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Hunting Bike?

I had a cheap one from k-mart with the nobby tires,( about 60 bucks.) I put bow rack on the handlebars and camoed it. rode it a few miles in and out for a few years, I gave it up. I can walk a lot farther nowadays than I can peddle. you have to keep your legs conditioned to do a bunch of peddling.
 
Lacky is on target when it comes to bikes. I had both cheap and higher end for hunting. Your bike needs to be as light as your mobile setup. I prefer a 29er bike with a smaller frame. This gets me better off road performance and still reduces weight. I can ride around crop fields after rains without any issues. Fatboy bike is not necessary a good mountain will work fine. Used the way to go no need to buy new. Take him up on looking for you sounds like he enjoys it and he will know a deal when he runs across it.
 
I’d love to have a bike, but I have no butt. I’m not kidding it hurts to sit on those tiny seats. Even when I was younger it was uncomfortable. Last bike I had was a Huffy Mountain Bike that was my transportation while stationed in Korea in 1993. I took a city bus mirror to the back of the head and knocked me into a nasty rice paddy. Have ridden a bicycle since.
 
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In the first photo, I was in mud that was crazy slick, and deep. I walked on it and and sank almost past my ankles. Riding on that mud was easy...walking--NOPE!

Course my Quietkat weighs in at 65lbs...and when the battery dies it sucks peddling up a hill.
 
Check out Biktrix in Saskatchewan. Nice bikes. Prices look really good once you convert to USD.


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@Nutterbuster, as far as some of your questions.... I would definitely look at a used bike as @Lacky and @WHW suggested based on your use. A "hardtail" will probably be cheapest, but you may find deals on suspension bikes. For what you want to do, a 26" wheel diameter will be fine. You can Google some mountain bike forum's to get some bike names. I ride a Salsa Timberjack hardtail 29er. I mountain bike a lot. I was curious about using it hunting, and that led me to saddlehunting. I can pack my saddle, WE stepps, and other gear in my backpack. I strap my bow to the pack with SOS gear straps. I will be riding fire roads in the mountains, but I could not ride in the mud @Newhunter1 is cruising in.
 
The rest of your questions

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? Not really, because it will severely limit your options in the used market and will be less efficient on everything but the sand and mud.

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?you want a mountain bike, because that's what 60% of the used market is and also happens to be the best bike for they job. I'm not sure why college kids decided a mountain bike is best for riding to class but they did, and we got lucky. The bikes I talked about in the last post will all be pretty light.

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? You will need a flat kit with tire levers ($10) and a helmet ($5 at the thrift store). If the tires or tubes are bad you will replace those ($30 and $15 per pair, but could also be fine) If you decide you want to carry out deer or carry in camp a used bike trailer for towing kids works great ($50). Saddlebags made from kitty litter buckets are also great (free(ish)).
 
I like the look of the fat tire bikes, but for Idaho at least it just isn't worth the 10 to 15+ pound weight increase. We have mostly rock and dirt and lots of elevation change.
 
Kenbama said:
Not sure the helmet is needed. This man hangs from a tree with 1" tubular and a Cobra buckle. I don't see the bike is high risk on this trip.
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If he rides any roads open to vehicular traffic it may be a requirement.
 
Nutterbuster said:
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. :)
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I'm late to this thread and didn't read a single response so ignore if already disgused.

I'm a mountain biker. For what you are using it for, IMO the only thing that's going to really matter is frame size which is 100% based on how big you are. I'm 6'2" and need a 21" or XL frame bike. Since you aren't trying to compete you can ride bikes slightly too big or too small for you but the comfort level suffers. Again for what you are using it for, 26", 27.5" or 29" tires won't matter but based on you being a bike virgin, I'd lean towards the 26 or 27.5" tire size. The fat tire bikes will definitely help in that sand but if it's only a small section you could live with regular width tires. I'd avoid a full suspension bike just because it adds weight and you won't need it anyway
 
Kenbama said:
Not sure the helmet is needed. This man hangs from a tree with 1" tubular and a Cobra buckle. I don't see the bike is high risk on this trip.
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I also swim in a gator and cottonmouth infested swamp when I need to cool off after cutting my grass, but I still have a life jacket for kayaking.

I probably won't wear one all the time, but we do have some areas that would make me want one. Not sure how I feel about careening downhill without one. Keep in mind I have close to 0 bike experience. :)

I feel like I know way more about bikes than I did 24 hours ago. I'll be running by a shop tomorrow to see about sizing. You guys are awesome.
 
I haven’t responded because the responses above were better than I could give. I would definitely get a helmet. You can ride them on the road and there’s no sense in waiting for season to get there to start peddling. You have an awesome setup for water entry but in times like this past winter some high and dry locations would be nice. I would stay away from the hybrid style bikes. They are nice in town but just think ow them as street bikes that are a little slower with less flat tires. They still suck in loose sand. I would stay away from the fat tire bikes unless I was adding one of the electric kits.
 
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