Randy loves mountain biking, trail hiking, and all things outdoors. But most of all, he loves his dogs, Remi and Cotton...who mostly just love getting muddy. One sunny day in Pennsylvania, Randy’s beloved Remi disappeared for the first time after two years of worry-free outdoor adventure.
Luckily, Randy had just attached Remi’s new pet ID tag the night before.
“I was sick in the stomach, but at the same time, I knew that he had on his brand new ROAD iD tags. About twenty minutes later my wife called to say Remi was home.” Remi’s clearly a bright dog, but he’s scared of his own shadow. “He's a big chicken and I knew he would be scared to death outside all night. He’s afraid of the dark and won't go outside without Cotton.”
As you can see in the photos below, Randy’s biking buddies are ridiculously adorable; we had to know more. Below is a short Q&A with Randy, who answers burning questions like “Why did you name your black dog Cotton?” and other pertinent must-knows.
Q: How often do you bike together?
A: Not often enough if you ask these two. But I try to get out around 3 or 4 times a week. on average I would say 10-12 miles is the norm. I know where the local mud holes, creeks, and ponds are and make a point of riding past them. Both of them know when they are coming up and bolt ahead of me to get to them.
Q: How many miles do you think you've gone together?
A: Remi has only been biking two years. The first year I only took him on shorter trips to get him use to it and to give his body a chance to develop. Now, Remi runs with Cotton and loves it to death. Remi loves to chase the deer, rabbits, chippies and everything else we see.
[The Oxford dictionary defines chippy as a prostitute, but we’re pretty sure Randy’s talking about chipmunks here.]
Cotton is four years old now, and has easily gone over a couple thousand miles with me. We ride all summer and winter long. She just can't get enough of it. If I have to leave her home, she will cry and pout for hours.
Q: Speaking of Cotton, how did she get her name?
A: Cotton was a rescue. When we got her she wouldn't even walk on grass. She’d never touched it before. She was a cute bundle of fur. We had her for two weeks and the family just couldn't come up with a name that suited her. But the one thing we all noticed and commented on was how bloody soft and furry she was. 
Over and over again, one of us would say "She feels like a cotton ball." So, then it hit us, her name would be Cotton. We all laughed, knowing it would surely bring up questions since she is black. But it was because of how soft and fluffy she was when we got her.
Q: If they had their way, what would they do all day?
A: They would go biking. We literally have to spell the word bike in our house. If we wash clothes and hang bike clothing outside, Cotton lays underneath it just in case.
The longest trip she has done with me is a 22 mile ride around a local lake. Remi's furthest trip is 12 miles so far. They attend group rides with me and everyone knows them and comments on how smart they are trail wise. They live to find mud and water. The muckier the mud the better. Especially for Cotton. She rolls and rolls in it. Remi just lays down in it and laughs at Cotton.
Q: What's next for your human + canine adventures?
A: We want to get them both out camping more. Which will also include more biking. We do some hiking just to mix up the adventures. Every day is an adventure in their eyes. I live out in the woods, so they can run free all day long. This is why I love the ROAD iD's on them.
These are seriously intelligent, mud-loving, perpetually energized traveling companions. As you can see, Randy has his hands full and is enjoying every minute of it.
