Alberto Díaz is a 25-year-old young man from Toledo and a computer programmer. However, he is best known to his fans for sharing his life alongside Riku, his 2-year-old Husky companion, in 'Ride with Riku'. What stands out the most are the bicycle routes they take together. This endearing couple not only entertains, but also promotes the sport through their Instagram account.
How did 'Ride with Riku' start? Were you already a sports fan?
Before having Riku, who was my first dog, there had never been dogs in my house; I spent afternoons and evenings watching dog videos, especially those that showed typical scenes from Disney movies, where several dogs pulled a sled. This is how I discovered the sport of bikejoring, which is what I practice, in which the dog pulls the bicycle while riding routes.
It caught my attention because I dedicate myself to ultra-distance races and personal challenges with the bicycle. For example, I take the bicycle and do routes of 150, 200, 250 kilometers; and I began to wonder what breed of dog would be ideal to accompany me in this. Thanks to Disney movies and those videos, I thought of a husky, since they are not fast, like me, but they are super resistant. So I decided to look for Riku to accompany me on my mountain adventures and share our entire life together.
What were you looking for when you decided to create the Instagram account?
I thought, "I'm going to create an account that's just what I'm looking for," since I couldn't find anything similar to what I do. My focus is vlogging about cycling with my dog. In 'Ride with Riku', I share fragments of my daily life and try to tell entertaining and interesting things, not just limiting myself to showing videos of riding a bike with the dog and background music. My goal is to narrate my experiences, including the conditions in which I do it, how to get started and address various related topics.
Why Riku?
Because I really liked a video game called Kingdom Hearts, and one of its characters is called Riku. That's where the choice of name for my dog came from.
How does Riku hold up pulling the bike, considering that Huskies are dogs that traditionally pulled sleds?
The truth is that it holds up quite well. We've never done anything too crazy; The maximum distance has been 20 kilometers, with stops every three kilometers to rest. Even when Riku was younger, we would take 12 or 15 kilometer routes on foot, and when we got home, he would bring the ball or a toy to play with; He didn't arrive exhausted.
How do you manage Riku's safety and well-being during bike rides?
Before going out to train, we spent some time walking around the countryside. Let him walk around, sniff, warm up his paws a little by playing games such as throwing something at him, asking him to search or even giving him a run so he can exercise without pulling weight. It is also a good time for him to relieve himself.
Then when he gets home, I make sure he drinks enough for good hydration, and then we gear up and head out to the field for our planned workout. We try to keep the temperature below 12 degrees and avoid asphalt as much as possible. I have taught Riku to go slowly when we are on asphalt surfaces to take care of his paw pads.
Do you provide a different diet on the days you go on the road?
For now, Riku is on dry feed, although I'm considering switching him to a Barf diet at some point. He also provided him with an oil supplement to strengthen his joints, since I worry about his health at all times. Additionally, every year, I try to get an x-ray to evaluate hip dysplasia and prevent possible injuries.
My priority is that the dog is healthy and, if at any time I am told that I should stop running due to its well-being, I stop at that moment.
I train with Riku and if one day I notice that he is unmotivated and doesn't feel like running, I get off the bike and we both walk back home. I am very clear that I will not force him to do anything he does not want to do.
What type of equipment do you use for bike rides with Riku?
Bikejoring requires special equipment, known on the bike as an antenna. It is a wire antenna that connects to the handlebar and holds the pull line, which is essentially an elastic leash designed to resist pulling and twisting of the dog. The function of this antenna is to ensure that the belt never touches the wheel, as it exceeds the distance of the rope. This prevents the shooting line from getting stuck in the wheel, even if the dog stops abruptly.
Then, we have the shooting line, as I mentioned, which is an elastic strap. Finally, there is the pulling harness, which differs from the walking harness by focusing on covering the entire body. It is hooked at the height of the tail, allowing the weight to be distributed throughout the body when the dog pulls. If you were to compare, for example, a common walking harness, when you pull it backwards in the direction the dog should pull, it would curve the dog's back a lot and destroy it.
