BrownStone Chinooks is devoted to fostering the excellent health and wonderful temperament of Chinook dogs. Hard-working Chinooks excel in many activities such as agility, obedience, back yard play, hiking, dog powered sports, search and rescue, and as service dogs. The affectionate Chinook is an excellent family dog matching its activity level to that of its companions - be it strenuous exercise or snuggling on the couch.

Sunday, November 7, 2010

Brake Test

Our Indian Summer, 70-degree days have ended. It is finally cool enough to run the dogs. Yesterday I got out my three-wheel scooter and realized that along with flat tires, I still had some fixes I had been intending to do when I put it away last summer. Running one dog was OK with the scooter. But since I have three Chinooks, the rides are too often on-the-edge terrifying. I needed a longer stem to improve my stance thus balance. My handlebars had taken too many falls (bailouts). My brakes consisted of edges of my feet pressed against my rear tires - not very efficient and definitely hard on shoes. I took my scooter to a bike building shop for new handle bars, a longer stem, brakes and a way to keep the gangline out of the front wheel and brake. These guys are used to making $2000+ custom bikes. They politely suppressed chuckles when I wheeled in with my scratched, rusted and muddy scooter with its fat pink tires.

The bike shop pros had no solutions for my tangled lines and braking problems. Fenders wouldn't fit. There is no way to change the standard squeeze brake on my front tire or even think about putting a brake on my rear wheels. Then I had what I hoped was a great idea. My original dogsled came with a section of snowmobile tread as drag brake. All I had to do was figure out how to best fasten it to the scooter frame so I could step on it yet not have it drag or get in the way when I pedal. Trial, error and bungie - I now have a workable drag brake.

Today was the test. Between rain showers I hooked up the dogs and took off down the road. My drag brake worked almost too well. The first time I stepped on it the rear wheels came off the ground. A quick weight adjustment on the non-braking foot kept me from being thrown over the handle bars.

McKenzie decided to join in as we raced around the side of the house. Without my new brake, she would have been hopelessly tangled in the lines attached to the other two dogs. Free of McKenzie we were off.

We made a quick mile run.

The gangline became hopelessly tangled in the wheel and brake when we turned around for another run.Untangled and off again
Who needs snow?

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