equipment, and choosing safe routes are supposed to mitigate the risk, but in the vast majority of cases, nothing guarantees a secure ride, so I do question the riders’ judgment. 

Just like the fact of driving a car with a dog on lap, the legality of riding a bike on a public street or roadway while having a dog on a leash, varies by state and local laws in the US. Only California explicitly prohibits biking with a dog on a leash due to safety concerns as it’s considered unsafe if it impedes control. Other states have no specific laws against it but may enforce general reckless cycling or animal endangerment statutes, only New York City considers biking while holding a leash risky and police may issue fines. 

A few places allow it but may require the leash to be of a certain length. As far as Utah, my state goes, there’s no statewide law explicitly prohibiting riding a bike while holding a dog on a leash. Just imagine doing this in Park City when there’s snow on the ground (as the photo illustrates, I’ve seen it more than once!) Fortunately, several countries explicitly prohibit riding a bike while holding a dog on a leash, considering it a traffic safety or animal welfare violation. 

Germany requires cyclists to always have "both hands on the handlebars unless signaling." Holding a leash violates this rule. Holland, the world’s number one bike country requires that cyclists must maintain full control, and holding a leash is often deemed unsafe. Police can fine riders under general endangerment rules. Some Swiss cantons explicitly ban biking with a leashed dog. In others, police may penalize it under "reckless cycling" statutes. 

Down under in Australia, in states like Victoria and New South Wales biking with a leashed dog can result in fines for "not having proper control" of the bicycle. In Sweden, the law requires that the cyclist must always have full control over the dog to avoid endangering themselves, the dog, or others. Some countries like Finland, Canada and the U.K. are more washy-washy as they respectively stipulate that the dog is well-trained and runs calmly and that a hands-free bike leash attachment is used. Now you know the deal. 

Use your common-sense and if you have some, don’t do it!