Has Riku needed a lot of training for the sport?
In the case of bikejoring, no; However, it has required considerable training to be a companion dog. I have worked a lot on being able to walk with him calmly, letting him go and listening to me, not chasing rabbits, cats... That part has needed a lot of training.
On the other hand, for sport it has not been necessary, since these dogs, once they enter work mode, believe it or not, clearly show the difference between before and after when they start pulling and when they are playing. You notice that they are very, very focused and it hardly takes any effort.
But the real complication has been training Riku as a companion dog. Huskies are known for being very nervous dogs, and if you add the fact that you are training them to have more energy and stamina, things get complicated...
Alberto, watching your videos, we understand that not only Riku pulls the bike, right?
Of course! Although there are some people who criticize me, saying that it is the dog that makes all the effort, and others who practice bikejoring argue that the dog is not pulling because the leash is loose and that we are going too slow. I have explained to the latter that it is not that we are going slow; I can adjust my speed on the bike to follow Riku. In the end, we both put in considerable effort, and my goal is for him to pull as little as possible. I want to move forward, allow you to explore places that we wouldn't reach with a simple walk, discover new paths and enjoy different environments. To achieve this, it is best to help him and let him run as "free" as possible.
How does Riku behave during encounters with other dogs while you are riding?
If he sees another dog and it is calm, Riku calmly walks past it. On the other hand, if the other dog is more nervous and playful, Riku tries to stop and play.
That is why in bikejoring races, on the edges of the course, if there is someone watching, they cannot be with a dog in case the competing dog gets distracted. We are working on it; He still finds it difficult (laughs).
How do you choose routes for cycling trips and what aspects do you consider when planning them?
Well, all the paths I go down with him I have already traveled before. Even when we travel to new places, I do them first on the bike to evaluate the terrain.
And it depends on how I organize the training that week, I choose a narrow and fun path in which we have curves and slightly dangerous descents to enjoy, or if, on the contrary, I see that it is going to be a kind of test to evaluate our physical form, Maybe opt for a wide path without many slopes and circular.
Likewise, we do everything with a progression. That is, before doing 20 kilometers, we have traveled distances of 10, 12, 15, 16 and 17 kilometers. I have observed their attitude towards these distances and have adapted accordingly.
What is the kit for Riku when you go out on a bike?
Normally, I carry a water bowl with water. Also, when we stop, I let him go a little and wait for him to calm down, since you cannot give a dog that is euphoric a drink, as it could suffer stomach torsion. When he is calm, I give him a drink in small amounts. I don't wear anything else because I don't like him to eat while we play sports.
Is there any goal that you have set out to achieve with Riku in the sporting field?
Yes, do the Camino de Santiago by bike with him. Competitions, in the end, are the least important thing for me. We don't train specifically to compete. What I want is for us to go miles, spend the day together, explore places, sit down and then go somewhere else.
Alberto, what advice would you give to someone who wanted to start cycling with their dog?
My recommendation would be that you go to a mushing club, a professional or even me to ask me; I will answer with complete confidence. Also, I would advise that you do not try to test with your dog whether he will like it or not using inappropriate equipment. In other words, if you decide to try, at least use appropriate and correct material.
I would also advise you to never cycle with your dog in temperatures above 14 or 16 degrees. Even if your dog is a Border Collie, for example, in the first days of training, he should not exceed one or two kilometers. I have been told of cases in which, inspired by one of my videos, some people have done five kilometers on the first day of training with a mastiff...
So, with the 'Ride with Riku' account, I would like to try to clear up the doubts of all beginners. Through the various contents I share, I hope you can learn something.
Do you have any funny anecdotes that you have experienced together?
