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Hunting Bike?

Nutterbuster

Nutterbuster

Well-Known Member
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Joined
Oct 12, 2017
Messages
10,066
Location
Where the skys are so blue!
So I've about made up my mind that I want a hunting bike. I've only ever had 2, one that my parents bought me as a wee lad, and one that I dug up out of a ditch on the side of the highway and fought with for a season. I'm a bike virgin.

Ideally, I'd like to pick up a craigslist bike, and eventually purchase an ebike kit. Got a couple of questions though.

Is fat tire really worth it? I'd be mainly navigating gravel and dirt roads, with one or two WMA'S having some sandy roads. Not like beach sand or anything, but deep enough to be a pain to walk in. I'm kinda thinking it's not worth the expense and limited options?

What am I looking for in general? Brands? Frame size? Wheel size? What kinda bike? General use? Trail? Mountain? Is it worth getting an uber-light one for my purposes?

What kinda after marker stuff and accessories will I need? Upgrade the tires? Upgrade the chain? I don't think I'll need side bags or anything; I roll light. I guess keeping an emergency kit for flats and stuff like that is wise?

Surely there's a bike guy on here somewhere that don't mind educating my ignorant self. :)
 
I have a freebie from the side of the road. I put some knobby tires on it and a hand air pump with a couple tube patches. Also put a grandma style basket on the handlebars

I also cut everything that wasnt needed off to save the weight.... Rear brakes and cables
 
I'm your huckleberry. Bikes I know. You are looking for an older good brand bike on craigslist. It is easy finding bikes that sold for $900+ 10 to 20 years ago, have mostly sat in a garage since, and are selling for $150 or less. Trek, specialized, giant, cannondale, etc.

Use bicyclebluebook.com to look up the bikes you find on craigslist. All you really need from it is the original price. You want the high grade bikes with the best parts. Those sold new for roughly $800-900+

For size you can look up the original charts but the seller will mostly have no idea what size the bike is. Read some articles on how the bike should fit then go look at the good ones. Other than dust it should pretty much look new. Don't worry about rotted or flat tires. That can happen from sitting around for 20 years. If the bike is banged up, has anything broke, etc just walk away and keep looking.

Badly written ads on craigslist is where you find the best deals. My current mountain bike was posted as a kids bike, no model listed, etc. From the pictures I could tell it was a trek 970 (was written on the frame, not magic), searched images for that, figured out year by the paint scheme, 1997.

The trek 970 wasn't a kids bike, so I went and looked. The "kid" must have been around 5'10", bike was my size.
 
That's my $150 bike
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I don't know where everyone hunts but I know in Kentucky and Indiana public land you can't use bikes its foot traffic only which sucks cuz I bought a bike and later found out I can't use it on public land.
 
Williiamtell said:
I don't know where everyone hunts but I know in Kentucky and Indiana public land you can't use bikes its foot traffic only which sucks cuz I bought a bike and later found out I can't use it on public land.
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In Idaho we have lots of forest service roads gated and closed to motorized traffic to control access during hunting seasons/winter. So bikes, horses, etc are allowed.
 
It was 1985 when I decided that I needed a bicycle for turkey hunting. My choice was a simple, one speed girls bike that would be easy to mount and dismount. I replaced the rear sprocket for a lower gear that made it a lot like a modern day mountain bike. It didn't go very fast but was easy to pedal. Mounted a milk jug crate on the front and sprayed some paint on it and I was good to go. I hated going up the hills, but loved the break neck speed coming down. Covered a lot of ground and located more than a few gobbling birds.

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Lacky said:
If you let me know your local craigslist I can help look. It's fun finding $1200 bikes for $150.
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Wow, that's nice of you! I'm out of Mobile, Al. But I work close to Pensacola, Fl, and would be willing to drive that way too. Some of those old white folks on the beach have nicer stuff than is river rats. ;)

You've definitely given me a starting place. Definitely like that bicycle bluebook idea!
 
Lacky said:
In Idaho we have lots of forest service roads gated and closed to motorized traffic to control access during hunting seasons/winter. So bikes, horses, etc are allowed.
Click to expand...
Ya, we have the same thing here in Michigan up in the UP. Never could get anybody to go with me because it was ride in three miles then carry your gear for two miles...it was worth it though. Mountain bikes are awesome, but now you have to have an electric bike because your legs are to Lazzy!@@ to peddle...oh well
Just an update on my ebike ive been waiting for...it is awesome guys...the target in the background is my winning MAA 900 target here in Michigan a couple of weeks ago...it was so much fun20200904_181738.jpg20200904_181505.jpg
 
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Silvio said:
Ya, we have the same thing here in Michigan up in the UP. Never could get anybody to go with me because it was ride in three miles then carry your gear for two miles...it was worth it though. Mountain bikes are awesome, but now you have to have an electric bike because your legs are to Lazzy!@@ to peddle...oh well
Click to expand...
the road I use it on mostly is 3 miles mostly downhill. You end up walking a lot on the way out, but getting in in the pre-light hours is a 10 min silent coast.
 
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