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A little later, a racer dives out of the way when his dog decides to cut across the path of an incoming team.

Nothin' Fancy

Most dogs on the trail have fancier harnesses than their humans. While specialized gear for bikejoring and canicross exists, many enthusiasts use climbing harnesses, or their own makeshift tethers using carabiners and rope. Racers develop their own style, explained Lucas. He prefers his scooter over a mountain bike and he's also the only participant who sports body armor.

"A lot of people tie the dogs to the bike or scooter. And other people tie the dog to themselves. It gives really different forces when you're going around bends, or hitting gravel," he said, adding that he finds it more comfortable to harness directly to the dogs. "I found I couldn't get off the bike fast enough when it was crashing. And if you're trying to hold the dogs, they're pulling the bike, and that saddle is banging into the back of your legs or whatever else all the time. Also, I got tired of watching my bike bounding down the trail after I got thrown off."

Community-building

Amil Dupuis Rossi got her first dog while she was working at the humane society. Today she and her partner run a kennel with 16 dogs. She says she loves the social dynamic of the summer bike races, which tend to be pretty laid back.

"Because (mushing) can be really really intimidating. So we really want to create a culture that (represents it as) a fun activity. And particularly in the summer, it's the off season, so it's really to get people out."

Aside from exercise, said Lucas, community-building was a driving force behind the creation of the summer races. "By the time March and April came in the winter season, you finally got to know people, and then you lost contact with them. So this is a way to keep in touch and have some fun, as well as keep the dogs active," said Lucas.

While mushing led Lucas to bikejoring, it was the bike that got Alexandra Rochat hooked on the dog sled. She got into sport one summer in Switzerland.

"I wanted to be active with my dog. So with my Shepherd I went biking and running with the other people and their Huskies. That's how I got started. I wasn't mushing back then. It all started in the summer for me."

Drawn to the lifestyle, Rochat moved to the Yukon where she had the space and the freedom to have her own dog team. "Summer is the off season, so we just keep active by doing the small and fun races. It's also a social event mainly, more than a sport event."