Roll On: One Rider, Two Dogs, One Healing Road
There are products you buy, and then there are products that become part of your story. For Bill LeGall — known to friends as "BillyGoat" — the BuddyRider® pet bike seat falls squarely into the second category.
Bill lives near Lansdale, Pennsylvania, where he's spent decades riding everything from vintage Schwinns to modern cruisers. When he wanted his small dog, Billy-the-Kid, to join him on the road, he made do the only way he could: cradling the pup in one arm while steering with the other. It worked — barely — and kept their rides to about a mile at most.
He knew there had to be a better way.
A Cyclist with an Eye for Quality
Bill didn't come to cycling casually. His father ran a bike shop through the 1960s and '70s, so he grew up knowing the difference between gear that lasts and gear that doesn't. When he started searching for a proper solution for Billy-the-Kid, he wasn't going to settle.
The BuddyRider® caught his attention immediately — clean lines, thoughtful engineering, and a secure design that put his dog front and center without compromising control. For Bill, it wasn't a purchase. It was a recognition: this was what he'd been looking for.
Billy-the-Kid: The Original Co-Pilot
Once Billy-the-Kid was strapped in, the adventures got bigger. Their most memorable outing came at the Trexlertown Antique Bike Meet, where Bill's late wife, Loretta, had purchased a pizza-slice Halloween costume for their little rider.
Bill rolled in on his prized 1954 Schwinn Green Phantom — one of only a handful of these bicycles in existence and the only year to come fully loaded with every option — with the world's most enthusiastic pizza dog riding up front.
Billy-the-Kid was a the star of the show that day! The crowd couldn't get enough. People swarmed over to meet the pizza delivery dog amid laughter everywhere.
Bill and Loretta played along, joking that they were open for pizza deliveries. It's the kind of afternoon that becomes a story you tell for the rest of your life.
In this photo in their retro room, directly behind Loretta is her 1954 Schwinn Panther that Billy-the-Kid rode on, and the other bike is a 1995 100th Anniversary Reproduction Schwinn Black Phantom. These are bikes that meant something. Bill had chased that Green Phantom for nearly 30 years before one of his customers brought it to him in 2019. He's still amazed this rare bike found him!
In August 2024, Bill lost Loretta after 18,000 days together. Then in May 2026, Billy-the-Kid passed away too.
Two losses in under two years. The road can feel very quiet after something like that.
But Bill has always believed in moving forward. A few weeks after losing Billy-the-Kid, he heard about a pup in a rescue shelter and walked out with Apollo.
Apollo Takes the Wheel
Apollo is a 16-month-old Morkie — half Maltese, half Yorkie — with a personality roughly three times his body size. Bill named him after his legendary "zoomies," and the name fits perfectly.
The transition to the BuddyRider® was seamless. On their very first ride together — a full hour — Apollo nodded off three times. Not anxious, not restless. Just completely at ease, watching the world roll by from his perch. By day two, they were already filming.
As Bill puts it: "Both Billy and Apollo would hop into the carrier with no fear whatsoever on their part and complete ease and security on mine."
What the Ride Really Means
These aren't just bike trips for Bill. They're connection. The ability to reach forward mid-pedal and give Apollo a quick kiss on the head — that's not a small thing when you've been through what Bill has been through.
Apollo, for his part, plays the role of neighborhood celebrity with great enthusiasm. He takes in every sight, acknowledges every admirer, and generally behaves like someone who knows exactly how charming he is. Most people they pass, Bill notes, look a little envious of the dog's seat.
Still Rolling at 80
Bill turns 80 in January 2027. His pace hasn't changed. He rides whenever the weather cooperates, credits his health to staying active, and approaches life with the kind of humor that makes even hard chapters bearable.
Apollo is the newest part of that story — not a replacement for what was lost, but a new chapter written in zoomies and open roads. Loretta and Billy-the-Kid remain close in spirit. Apollo is what comes next.
Bill's verdict on the BuddyRider®? "The only seat that's BillyGoat Approved."
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We're honored to be part of your journey, Bill. Here's to the miles ahead — and the good dog riding shotgun.
Billy’s friends wanted to share a few words....
Joseph DeBlase (Grammar school friend): Joseph says Bill’s soft heart and endless jokes haven't changed since they were kids. He’s seen how the BuddyRider gave Bill, Billy-the-Kid, and Apollo the freedom to explore the neighborhood and brought Bill a lot of comfort and joy while navigating the loss of Loretta.
Lee Robertson (25-year friend): Lee describes Loretta as a "once in a lifetime soul" and knows how much Bill has missed her. He calls Apollo a "ray of sunshine" that broke through the heartbreak, bringing back the warmth and smiles that Bill truly deserves. According to Lee, Apollo is definitely "Heaven sent."