Fat tire or plus bike for hunting?

[FlyGuy]

Hoping some Mtn bike guys on the forum will chime in here with advice for me. I am looking to get a new bike, my current one is about 15 years old. It was top of the line in its day, but not so much anymore. I’d probably keep it but the front suspension is shot and the tires are too skinny for the area I live in now.

I just got permission to purchase one and my budget is ~ $1500. I drew a Nilgai tag at Laguna Atascosa. I’ll be leaving on Dec 4th and need to purchase a bike for this hunt, so I need to make a decision quickly.


I live in the North Houston area. Local trails won’t have much climbing, but they will have tremendous amounts of SAND! I freaking hate that stuff. And, when it’s not sand, then there are stretches of deep, thick mud.

I have two primary purposes for the bike:

Hunting - I would use this for travel in the Sam Houston National Forest. Potential with a trailer or with a backpack. Again, lots and lots of Sand, like big stretches of soft loose beach sand. These would be 95% day hunts.

Trail riding for Fitness - I’d like to add Mtn biking back into my fitness regime. This would most likely be on weekends for 1-3 hour rides. Trails again would be muddy and sandy.

I won’t be competing in any races and I won’t be hauling it North to use in the mountains. I would like to do some overnight bikecamping but I don’t know if that will ever be priority.


My question is: will a plus tire bike work for this, or do i need to just focus on fat tire models?

If fat tire, should I go with a hard tail or no suspension frame?

Any specific models that I should look at?








You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[wapitibob]

My plus isn't a soft beach sand bike. I had a hard tail, you couldn't give me another one but the bike wasn't a fat tire.

 

[Bubblehide]

I have a plus bike. It's perfect for my use. But, with you describing running through lots of sand and deep mud, given your shoes, I go with a flat tire with front suspension. If you currently have a 29er, you could easily convert it into a plus bike.

 

[tdot]

Fat bike is the answer for the sand and mud. But your not likely to enjoy it that much for regular trails.... plus size is the right answer for that.

One option is to buy a Fat bike with a 197mm rear end. Then you should be able to switch it to a plus size tire if you choose to. You may be able to find a Fatbike with a 170mm rear hub that can switch to a 27.5+

Hard tail is fine, especially with a trailer.

Buy a fatbike from a known mountain bike company. Not one of these upstart Chinese brands. Unless you're just going to leave it in the garage and look at it, then the cheap brands are fine.

 

[JeremiahH]

Mtbr.com is your best friend for this stuff

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[Catahoula]

If it were me I’d run a 29er with 2.6” tires. Run them tubeless to ride with low rolling pressure. I run tubeless on my mountain bike (29x2.3”) and have for years. it’s nice to be able to have options on tire pressures for conditions you may ride in. Good luck.

 

[Pigdog]

Sand sucks to ride in no matter what. Ive found that if its deep beach-like sand with no bottom I'm better off getting off and walking my bike, even if its a fat bike. If its loose sand over hard pack that's different. Good tubeless at low pressure work fine to keep you out of trouble. In my opinion there is no good way to actually ride in loose sand, you'll burn a ton of energy.
As far as bike choice goes, for your budget I'd stick with a hardtail unless you can get a used full suspension that is in good shape. For the hunting I recommend a rack system to get as much of your gear off your body as possible, way more comfortable.

 

[Poser]

Sounds like a fat bike might be the way to go in those case. I’d just do a rigid bike and focus your money on components vs. spending money on suspension. Surly Pugsley would be worth looking at.

A plus bike that takes 3 inch tires could be a secondary consideration. Salsa Timberjack is a good contender in your price range. A used Surly Karate Monkey or Krampus could also be a be a good option.

 

[Desk Jockey]

Not a fan of true fat bikes for anything other than snow and sand. If I only had one bike, it wouldn’t be a fatty.

Check out the specialized Fuse line. 3” tire is a good compromise. You can run them low in lots of sand for flotation but the bike will be more of a jack of all trades performer still.

 

[FlyGuy]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I’m Checking out Mtns.com and waiting for approval on joining the forum.

The Salsa Timberjack was one of the bikes I am considering. A couple months ago The shop owner told me he would take $1400 for a 2019 model as long as it was still in stock. I was just worried I needed wider tires. Sounds like the group is sort of split on opinions, but that makes me feel better. I’ll try to get by that shop today and maybe ride a few of them and see how they feel.

For the guys that hunt off your bikes - do you wear clip-in bike shoes for the ride out and just change to your boots when you get off to start hunting; or do you run flat pedals with toe straps and ride with your hunting boots & gaiters?

What is a good source for accessories like a handlebar gun or bow rack? (Or is that even a good idea?)





You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[20DYNAMITE07]

As a general rule, if you're going to ride in sand, a plus tire isn't enough. You'll really benefit from going full fat tire, either a 26 or one of the newer 27.5 full fatties (4"+). The softer the sand, the wider the tire and lower the pressure. ESPECIALLY if you're loaded up with gear.

I've got a Framed Alaskan AL that I really enjoy, and actually ride year round in all conditions, not just sand/snow. Some fatties really ride exceptionally well, though a lot of them they have long chain stays to accommodate the large tire which can make them feel a little sluggish. If you can ride before you buy, you really should. The Kona Wozo, Salsa Beargrease, and Rocky Mountain SuzieQ are known to have a nice lively feel (shorter stays), and would be a good place to start.

As for the pedals... clips/clipless really only matter if you're concentrating on your cadence and in certain climbing situations. I like my platforms just fine, but that's a personal preference.

Good luck! Have fun!!!

 

[Poser]

I agree that flats would be a better option for hunting. No sense in hauling your hunting boots in.

 

[Hart6065]

IMO I'd stay away from clip ins and especially pedal straps for the terrain you're going to use it in. Hunting boots and mountain bike pedals with straps sounds like good way to eat dirt, a lot.

 

[tdot]

Flat pedals! SPD suck. Unless you are hunting in Lycra and making cappuccino stops, then SPD's are legit.

 

[FlyGuy]

Flat pedals! SPD suck. Unless you are hunting in Lycra and making cappuccino stops, then SPD's are legit.

SPD?


You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[JeremiahH]

Your normal stock pedals will work fine on a decent end fatbike.
My salsa mukluk stock pedals are great wide body pedals.
You wont want anything else when pedaling in a pair of mountain hunting boots like Kennetrek, schnee , Meindel , etc.

Sent from my SM-G960U1 using Tapatalk

 

[NoWiser]

Fat bike all the way for hunting. I love my Salsa Mukluk and it’s a hoot on the local single track, as well. I contemplated a 27.5+ and spent a lot of time test riding them but as soon as I got on a fatbike, my decision was made and after 3 years I have zero regrets.

 

[tdot]

SPD = Shimano Pedalling Dynamic....basically clipless pedals.

 

[FlyGuy]

Ok, I just pulled the trigger on this Timberjack. Got it for $1400. Seems like a good all around bike and well suited for my needs and budget. Rode it for a few minutes and was happy with the feel. Will be Adding a rear rack and now looking into trailer options.





You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[FlyGuy]

You can’t cheat the mountain