Hacking out with someone on a bike?

[timbobs]

Hi everyone!

I'm just after some advice about hacking with someone on their bike. I want to do a long hack out on the weekend but I don't have another horse and rider to go out with so was thinking of taking my OH with me on his bike.

Has anyone hacked out with a cyclist? Is it difficult with you both going at different speeds? Anything in particular I need to be aware of?

Horse is fine with bikes, so that's not a worry!

Thanks for your help!

 

[MuddyTB]

I've hacked out with OH on a bike before and it works really well.
When you're walking it does feel terminally slow on the push bike, but if you trot or canter they might take a while to catch up.

Main thing is have strong, chunky tyres on the bike if you're going off road as some bridleways are quite rough/stoney. And make sure you have a puncture repair kit just in case.

I always used to go in front on the road so the cyclist was providing some protection from behind, and if horse decided to jump sideways or take off I wouldn't flatten anyone. I'd do the opposite if my horse was likely to go backwards if he spooked.

Have fun!

 

[D66]

I always found it difficult because on the uphill bits the horse is in front and on the downhill bits the cycle is way ahead. Bridle paths were too muddy for our bikes. I suppose it might work on short rides round a small, flat village.

 

[timbobs]

Thanks so much for your reply!

The OH regularly goes off-road biking and has cycled up Snowdon so he's fine off-roading and changing tyres if necessary!

Great tip about having him behind me on the road, we need to go along quite a busy road (which is why I'm not that keen to go totally alone) so will remember that!

 

[SaffronWelshDragon]

Saf the daft Welsh, age 21, still won't hack out alone. When I hack to my local BD venue for competitions / training, my sis goes on the bike. Never seems to be a problem, and Saf kind of latches on to sis like her life depends on it! Sis complains a bit about being knackered / cold / boiling / soaked but she's a good sport haha!

 

[timbobs]

I always found it difficult because on the uphill bits the horse is in front and on the downhill bits the cycle is way ahead. Bridle paths were too muddy for our bikes. I suppose it might work on short rides round a small, flat village.

That's what I was a bit worried about. The route I'm thinking of is through some fairly flat woodland which should be quite dry at this time of year.

Fingers crossed its not too bad!

The only bit I really need the bike for is going along the main road, after that I'm not worried about being alone but it's nice to have company!

Edited to add: horse isn't at all bothered by being on the main road etc. it's me that would prefer company!

 

[Smurf's Gran]

I always cycle, while my daughter rides her pony. Our pony loves the bike it goes past all sorts of scary things in front and the bike doesn't spook !!For trotting its okay and cantering...well the bike would need to catch up at the end.

For walking, sometimes I get off and walk for a bit - when they are walking, or I get a little in front and then stop and wait. Works well, my son (aged 11) sometimes comes on a bike too so its a family event.

NB I have a cheapish fold up mountain bike (from Argos!)

We do have quite a lot of quiet county lanes and bridlepaths

 

[Tiddlypom]

OH comes out with me. We are out in the sticks, on narrow lanes. He pootles companionably along beside us, dropping behind or going ahead as required, but he will spring ninja style into action to calm traffic if necessary.

He rides my bike when on escort duty, as it has a rear view mirror attached to the handlebars. Very useful for keeping an eye on us when he's ahead! It has also got very low gearing, so it's good at walking speed.

 

[MyBoyChe]

Oh sometimes comes with me on his bike, our local woods has a really nice horse/bike trail which is about 6 miles round. If Im walking oh goes ahead and stops for a rest and to let me catch up, if Im trotting my pony likes to race oh on the bike, its quite funny actually, he will follow the speed set by the bike so trots faster or slower, almost breaking into a canter at times. Its nice to have company sometimes as noone else at our yard actually hacks out and pony definitely likes having them along.

 

[Smurf's Gran]

Oh sometimes comes with me on his bike, our local woods has a really nice horse/bike trail which is about 6 miles round. If Im walking oh goes ahead and stops for a rest and to let me catch up, if Im trotting my pony likes to race oh on the bike, its quite funny actually, he will follow the speed set by the bike so trots faster or slower, almost breaking into a canter at times. Its nice to have company sometimes as noone else at our yard actually hacks out and pony definitely likes having them along.

Ours does the same he treats the bike like another horse.

 

[PorkChop]

I used to cycle out with the ponies when my children were little because I never deemed it enough exercise for my horse

As long as the cyclist is happier to go a bit slower than usual it works well, I often cycle or get someone else to cycle when we have a youngster for company, or take a couple of spangles

 

[canteron]

When you are walking, get him in the lowest gear possible (ie the one you would normall use to go up a steep hill) so he has to keep his legs moving round quite fast - most modern bikes do have a really low first gear. This keeps OH fit as well as horse!

 

[Patchworkpony]

My OH hacked out with me on an ATV - horse didn't mind but rather noisy. I'm sure a bike will be fine.

