Looking for a mountain bike made for hunting to use during this spring's turkey outings. I have a very back back, S-I joints, and right knee. Surgery on the back and S-I joints is hopefully put off to next year. PT and a good S-I belt seem to be keeping those joints happy and the Doc doesn't want to do the back until the S-Is are good.

I think I'm needing a good mountain bike with front and back suspension and probably fat tires. Don't know anything about these critters and am looking for suggestions from folks that have used them for hunting. I understand that if the bike isn't built with hunting applications in mind, I will probably have to spend a bunch to aftermarket it.

Thanks for your advice ahead of time!

What kind of terrain do you envision riding in? Rough, smooth, steep, flat? Much climbing involved? When you hunt, what will you take besides the gun?

Honda............................................

Buy one that's painted camo.
Otherwise I don't know of any bike that's specific to hunting, and don't know any bike accessories that are specific to hunting. Luggage racks front and back for bags and something to carry a rifle/shotgun--probably in front of the handlebars.

I've seen guys strap their backpack on the luggage racks, and or a duffle bag. The problem with the pannier style bike bags is they hang on the sides and will catch on the narrow spots of the trail.

Don't know what kind of terrain you'll be hunting in, but keep in mind on steep and deep trails you may end up pushing a fully loaded bike, because climbing and negotiating steep trails takes some experience and effort regardless. There is a lot of good two track roads/trails in Colorado for biking, but if it's two track then motorized ATV and/or full size vehicles can drive there too.

Are you planning on an overnight somewhere?

CT-110




DMc : )

You will have a tough time getting a rack on a full suspension bike. If you go fat tire or plus size tires you probably won’t need it depending on the terrain. If you aren’t already a mtnbiker it is going to be hard to ride any rough terrain with added gear and a rifle.

Go to the local bicycle store and get sized properly. Most important detail right there! I have used mountain bikes and recently a Fat Bike. Do some searching on them, quite popular for cyclists going camping and using their bikes to carry all their gear. I am currently riding a Fat Bike in the middle of winter, the list of accessories available is mind boggling. The biggest difference in riding the different styles is a mind set. On my Fat Bike, I just know I am going to be going slow, 5-6 mph cross country is reasonable, less if loaded. I have used it on an elk hunt in southern Alberta in November, and bike an average of 50 miles per week since then, none of it on roads. Great in snow up to 8" so far, studded tires are like velcro on ice and I have not had a puncture yet while riding game trails. The Fat bike is simpler but heavier than my mountain bike and feels softer to ride, due to the huge tires run at low pressure. A company in Montana makes bow and rifle scabboards for them.

[img]https://electricbikereview.com/best-electric-bikes/[/img]

Go with the Honda.

You get to dress up like the Hamburgler!




DMc : )

I used to strap my pack and bow to the inside of my Summit Viper climber, throw that on my back, and bike into a couple spots. Sure beat walking and didn't spook the deer......would ditch my old Trek 6500 a couple hundred yards away and walk to my spot to avoid having any unusual scents next to my stand.

Yes to everything terrain. I'll use it for turkey and early season elk and deer. Some steep, mostly trails, but some bush whacking. I'll be pushing the bike up and downhill on the steep as it will be early morning and late evening dark coming out. I hike 5-8 miles in and usually put on 15-20 by days end. Looking to save time on either end of day. Definitely some overnighting during early deer/elk in the fall. Probably get more use during spring turkey season with flat to moderate steep two track and trails. If this spring turkey works out with the bike, I may try it during antelope in CO and WY. Ultimately deer/elk in CO, NM, and WY.

I have considered Quiet Kat and Rambo electric bikes, but would expect lots of flak from FS and state boys.

I like that classic Honda!!

Thanks for the link, aalf.

Any brand recommendations?

Unless you are planning to hit 60+ mph downhill with 12 foot drops you probably won't need rear suspension.

If you are, you'll need a good one and those are $6k..those bikes are amazing technology, but they won't pedal uphill or cross country as easily as a hardtail.

