Momentum Mag is closed for the rest of the day, something came up.
Photo from traverdose, via Instructables
At the top of the pile of “best things I found on the Internet” is this: a set of DIY instructions for building a bicycle sidecar for your furry best friend. Courtesy of traverdose on Instructables, the retro-looking pooch-mobile can be yours for only a few sheets of metal and plywood, some nuts and bolts and odds and ends, and the rest of this afternoon and maybe a bit of tomorrow morning depending on how well you know your way around a toolbox.
Traverdose writes that he was inspired by a similar project where another Instructables user had built a sidecar for his children. “I immediately became intrigued and knew I had to build one for myself. There was only one problem: I don’t have a child to ride in my sidecar. I do, however, have a dog named Dewey who would love to go on bike rides to the dog park. So with this solution, I began building my sidecar!”
Since the sidecar only has to accommodate his 15lb pup rather than a considerably heavier small human, he was able to simplify the design and reduce the weight. The sidecar is adjustable and pivots while moving, can be attached and detached without the use of a wrench, and doesn’t require welding to build.
While I won’t go over the 17 steps to build the sidecar in detail – as it would be much more effective for you to simply read the instructions already laid out – it doesn’t look like too intimidating of an undertaking even for those with relatively minimal construction experience. You’ll have to be comfortable with a jigsaw, a hacksaw, and a nail gun, but other than that it’s a very straight-forward (and well-visualized) plan.
So call your boss and tell them something came up and you need the day off, then forward them a picture of this dog in aviator goggles cruising down the street, they’ll understand.
instructables.com/id/Bicycle-Sidecar/
Hilary Angus is the Online Editor at Momentum Mag. She doesn’t have a dog per se, but is roommates with one, and will be spending the next week figuring out how to scale up the sidecar to accommodate a 60lb mutt. @HilaryAngus
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I am a huge fan of the sidecar. I am an avid rider of the bicycle, and have always enjoyed coming up with new ways in which to bring our friends (both human and animal) along side to share the adventure. I am a wood worker as well, so following this concept will be tenable. I must also, and begrudgingly, ask what make those stellar hi-top kicks are? I am a very picky shoe buyer, and have been on the lookout for quite some time for the quintessential urban cruiser. I don’t mean to pull attention from the sidecar. But in all honesty, the package is sexy. Okay…nice work.
Stop what you’re doing and PUMP UP THAT TIRE
also inflate your rear tire so you can actually pedal the thing…
I’d much rather carry my pets safely ensconced in a “child” trailer rather than having them in an open-air sidecar. This project also makes the bike rather wider than normal. It’s not a good fit for bike paths.
My dog loves the open air on his face, his safety at 20 mph max isn’t a big concern, and you’re safer on the road than a bike path.
@OracleOfDelphi: far be it from me to tell you what your dog likes, but when it comes to transporting my pets, their safety is my #1 concern, at ANY speed. And no, I’m much safer on a bike path, thanks, rather than mixing in with 40 mph traffic. I’ll take traffic-free paths over dangerous roads any day (sadly, there are very few cycle paths near me, so I’m forced by choice to cycle on the roads.
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