10 mile bike ride

[skycat 6,173]

I've just got back in from a 10 mile bike ride with the Airedale lurchers........in the bloody heat! When I set off it was nice and cloudy with a decent breeze, but of course, as soon as I got to the reservoir, round which is a 10 mile bike track, the sun came out and stayed out

 

Oh well, I thought, I might as well see how we go: they've not done this distance before in one go, and I couldn't have chosen a worse day with the temperatures being what they were. They're semi fit, but not what I would call hard working fit, and a still a little soft from their first season. They're now a year old, and used to free running for an hour a day, so I reckoned we'd take it nice and steady, with 'pit stops' by the side of the lake if they looked too hot.

 

Too the little merle hairy thing as well, as she's probably the fittest of my older dogs, now 5 years old. And off we went: part of this trail is stony gravel, with lots of steep climbs for a couple of hundred yards, followed by equally steep drops into little valleys, the rest is pretty flat.

 

I was amazed! Not only did Schuck try and pull me the entire way round the lake, but neither of them showed any signs of suffering in the heat at all, and although they did go into the lake to fetch a couple of sticks at each pit stop, they never drank a drop of water: me? I downed nearly a litre of water on the trip.

 

Like I said, I wasn't going fast, about 6-7 miles an hour according to my mini speedometer gadget on the bike, just a steady trotting pace, and there was a bit of a breeze, albeit a warm one. Even so, I am seriously impressed with these dogs' tolerance to heat, and I reckon they get that from the Airedale dam as well as from the Saluki. The Airedale can go all day in the heat, but she does need to dive into water quite frequently to cool herself down. She doesn't drink much at all either. Interesting critter she is, and her coat stays wet for hours after swimming, which means that she's not losing a lot of heat through her skin to evaporate the water.

 

Never come across dogs before with quite this sort of constitution: the pups need very little to eat or they put on weight fast, (they've been on only one meal a day since 9 months old not something I'd normally do until a dog is at least a year old) and I reckon they'll hold their weight well once they start proper work as well. They have really thick skins too, like their dam.

 

The other strange thing is that they've barely changed shape since around 5 months of age: of course they have grown taller, put on muscle and substance, but the overall shape was their very early: I'll take some new pics of them soon.

 

Roll on the autumn!

[judge2010 196]

bad for sperm levels bike riding in the sun . I can't wait for the autumm as well mate

[Sexy_Shot 5]

Lovely Read there buddy

[rocky1 942]

just getting back from 13 mile ride myself and it happened 2 me cloud cover when left and then halfway round the sun come out ,but hta dogs managed it ,if you don,t go daft the heat should,nt be a mayor facter unless its over 3o but lets be honest our summer never hardly get no were near that ,my dogs love freerunning especailly my young dog that glued 2 my front wheel

[ianh 83]

bad for sperm levels bike riding in the sun . I can't wait for the autumm as well mate

 

dont hink she needs to worry about that, lol

[Simoman 110]

bad for sperm levels bike riding in the sun . I can't wait for the autumm as well mate

 

 

I think skycat (Penny) wont worry about that too much...

[skycat 6,173]

bad for sperm levels bike riding in the sun . I can't wait for the autumm as well mate

 

dont hink she needs to worry about that, lol

 

:laugh:

[worldruler 58]

Could we see pics please, love airedales

[Guest born to run1083]

bad for sperm levels bike riding in the sun . I can't wait for the autumm as well mate

 

 

I think skycat (Penny) wont worry about that too much...

unless she's lady gaga

[dytkos 17,793]

Would that be around Grafham Water Penny?

Stayed near there (Southoe) about 30 years ago.

 

Cheers, D.

[Tyla 3,179]

Sounds like they're coming on well Penny.

[alan626 305]

im looseing faith in bike rides wit the dogs the only one affected is me taking at least 10 mini strokes on our bike ride think ill just jump in car hit the motor way wit dogs in tow ,, maybe we should start a tread on wat have u being doing to get ur self fit for the winter

[rob190364 2,594]

im looseing faith in bike rides wit the dogs the only one affected is me taking at least 10 mini strokes on our bike ride think ill just jump in car hit the motor way wit dogs in tow ,, maybe we should start a tread on wat have u being doing to get ur self fit for the winter

here here! I'm the same, 10 mile bike ride and I'm bolloxed......won't do us any harm though. I give mine a good swim for 20 mins or so half way round to knacker her out a bit and to give me a rest.

[skycat 6,173]

I need to get fit to work the dogs in the winter! I'm one of those really old fashioned hunters who walk the fields on foot: something that a lot of youngsters these days don't seem to know anything about :tongue2:

 

Most of my land is plough or drilling in the winter, and its the sort of mud that likes to be carried round on my boots: try carrying an extra 5kg on each foot over a nights lamping or a days running!! Need to be fit for that sort of ground I'm likely to have to do a few miles on that ground, more sometimes: oh well, no peace for the wicked: out again in a moment!

[Penda 3,341]

I need to get fit to work the dogs in the winter! I'm one of those really old fashioned hunters who walk the fields on foot: something that a lot of youngsters these days don't seem to know anything about :tongue2:

 

Most of my land is plough or drilling in the winter, and its the sort of mud that likes to be carried round on my boots: try carrying an extra 5kg on each foot over a nights lamping or a days running!! Need to be fit for that sort of ground I'm likely to have to do a few miles on that ground, more sometimes: oh well, no peace for the wicked: out again in a moment!

i love to walk fields i used to leave me moms at 8 on the night and come back about 4 in the morning,ive walked across heavy ploughed fields in the past and me calfs have been on fire but its all worth it on a good night just to get a run with the dog