There was an anecdote that makes me laugh a lot to this day. For me, it is the best thing that has happened to us and the most viral thing that has happened to us. We went to a race in Navalcarnero (Madrid), which included cycling and canicross, each of five kilometers. Since I train 15 kilometers daily with Riku, I decided to sign up for both races, period.
I got there and at the vet checkup, the vet told me, "Hey, it's a test dog." I responded: "No, no, I have a dog for both of us." To which the vet replied: "Okay, if you want, we can do something; instead of five kilometers, I'll change your race and you'll run two kilometers." They gave us a unique number. But since this was two races, I had to ask for two numbers. We start with the bicycle race. First, we left 30 seconds late because they didn't read my number over the public address system, and they told me it was because I only had a canicross number.
Right at the start, Riku stopped to take a shit, and despite all those setbacks, we managed to come in second place. Then it turns out that the bib number that the vet had told me was for the two-kilometer race was actually for the five-kilometer race. They called me to leave 30 minutes after finishing the bike race. Riku and I sprinted to finish the two kilometers, but when we completed that distance, a guy from the organization told us: "Hey, you have three kilometers left."
And if you see Riku and me, both exhausted to the max, it's because we weren't mentally prepared for those extra three kilometers. So we started greeting people and letting them pass, since we didn't have the strength left to even move.
Thanks to that, I went viral on Instagram because people told me things like "Riku is fit, but the owner is less fit than my grandmother" and stuff like that. And I said, damn, I'm preparing for an Ironman and these people are messing with me like this.
And any bad memories?
Well, at the time I said "he needs a trainer yes or yes", when Riku was eight months old we were in a pipican in my town that is next to a road between two towns. I don't like going to pipicans, but there was no one there at night. Long story short, I went to open the door to take Riku out and put the leash on him because I was outside and he was inside. He ran off to chase a rabbit that he saw at that moment and of course, my Husky is black, and he started running up and down the road. And I, who was also dressed in black, was in the middle of the road at night, trying to stop cars to catch Riku, and the vehicles were passing by at 80 or 90 km/h. I thought that he would leave me without a dog or that they would run over me at that moment.
And in the end I called him three times. He came, and I am thankful that he came. But I had a very, very bad time there.
I understand that that was the trigger that made you hire the services of a trainer.
Yes, because I did training with Riku, but I followed what I saw on YouTube, in Instagram videos, and in the end, I didn't know my mistakes. When I hired a trainer, he told me, "Okay, you fail at this, you fail at that..." You give him the time you need to give him, but he wasn't giving him the time he should have.
And above all you have to have knowledge. For me, a trainer should be essential for practically any dog.
How does Riku complement you, Alberto? What does it give you?
On a general level, happiness. It has become a pillar of my life, we do everything together. We sleep in the same bed, go somewhere and explore it together. It's like an adventure companion. He is motivating me to do more sports than he did. He is encouraging me to go on the road more. Sometimes we go hiking alone, and he is forcing me to see more of the world. That is to say, for me, he is the one who has taught me to love, the one who has taught me to have discipline, strict perseverance and to really value an animal. That's why I say that he is a pillar in my life right now.
And finally, Alberto, how do you find the balance between work, time with Riku and sports?
I live by and for it. That is, I get up at 06:30-7, depending on the day we are going to walk for about 30 or 40 minutes here next to the house. Then, I arrive, I get to work, I telework from home. The good.
He stays lying in the living room or in my room. Then, at noon, when I have a lunch break, around 2 p.m. we go for another 40-minute walk. I finish work, I go to do my training sessions, that is, if I have to bike, gym, run, swim, whatever, then I do it. I come home, I take Riku and if we have to train because we train three, four days a week, we both go to train. We get home, like something, I take him for a walk and at 11:00 p.m., 11:30 p.m., I have my space free. And on the walk at night is when I try to put in some training, of smell...
Teleworking is incredible for me. Otherwise, I wouldn't have this type of dog, because then, on top of that, at 10:30 p.m., 23 I try to edit the next day's video, although that, well, doesn't take up much of my time.