Front suspension is nice but still another handicap unless it is a decent fork, otherwise just a flexy steel front end is fine and more stable.

You can put a seat stem shock absorber on any of them.

I like 29" wheels... they roll better and faster than 26" and cushion the ride, but a recent trend in the sport is to 27.5 wheels with fatter tires. They are 2.35" tires, not the real fat ones.

For off road gearing is 1x8...more rugged and less parts, but there is also 1x9, 1x10 and 1x11. Or set the front gear to the middle ring and leave it alone.

Good wheels and tires might arguably be the most important high grade component. And get a good hand pump and a patch kit...also carry a couple of extra tubes.

One of my favorite bikes is a "Cross" bike that is all steel, no suspension and 1-1/4" tires, and cantilever brakes. It floats fine and is faster than anything else cross country, but the 29ers feel smoother and they can really get rolling.

Another has a 27.5 rear tire and a 29" front tire and a Rock Shock coil fork...that one is real good for just about everything.

Ha...Ha... it's called a B-29...

I have used a mountain bike here in bc but the fat tire bike is intriguing, I was wondering how to get the game out on the bike, any idea's?

Alright. It sounds like a backpack and gun are about all you are going to carry. You can use a seatpost mount rear rack to hold your gun, but unless you use a hard case, that leaves it vulnerable to damage during a spill, and you WILL have a spill. You also have to consider how you will transport the turkey. As crazy as this sounds a good old fashion handlebar mounted basket may be the best option. An extra 15 pounds there though makes handling pretty quirky. If you go with a front suspension only, you can carry more weight on the back. I mountain bike unladen in CO almost every summer. It will be a serious workout with a load, even when you are pushing uphill. Fat bikes seem appealing, but they are generally heavy and have extra weight in the wheels which translates to harder to pedal. I don't really know the best approach for you. Just thinking out loud here.

Forgot to mention 29" or 27.5" tires, they roll over rocks easier.......

Fat tire bikes are great in snow or deepish mud, but are more effort to pedal, don't steer as easily.

I'd get a hardtail and add a B.O.B. Ibex trailer.

Thanks for the input.

Really looking for advice on bike builders. Who builds the best? Who to avoid?

I've heard good things about Rogue Ridge electric bikes.

Thats exellent, thanks.

Be advised that you CANNOT use an e-bike on USFS trails designated as non-motorized. As such, on Federal lands at least you are better served to buy a dirt-bike for motorized trails, or just a "regular" bike for non-motorized trails.

Dave

I don't, but a buddy went through all the research and bought one a couple years ago.

I'll have to check with him.

There's really very little difference between manufacturers. I have been an avid bicyclist for my whole life. I am active on bicycle forums and read a lot about all things bicycle. You VERY rarely hear of any kind of frame issue. I will say that I'd prefer a Taiwanese frame to Chinese. The stuff other than the frame varies little within the same price point. If you are somewhat handy, you can save some money by purchasing online and doing the set-up yourself. Otherwise go to whatever local shop you want and let them set you up. For your application, I think 29" wheels are a good idea. They roll over road surface irregularities much more easily. What's your budget?

you da man.........

I was a sprocket head 25 yrs ago............

Get a Polaris ranger, hell with a bike!!

Get your self one of these, would be great for those "Zombie Elk Hunts"
https://motoped.com/survival/

That's cool!


Textron bought Arctic Cat. Check out the Wildcat:
WILDCAT


DMc : )

If I was looking at a bike for hunting I'd probably pick up one of these. I'm a Surly fan personally though and own 2 of their other models.
The one I'd get is this model.

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/ecr

This is always another option though.

https://surlybikes.com/bikes/big_fat_dummy

Thanks, fan. Now I'm getting somewhere. I'll check some bike dealers over the next couple of weeks for models that will fit my physical needs. Got to protect the back!

