How to Tow a Bike with the GSD

Once the GSD becomes part of your lifestyle, you may want to use it for some more ambitious jobs. One of our favorites is putting a bike on your bike—using your GSD to tow a kid- or adult-sized bike. This article will explain when and how to tow a bike using your GSD.

When would I need to tow a bike using the GSD?

Towing a bike with your GSD can be useful in many different situations. Here are a few things to try:

• Let big kids ride their own bikes alongside you until they tire out, then give them and their bikes a lift back home.
• Haul kids and their bikes to a park or bike trail where they can practice riding safely.
• Tow an adult-sized road or mountain bike to a trailhead or other starting point. Park and secure your GSD, tire yourself out on your conventional bike, and then return home with help from e-assist.
• Pick up a friend at the airport or train station. Bring a bike for them to ride and use your GSD to carry their luggage.

How do I tow a bike using the GSD?

Use your GSD’s lower deck for support and carefully secure the towed bike to your GSD.

Here’s what the setup looks like:

Here are detailed instructions:

1. Support the front wheel of the towed bike using your GSD’s lower deck

If you have a GSD Gen 2, place the towed bike's front wheel on the Integrated Lower Decks, or Sidekick Wide Decks, or Sidekick Doublewide Decks. If you have a GSD Gen 1, use the Sidekick Lower Decks instead. Make sure to position the wheel as close as possible to your GSD frame. If necessary, add some padding to protect the GSD frame or the towed bike's fork from getting scratched.

2. Secure the front wheel of the towed bike to your GSD

Use straps to secure the towed bike’s front wheel to your GSD using three points: one point on the upper rear rack tubing, one point on the lower rear rack tubing, and one point on the lower deck.

If using the Sidekick Doublewide Decks, make sure the lower strap wraps around all three elements (the towed bike's wheel, the integrated deck AND the Doublewide Decks) to prevent the Doublewide Decks from folding up.

Also, make sure the towed bike’s fork is free to pivot around the wheel—this will ensure a problem-free ride even over bumps and dips in the road.

Can I carry passengers while towing a bike?

Probably! Depending on the size of the bike(s) you're towing and the size of your passengers, you may be able to both tow 1-2 bikes and carry 1-2 passengers.

Try it out and see what works for you! Just make sure to follow safe passenger-carrying guidelines at all times.