Cycling with a dog on a lead is a bad idea shared by a great many people, and it tends to end with either the dog's pads worn raw or the rider on the tarmac. Towing them changes the arrangement entirely: the dog travels enclosed and out of the wind, you ride at your own pace, and the towpath stops being a negotiation between two different sets of legs.

The hitch is a universal fitting designed to take most standard bikes, and the body is an enclosed cover rather than an open basket, which is what makes it usable in British weather and alongside traffic. A dog that can see out but cannot get out settles far sooner than one riding in the open, and settles sooner again on the second trip. Three colourways are listed: black and red, dark grey, or orange.

• Universal hitch intended to fit most standard bikes
• Enclosed cover for shelter from wind and rain
• Interior sized for medium and large dogs
• Three colourways: black and red, dark grey, or orange
• Doubles as a wheeled cart for a tired or recovering dog

Before the first ride. Let the dog eat and sleep in the trailer stationary at home for a few days before it goes anywhere near a bicycle. Check the fitting against your own rear axle before you commit, because universal covers most bikes rather than all of them.

Who it's for: Cyclists with a medium or large dog who cannot run the distance, whether through age, recovery or simply the length of the ride.