Hunting by mountain bike

[ruttnbuck]

 :sry:so I'm thinking about investing in a mountain bike to get back into different areas next year so I can spend more time hunting and less time trying to get to my spot.  I've heard the cogburn bike is the way to go but don't want to spend 2 grand on a bike, just wondering if there where any other bikes that would work . I know can go to Walmart and get one for 100 bucks but I don't want something that's gonna fall apart on the way down the hill. 

[Turner89]

I'd check out craigs list.  You will be better off getting an older quality bike for 2-300 $ than spending that much on a new bike.

[2labs]

The mountain bike crowd is a lot like the kuiu  clowns. Gotta have the latest, greatest 
most expensive.
Get on Craigslist and grab a really nice bike for a fraction of new.

[DRobnsn]

Agreed craigslist is your friend. A few things to consider. Getting the proper size bike will help on long rides and or hauling heavy loads. Hydraulic disc brakes are a major plus. 27 speed is what I prefer, you may not always use all the gears but it's very nice to have those low gear splits on steep hills. Along with that, quality shifters is a must. Depending on your fitness level you may want a full or front only suspension. Budget full suspension bikes often don't come with rear lockout shocks and that can soak up allot of your foward pedaling effort especially on steep climbs. One more thing you'll run into is the 26 vs 29 inch tire. 29's climb over sticks,ruts and branches better than 26s but I've found the 29 to be bulkier feeling in handling and seems to require more physical exertion to operate. Hope this helps.

[McCRIZZLEY]

Definitely opt for more gears. I have tried using my downhill bike with only 8 gears.... I ended up pushing it up all the hills.

[fish vacuum]

"just wondering if there where any other bikes that would work"
Yeah, lots of them. I wouldn't spend thousands on a bike designed for hunting. That seems silly. Any decent mountain bike will work, depending on what you expect to do with it.
What kind of terrain do you want to ride? When I hunt on my bike I'm only riding gravel roads. I have a 29er with front suspension and disc brakes. I wouldn't change a thing. 29" wheels make for a smoother ride. My pack rides in a cheap, second hand baby trailer. Any deer I shoot gets boned out.
I've never riden a fat bike, but it seems the point of them is riding in soft terrain like mud and snow.

[Skyvalhunter]

The mountain bike crowd is a lot like the kuiu  clowns. Gotta have the latest, greatest 
most expensive.

Now there's a volatile comment categorizing a group of people into a certain mold based on ones choice

[Stickerbush]

I have a trek front suspension 21 spd I think. It was like 400 brand new years ago, works great

[Labs07]

Bikes are a great way to go!  I have a 20 yr old Klien full suspension bike that works great for the most part but I think I would prefer a hard tail bike with just front suspension.  Defiantly get more gears for the reasons stated above.  I think those fat tire bikes look great and can carry a big load.  If you could find a used one of those that might be the ticket.

[Special T]

Kain Rides a Huffy and is a straight up assassin!

Find a good deal on a used bike. NOW is actually a great time to get a good deal since most people arnt riding. Hard tail with a fork up front is the way to go. Full suspension robs your pedal power up hill but the front fork helps the ride a lot. 

[ruttnbuck]

Perfect!  I'll check out Craigslist and do some exploring and see what I can find. I
 Appreciate the info guys,  have a good Thanksgiving! !

[ghosthunter]

 

Here's mine.

[fish vacuum]

For about 1/3 the price of one of those cogburn fatbikes, you can get a brand new 29" trek with hydraulic disc brakes and adjustable front suspension.

[ruttnbuck]

Mostly I'll just be riding up and down gravel roads , I just want to be able to ride into a area and not be burnt out by the time I get up there.  So a Walmart cheapy isn't going to cut it unless I can find a 27_29 speed there.  I did see a  decent trek 29 inch on Craigslist , gonna check into it more tomorrow. 

[Thorny]

I highly recommend getting a super padded seat if you haven't ridden a bike in 20 years like me.  A buddy and I rode 15+ miles into an area this year.  When we got back to the truck we both couldn't sit down for at least a week.  We both used quality bikes (a Trek and a K2) with new seats, however the seats really bruised the bones in our bums!

--OUCH!!