I have no use for the atv and sled. They can only go where my truck can out here and makes no sense to run up and down the roads on them. But, it keeps a lot of folks out of my hunt areas!

I like that EFR and Surly frames are very robust. I don't think I'd want to deal with that BFD on any kind of a climb or any remotely technical terrain.

Schwinn

I bought a Trek Stache last year and have been very happy with it. 29+ (3" wide) tires at 10-12 psi are plenty soft on all the trails I've ridden and make a rear suspension unnecessary. I've been riding with a group that includes a mix of hard tails and full suspension bikes and was thinking full suspension until I tried the Stache. Lighter and more maneuverable than a full suspension bike plus the better climbing ability of a hard tail make it a great all around bike - kind of in between a full suspension bike and fat bike.

https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/trail-mountain-bikes/stache/c/B335/

Wow! Now "Big Fat Dummy" is the best design I've seen to haul stuff! Much better than a trailer IMNSHO (and I have used a bike trailer a lot).



John

Honda Foreman

Taz,
I forgot to mention I have back issues myself ( I fractured a couple of vertebrae on a jump). Hard jolts while sitting somewhat vertically (like in a car/truck) hurts a bunch, but for some reason when riding a bike the bumps don't seem to cause any pain in my back. I assume it's the somewhat leaned forward posture and taking most of it with the legs.

I have no bikes with suspension the caveat to that is I don't ride anything gnarlier than bad gravel roads.

Pretty easy to whip up a trailer hitch of sorts to pull a deer cart.

Yamaha tw 200 is the way I'm going for idaho. They're very relaxed on motorcycles. Washington is hell on anything not street legal so it solves that problem too.

How are they getting the deer out on them, especially on steep downhills?

A parachute?

was out riding my fat tire bike this morning in a couple inches snow on top of ice. amazing how well they get around.
one of the main benefits is that the tires don't skip sideways or dive into holes the way a regular mountain bike will. Allows you to look around way more instead of just in front of you.

Now an electric fat tire bike would be damn nice to cover some rough trails on.

I’ve spun a few miles on a Surly Pugsly, nice bikes.

Whatever bike you end up with, the Thudpucker sprung seat post is supposed to be the shizzizle when it comes to protecting your spine from hard knocks.....

https://www.worldwidecyclery.com/pr...n_r7Z2AIVybbACh3JaA3BEAQYBSABEgL20vD_BwE

I'm old school, I use a Brooks Flyer saddle to preserve my back....

http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/us/en/brooks-england-flyer-special-steel-saddle/rp-prod27884

Must be. Maybe the trailer would work but it better have good brakes too. Maybe i am just worried about my poor biking skills.

Where there's a will, there's a way. On an especially tough stretch, you may have to walk the bike and cart down individually. But remember the OP is starting with turkey hunting.

I've packed out a few elk and deer on my Trek Rumblefish. It's not a designated hunting rig but does the trick. I just load up the backpack and make a couple trips. Sure beats walking..........

Trek tends to have better parts on their bikes for the money than most of the other brands. If I were looking for a designated hunting bike it would most likely be the Trek Roscoe 7.

A side benefit is riding mountain bikes is a lot of fun and a great way to get in shape for hunting. I have been putting on 1500-2000 miles each summer for the last 5 or 6 years and the difference it makes hunting in the hills is amazing. This bike is 6 years old and has 10,000 miles on it. If you think you will stick with it, then buy a quality rig to begin with.

interesting........we have sprocket heads amongst us........

I've been eyeballing the bikesdirect website, and lusting for a bike to replace the Raleigh I picked up for $50 at a police auction 2 years ago. The 27.5 plus, and 29 plus sizes really intrigue me. Not quite full fat, kind of an in betweener.

Weight is carried higher than a trailer making it more unstable. The length of the frame and chain would limit what obstacles you could ride over or through tips. Bike and quality trailer would be more versatile and less top heavy.

If you are gonna go to the motor thing.......Rokon..

TW200. Never buy another.