Biking with Klaus
Everything we do is about making real good food to fuel real good times for dogs all around the UK! We caught up with David and Klaus to hear about their adventures mountain biking together around in the hills and valleys of Staffordshire and beyond.
- How long have you been mountain biking for and what made you start?
I began mountain biking around 8 years ago as a way of getting fit and getting me outside more. I originally started riding the bike to and from work which is only 6 miles each way but seemed to take me forever, as my fitness increased I began extending the ride home from work and eventually found more adventurous routes involving canal paths, bridleways and shortcuts across fields.
2. What inspired you to get Klaus involved with it all?
It was always the intention to get Klaus involved with mountain biking as soon as he came home with us. I had seen others riding with dogs around my local trails and was desperate for a trail dog of my own. I work shifts so have a lot of spare time in the week when everyone else is at work so Klaus is my most consistent and regular riding buddy, he sulks and mopes around the house if I go out on the bike without him now.
3. Have you ever tracked how fast you and Klaus have gone?
I use a Garmin GPS device to track our statistics as we ride. This has been very important in building Klaus’s stamina up and not doing too much too soon with him. He is just about to turn 2 so I have been slowly increasing his distance since around 15 months when we started with 3 mile rides. I have been riding a trail behind Klaus at 25mph which is about his limit for a short period. He is more comfortable at around 15mph and seems to be barely trying at that speed.
4. What is the most exciting experience you have had while mountain biking with Klaus?
The most exciting ride we have had so far would be Nant Yr Arian in mid Wales which is home to a large population of Red Kites. We were staying at a cottage with friends so me and Klaus left the Cottage at 6 am whilst everyone was asleep to ride some big welsh hills, it was a 16 mile ride and coming back down the last decent with the Red Kites circling the lake to our left was fantastic. We were back to the cottage in time for a bacon sandwich with everyone.
5. What is your favourite place that you have been while mountain biking with Klaus?
We are quite spoilt with having Cannock Chase less than 10 minutes from our house, its an area of outstanding natural beauty and a large forestry commission managed forest. It has 2 purpose built mountain bike trails and endless miles of fire roads, bridleways and singletrack tucked away for us to explore. We have yet to explore all of it but Klaus already has some favourite trails that he disappears down with me trailing behind in hot pursuit. We ride it a couple of times a week either in the day or at night and its been great having encounters with owls, buzzards and the different deer species that live there.
6. Outside of mountain biking, what other kinds of things do you get up to with Klaus?
Other than mountain biking we walk a couple of hours everyday and are loving exploring more of the British countryside, so far Klaus has summited 2 mountains including Cadair Idris in Wales and been to the beach which he loved. We have walked the Tissington and Monsal trails in the Peak District which are old railway lines with stunning views and restored tunnels. My wife was also training for a half marathon distance tough mudder so Klaus accompanied her on her training runs, he is a terrible pace setter though as he sets off out flat from the car.
7. What is Klaus’s favourite toy?
Klaus’s favourite toy has to be a Kong teddy bear, he is currently on his third one as they different sizes, he had the tiny one as a puppy and currently has the biggest one they do which he carries around the house slobbering over it. For some reason the first thing he does when we give them to him is remove the ears, he doesn’t like his bears to have ears.
Do you have any unusual hobbies you get up to with your dog? Get in touch to let us know, we would love to hear about it!