 

[tashcat]

Friends and family sometimes accompany mine on a hack.

I always put them in front (spooky horse so putting them alongside would result in crushing, and behind can upset him). Pace can be a bit tricky, but sometimes I find keeping up/slowing down with horses can be just as tricky!

I would say my horse latches onto the bike a bit (you know that feeling when a horse locks onto a jump you've just turned them towards?) So when the bike comes on a hack the bike has to stay with us - its like a furless horse!

A couple of times the person I am with will weave or do some weird movements and horse will copy them step by step! Quite a funny thing to watch.

I'd recommend it, its nice to hack with other people who you don't ride with normally, and my horse likes the change!

 

[Lucky788]

My OH comes out with me regularly. Very handy for getting horse past any scary monsters!
He goes infront and my horse happily follows and seems to quite like the company too.
As others have said it's tricky for the cyclists in walk as slow but good fitness for them! Hehe
I make sure my OH has hi vis on if we are on the roads.

 

[ArabianGem78]

Another one who's OH comes out with us. He's an avid cyclist (we have 7 bicycles in our garage, only one of which is mine....) so it's a great way of combining our passions! He brings the mountain bike and we have a lot of fun together! We always beat him on the uphill, and he beats us on the downhill. On the flat, we can be reasonably well matched. Marjorie actually treats him like another horse and tries to race him or even force him off the track if I'm not careful! It means that she's not scared in the slightest when we meet bikes out hacking to point of trying to race them too!

He brings his mountain bike along when crewing for me at endurance rides, and often crews from the bike rather than the car if the crew points and their location allows it. At one ride last year, we left him standing at one crew point and he could be seen frantically hurtling along a ridge to meet us at the next one!

 

[ArabianGem78]

Because I can't resist....!

Vet-gate duties at an endurance ride - still in lycra!

 

[monkeybum13]

I hack out loads with my dad on his bike, there's lots of hills where I am and my horse is fit so trotting up hills is about the same speed as my dad on the bike (the hills do drag!) it is just going down hill the bike has to go a lot slower than usual!

I find it really useful as our lanes are narrow and my dad can cycle on ahead if we hear a car so they slow down before they get to us

 

[Shantara]

I hack out regularly with my dad and used to go with my ex. It's great fun!
Dad usually walks with the bike until Ned's warmed up enough to trot, then he gets on and off we go! We've been almost 6 miles in trot before and it was great!

I even have video of me going on the epic journey with the ex Also, I know I'm on the path, but it was pretty busy! I never normally go on the path and ex would have moved any droppings and we would have moved out of the way of any people. (but I don't believe we had to!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsOZJc8s-uQ

 

[Jericho]

When I couldnt ride my horse I used to bike out with my 11 yr old on her pony! Was quite fun but I did get bored when she was walking. At trot we were fairly matched. i found the bridlepaths hard going - thankfully the ground was hard at the time (I wouldnt have done it when it was muddy!). Its easier than riding with her as I can ditch the bike when problems rather than having to worry about my horse.

 

[timbobs]

Thanks for all your replies (and pictures!) feeling much more confident about going out with a bike now

My OH is going to cycle with me on the busy roads until I meet up with a friend from another yard and then escort us home afterwards.

Hopefully the weather is good on Monday now!!

 

[Pinkvboots]

Oh sometimes comes with me on his bike, our local woods has a really nice horse/bike trail which is about 6 miles round. If Im walking oh goes ahead and stops for a rest and to let me catch up, if Im trotting my pony likes to race oh on the bike, its quite funny actually, he will follow the speed set by the bike so trots faster or slower, almost breaking into a canter at times. Its nice to have company sometimes as noone else at our yard actually hacks out and pony definitely likes having them along.

My old mare used to try and race my oh on his bike if he went off infront she would get quite joggy amd want to catch up with him.

 

[Hippona]

When I was introducing mine to hacking out my young daughter used to come with us....pink bike complete with handle bar tassels lol.

 

[timbobs]

Thanks for everyone's replies!

Hoping the weather is good on Monday so we can go

I'm going to be heading to west end and esher commons if anyone knows the area and has any advice for that area!

 

[EP2504]

I used to take my cob out for a hack with my mum on her bike, never found it an issue and found it gave him more confidence because he followed the bike!
The speed thing wasn't an issue, if she got too far ahead on the bike she could just stop and have a rest, and if we got too far ahead we'd just have a rest while she caught up!

 

[timbobs]

Thanks for everyone's replies- they gave me confidence that we could do it!

We went out and had the best time! When I've worked out how, I'll upload some pictures of us in our dayglow hi-viz and some of the beautiful hacking we got to

 

[timbobs]

Meeting my friend and her horse for the first time. They are practically twins!



Best view in the world!

Picture of us in all our bright yellow glory!