Mountain Bikes

[Luke_with_a_lab]

What are your guys' experiences and thoughts about using a mountain bike while elk hunting? It seems it could be a useful tool during the archery season. They could help you get in an area quicker and certainly would be nice if got an elk down. I understand you couldn't go off-trail but still if you could ride one 3 or 4 miles then get off and hike? Not to mention they are silent.

 

[MThuntr]

If there are closed roads then yeah they're valuable especially when paired with a decent trailer. A ton of guys do it where they hunt logging company land.

If you're talking just riding one down a random trail then that's much harder and I don't see an advantage over just hiking. I have some friends that ride trails and it's a lot more technical and way more physically demanding than I expected. I ended up walking it uphill and burned up a set of brakes trying to not die going downhill.

 

[rwc101]

Strap 45lbs to your bike and try it out on a trail. It isn't a very pleasant experience. A little moisture on your brakes and you'll alert every animal within a mile.

 

[zpooch]

Don't buy a bike marketed towards hunters, they're generally over priced garbage with camo, like most things marketed towards hunting. Do a little research and you'll end up with a much nicer bike from an actual bike company for less

 

[LuketheDog]

I think they're a great tool, but you're not going to be riding on anything less than a nice graded road with easy hills if you have a heavy load in your pack or in a trailer. That being said, I'm sure you could hang a couple quarters on the bike and wheel them out as log as the trail is ok. We tried it with rigs like this one year, and after the first year we ditched the bikes and just went on foot and pulled the trailers...worked great!

 

[nrpate05]

I use one for turkey hunting and its been pretty nice. The road is closed until Memorial Day, so as long as it is clear we ride the bikes a couple miles and it definitely saves a ton of time. It isn't any easier, however. It's actually probably tougher because the road gets pretty steep. Nice on the way out tho. I wouldn't use one for riding trails during hunting season.

 

[WapitiBob]

This will be year 5 out of the last 6 on closed roads. Single wheel BOB trailers were a pain in the ass with any weight and tipped over constantly unless moving pretty good. The modified Burley trailers stay upright but get hung up if going down a trail because of the width. It takes a bit of work to silence either version.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

Really depends on the grade of the hill. Most flat Once it starts getting steep +/- 8% grade you are going to be fast and use less energy hiking.

Something to keep in mind, on a steep up hill a runner is going to smoke a guy on a bike.

 

[EYJONAS!]

This will be year 5 out of the last 6 on closed roads. Single wheel BOB trailers were a pain in the ass with any weight and tipped over constantly unless moving pretty good. The modified Burley trailers stay upright but get hung up if going down a trail because of the width. It takes a bit of work to silence either version.


View attachment 133957

Are you taking orders? Those bikes and trailers look awesome!

 

[Sytes]

Mountain bikes are fantastic in the right setting. Gated roads that take you in a few miles is epic!

First pic I have my black sled upside-down over my gear. Worked great and low weight. Once I reach my location, I stash/lock the cycle off the road a bit and off with the sled to my base camp setting.



This one, I had my pack sled (rolled up sled). I'll use that for trails to pack out game to the cycle and from there, it's pretty darn cool.

Uphill is always a good start for riding with a trailer. Easy ride down with game. PITA riding uphill to the truck w/ game.



One note... Steep down hill w/o trailer brakes makes for an epic disaster if speed creeps up on you.

I've cycled in 1.5 hours, faster than boot hiking with much more camp comfort and it took 15 minutes to return to the truck.

I have an aluminum spool gun for the mig welding. Think a nice bike trailer will be the next hobby build. Take what I don't like of the trailers I've used and modify.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

On technical single tracks? No.

Gated logging roads? Absolutely.

 

[Ridge Ghost]

This will be year 5 out of the last 6 on closed roads. Single wheel BOB trailers were a pain in the ass with any weight and tipped over constantly unless moving pretty good. The modified Burley trailers stay upright but get hung up if going down a trail because of the width. It takes a bit of work to silence either version.

What modifications did you do to quiet your trailers?

 

[nrpate05]

Something to keep in mind, on a steep up hill a runner is going to smoke a guy on a bike.

So true, my new home Corona office looks over a somewhat steep technical trail on Open Space and a runner passed a guy on a bike yesterday afternoon. Pretty comical to watch

 

[Rzrbck918]

I use one turkey hunting around Oklahoma and it works great. I can see the benefits out west but I'd be mainly interested on two track roads. Im not good enough on a mountain bike to even consider some of the places I have hiked to and from.

 

[FAIR CHASE]

Get a good fat bike. You can spend some stupid money on one from a bike shop or do what I did. Purchased one for $500 and added another $300 or so in needed upgrades, not counting tires and $150 on accessories. Fat bikes are all about proper tire pressure for the conditions. And studded tires for ice/compacted snow is a game changer. Studded tires are stupid expensive so look around for a used set. I do not have a trailer but have thought about one. I basically used this year round.

 

[WapitiBob]

Are you taking orders? Those bikes and trailers look awesome!

Mine is in the middle and I paid $75. Strip the whole thing down, add a 1x2 front and back, then stretch some 2" webbing and staple it down. Get a new axle/trailer bushing from Robert Axle and you're good to go. Just over $100.

The key to silence is to remove everything but the frame then use tight webbing for the deck. Also, on the trailer mount, thread it and use a bolt instead of the factory pin.

 

[AggieHunter]

I thought about last year during hunting season because I was on a MTB team, but never had any area I hunted that had accessible bike trails. I met a guy in Texas once who had field-dressed his deer and then put it on his bike with the seat in the body cavity and the head tied to the bars.

 

[TheTone]

I would definitely use mine if more of the gates roads in my area were closed to atvs. As it is I wouldn’t gain anything over them so it’s easier to just drop into a roadless crap hole on foot

I’ll second the advice to buy from a good established bike company and not some new pop up company marketing to hunters

 

[Hem]

You know, fine and dandy...until it's dark.
Riding with a headlamp sucks and does.not remotely make the experience epic.

 

[nontyp]

I learned my lesson last year. A trailer would be awesome, but riding down steep trails with a loaded pack is downright dangerous.