Mountain Bike???

[funkster]

You can check out my thread here http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,46186.0.html I covered a lot of mishaps and the differences I have found between a few different bikes. 

[Little Fish]

I like the kick stand idea.

I have the mad dog fin grips. The rubber is soft plus the "fins" contour around the curve of my bow providing a secure hold and not a lot of movement.

[whacker1]

same mad dog fin grips as they make for ATV's?

[caseyv21]

i have been looking at mountain bikes recently on craigslist, and i was wondering if somebody can post a picture of a bow rack that they have on their bike.

[Little Fish]

Whacker 1....yes

Casey....I wil try and remember to grab a pic from my house tonight.

[Caretaker]

I have a Specialized Hard Rock purchased at the Bonney Lake bike shop, now located down the hill in Sumner.  Used it many times in Longview elk hunting.  Disk brakes a must, good suspension secondary but very important.  Keep in ming your carrying around a lot of extra weight (clothing, food, rifle, back pack or bike packs).  Need a sturdy frame to handle the weight when over rough terrain.  I personally didnt care for the handlebar mounts as I thought they would affect my scope zero point but could never verify it.  Never had a problem but switched to a over the back scabbard.  Good spiked pedals are a must when using muddy boots.

Caretaker

[Tim]

Has anyone figured out how to carry a recurve bow (assembled and strung )while on a bike ?

[bow4elk]

Has anyone figured out how to carry a recurve bow (assembled and strung )while on a bike ?

You can strap it to the back of your pack at an angle or use handle bar gun/bow holder rack.  If you have a quiver on your bow, you may find the space between your riser and arrows won't allow for the gun/bow rack, and you'll need to watch your tips while riding and getting on and off.  My recurve is 58" and I prefer it on my back.

[Cascader74]

Here's a rear rack claiming to be the strongest pannier rack ever made, lists Max Capacity 150kg which equals 330lbs. Hard to find though. 

 http://www.johnhenrybikes.com/catalog.asp?whichpage=0&search=&mode=price&category=82&subcategory=365&item=625

[funkster]

That would be funny,330lbs on the back of a bike. You might want to add a wheelie bar To me that is a ridiculous claim.

[fishm@n]

Interesting thread. I've been an avid mountain biker/racer since there were only two brands of them Specialized and Schwinn.. since about 1984. I think before you go putting a bunch of money into bike and gear that you've thought hard about where you hunt and your physical conditioning. If you're in an area that has a lot of closed logging roads with fairly gentle grades then you're probably looking at the right terrain. If you're hunting a lot of really steep stuff with gnarly single track motorcycle trails where you'll be walking your bike more than riding it (like where I tend to hunt) you might want to reconsider for a good pair of boots and a well fitting pack. If you do opt for a bike get in shape before the season because they don't peddle themselves. 

[GregE]

Bow bike rack pictures requested.  Here's mine- the Pack Rack was the original.



close up with out the bungee- don't trust the little rubber holders.



 The bar extensions work well to get additional clearance

[blackveltbowhunter]

+ 2 fishm@ns post. Definitley consider your conditioning and the terrain you will be hunting. For me, my bike pulls double duty during the summer as I ride alot of trails in the off season. Also I ride alot of country where it is a push in - pedal out deal.  So i ride full suspension, its mostly personal preference. Also good components are a must, but I wouldnt get to hung up on disc brakes. Both styles will provide more than enough stopping power. Just make sure they are well tuned, my current setup has standard wheel brakes ( albeit good quality) and I took a quarter elk, the head, tent and trailer, pack and bow 17 miles mostly down hill with some good grades with no problem. Also just something to consider, if you use a bow or gun rack and wreck your bike you just wrecked your gun or bow to. I personally prefer a pack that can carry my bow or gun, again just personal perference.

[funkster]

Also just something to consider, if you use a bow or gun rack and wreck your bike you just wrecked your gun or bow to. I personally prefer a pack that can carry my bow or gun, again just personal perference.

If you wreck your bike it does not matter if it is on your back or your bike ,the bow is going to hit the ground. I would rather get away from bike(if possible) than have a bow with broadheads attached to me 

[colockumelk]

That's all good advice.  Being in shape isnt' a problem because I'm in the Army and thus have no choice but to be in shape.   I'm thinking as far as what I want my bike to do it will all be riding on closed logging roads.  Some of it will be pretty steep logging roads but it will all be roads.  I don't plan on getting into the mountain-bike 8 foot jumps over boulders kind of stuff. I just want to be able to get past the majority of hunters in the quickest time possible.