Mtn bike / trailer for hunting

[ridgefire]

Where we have our wall tent stashed in Idaho is a 4 mile ride that is pretty much an incline the whole way in. It's a fairly grueling ride but we can get everything in for 12 days in one trip. You hardly have to pedal coming out so ends up saving a bunch of time. We use our bikes and trailers to get in and back out so we'll worth it for us.

[ridgefire]

It's nice to be able to have a camp like this when the weather's not the best. Every year we bring something for the camp with the bike trailer.

[MHWASH]

are bikes a good method compared to hiking, where i hunt in idaho it is a lot of logging roads that are passable in a vehile, however they are gated, is peddling uphill as easy or harder than walking? or what have the actual benifits been that you have personally noticed, spead, ability to haul more, etc?

I have found that it makes a huge difference. Obviously with a trailer you can haul more gear. Even riding uphill is faster than walking. It’s a little awkward if you hunting your way in, or out though.

One thing I found out this spring is if you have to push a bike and trailer up hill, it’s much easier to put you pack on, then push up the hill. This may be not be the issue with a seat post mounted trailer though. With the set up I’m running the weight in the trailer causes the rear bike tire to want to come off the ground.

[theleo]

are bikes a good method compared to hiking, where i hunt in idaho it is a lot of logging roads that are passable in a vehile, however they are gated, is peddling uphill as easy or harder than walking?

That's going to have a lot to do with the groupset on the bike and if/how the suspension is setup. Being able to lock the suspension out and being able to get a gear ratio close to 1:1 will make going uphill easier. Having taller gears and transferring energy into the suspension with each pedal stroke makes it harder. 

[blackveltbowhunter]

  IMO a lot depends on how much seat time you have whether it is easier or not. Most folks get off the bike once they feel walking will be less fatiguing regardless of how quick they are moving.  The better your conditioning on the bike the more it will pay off for you. Its a new set of muscles, so while the cardio conditioning will transfer, I have found the only way to get "bike fit" is to ride it. Also, you will know whether the bike is setup for your needs.  Personally, hauling weight uphill I am much more efficient with a bike than on foot.

As far as bike "types". Skip anything from a box store Including costco. Skip anything with dual suspension unless you know exactly what your looking at. Lots of older bikes will work great but educate yourself prior so you know what your looking at. Kind of like bows a pro shop can be a huge help. You will pay a bit more but you will likely learn what your looking for, and buy with confidence that you have something that you wont be fighting with. Call different shops and give them a lowdown of what kind of bike you are looking for and what your intended use and you will get a really good idea of whether or not they understand your needs. In general the increased cost is offset by much improved setup and usually free or reduced tune ups.

I started hunting off an older schwinn (pre box store) solid frame and it worked just fine. Upgraded to a dual suspension cannondale it also worked well for nearly a decade. Both had Standard tires, and wheel brakes. I have always used a beefy kid trailer and have loaded it up with loads I truly thought would break it. Never an issue stopping on anything. A couple years ago went and upgraded and got a solid rear 3.5 tire with decent components including hydraulic disc brakes.  This particular bike has resolved a couple issues I used to have to work around with the other bikes and for me is pretty close to perfect, but like anything always room for improvement.

[KFhunter]

Nice bike, wish flat black was an option when I got mine




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[Bango skank]

Nice bike, wish flat black was an option when I got mine




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Is that how wide the tires on your bike are?

[KFhunter]

yup, same bike pretty much

[Bango skank]

Im going to hit you up in about a week to see about stealing your bike for a day.  i have a few cams to check that a mtn bike would greatly expedite the proccess.

[KFhunter]

Im going to hit you up in about a week to see about stealing your bike for a day.  i have a few cams to check that a mtn bike would greatly expedite the proccess.

 

[swanny]

For anyone buying new, I'd also recommend you look at getting a 1x11 or 1x12 drivetrain. The deletion of the front derailleur is a game changer in the world of bikes, especially mountain bikes. One less mechanical piece to worry about and it has zero effect on the efficiency of the bike

[Bango skank]

Bike acquired.  Now to figure out the trailer thing.

[Alchase]

Bike acquired.  Now to figure out the trailer thing.

As KFHunter said, a wide body gel seat is your boys best friend.
I started with a Costco Huffy mountain bike with front suspension. That bike was heavy and a killer to peddle up grades! I learned quick that cheap bikes make everything harder.
I traded up for a used Trek 6000 that was about half the weight and so much better to peddle. Disk brakes I believe are a must if you hunt in steep country. I had a partner riding a generic mountain bike with clam style (squeeze the rim) breaks. Heading back down a steep 1 mile grade completely obliterated his brake pads. Two were gone, the other two were down to almost nothing.
A front suspension on a quality bike defiantly helps especially on gravel rutted washboard roads that can make your hand have pins and needles in a short time.
Definitely worth the added weight.

[Fl0und3rz]

Bike acquired.  Now to figure out the trailer thing.

Nice.  Watch craigslist.  You can find some sweet deals on used/new trailers.  People take their kids out once, decide its not for them, and then get tired of looking at it in the garage and/or their kids are too old to ride.

[TommyH]

Bike acquired.  Now to figure out the trailer thing.

I have 2 (kid hauler) and they work for the ride in/out, but I’d look to the actual game cart...
here’s a couple other discussions on bike trailers, neither of which were the one I was looking for tho.



https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,95762.msg1234739.html#msg1234739

https://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,151656.0.html