Mtn bike for hunting

[freedomhunter25]

Can someone recommend a good mtn bike for Occasional trail riding and hunting trails. Question is fat tire or not. Full suspension or not. What budget should I think about with a mid level dependable bike?

 

[Dart368]

Does the terrain have elevation spikes? Lots of uphill and downhill or is it flat for the most part?

 

[slick]

Hard tail
27.5+
120-140mm front shock

Look at a surly karate monkey, commencal Meta am HT. I prefer chromoly steel frames.


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[MFury]

Agree on limited suspension - it will absorb the energy in pedaling on the uphill. If not a lot of roots or rocks it is not required.

Aluminum frame is fine IMO - no need for steel.

I ride midfat tires. Floats better in soft conditions - but not as big as a snowbike fatty. I think specialized started using midfat around 2015 if you are looking for used? someone else probably knows better

 

[TSAMP]

Mid fat aka "plus bikes". Youll likely find them easier that way. Honestly any entry level aluminum hard tail with disc brakes will get it done. Depending on terrain id run a single sprocket upfront. Less chance for issues. Tubeless setup on tires, help with any little flats. Youll find mtn bikes no different than hunting equipment, lots of options and opinions. Ive been thinking of busting my bike out for this same purpose.

 

[ramsdude47]

Hard to say without knowing (a lot) more about what your use will look like.

I would echo what Slick said, a 27.5+ AM hardtail is going to be pretty versatile. Lookup Diamondback Mason on pinkbike.com - that should yield the best bang for your buck. I sold my 2015(?) Mason Pro with significant upgrades for $1,000. You could find something comparable that is serviceable for ~$600. Pinkbike has fantastic filters to find exactly what you need/want.

One more edit, what makes most 27.5+ hardtails extremely versatile is the option to run 29er wheelsets. With a 27.5x2.8 and 29x2.3 setup you cover almost the entire gamut of MTB use pretty well. The only glaring gaps are going to be the extreme DH/enduroBRO end and the weight weeny / spandex XC end, which it doesn't sound like would even remotely describe your usage.

 

[mtnbiker208]

I have been using a surly pugsley for hunting. front and rear rack, frame bag, disc brakes, and i prefer a double chain ring over a single. when loaded down, you will need to be able to spin your way in.

I have been hunting off of a bike since the early 90's. almost anything will work. some just work better than others.
I have always rode mountain bikes, so i always had something laying around. My present bike is the first one i build up with hunting in mind. The green one is the pugsley, i also have a set of 29+ wheels for it. the other picture is an example of using whatever you got.

 

[Rokbar]

I wouldn't go with fat tires. This bike has aggressive trail tires. Im going to take my old Mt. bike and have gravel tires put on. Its not like ill be trail racing. I basically will be hunting from paved/gravel roads. Fat. wide tires take more energy to turn. The better quality components (gears, crank, ie.) you get the better you'll be. Like anything back packing, weight matters. I believe I paid $400 for the old bike Im going to fix up in 1997. It will do anything ill need. A must is a very good headlamp if you're going to be riding in dark. Biking is a good way to access certain areas.

 

[rybwv]

I have been using a surly pugsley for hunting. front and rear rack, frame bag, disc brakes, and i prefer a double chain ring over a single. when loaded down, you will need to be able to spin your way in.

I have been hunting off of a bike since the early 90's. almost anything will work. some just work better than others.
I have always rode mountain bikes, so i always had something laying around. My present bike is the first one i build up with hunting in mind. The green one is the pugsley, i also have a set of 29+ wheels for it. the other picture is an example of using whatever you got.
View attachment 194090

What kind of trailer is that?

 

[Hogyotedeer]

I don’t use one for hunting, but I do ride one a lot on some local trails. Find a local bike shop that sells Trek bikes. They are good quality for not a lot of money and a shop can service them and keep them going a long time.

 

[GunsUp]

I’m following for this great dialogue. Not too sidetrack the thread, but is there an affordable electric bike Someone would recommend?

 

[canyonhunter47]

The hardest part of getting any specific bike right now is probably going to be availability. I would suggest 27.5+ or 29’r and look for “trail” geometry, I would avoid XC style bikes (your front wheel should feel pretty well out in front of you — more stable)

Fat bikes are overkill except for snow or sand riding. Hardtails would get you a better bike for the money, and you’ll probably learn to be a better rider, but they’ll really hammer you on rough trails.

A dropper post is really sweet, once you get one you’ll never go back

There’s plenty of good brands right now. Specialized and Giant are pretty safe choices. I’ve been impressed with Marin lately but pretty much any brand that gets sold at a bike shop is decent

 

[DESERT ED]

Life long bike guy new to hunting. Definitely would use one to get a bit deeper in/out of the woods a little quicker. If you had a trailer it would seem so much easier to get out with some weight. I always see guys hunting with bikes in SWCO while out riding in the fall. Seems like a great way to do it.

 

[Jellymon1]

Get a hardtail. I used my giant reign duel suspension for years and found myself pushing it a lot. I used my brothers hardtail a few years ago that has the same gear ratios and it was night and day. I was pedaling 75% of what I was pushing before. Hardtails are lighter, cheaper, less complicated, and easier to pedal. Also we have attached whole animals to the hardtails and coasted out with them with little effort. Much harder to do that with duel suspension. Front suspension is nice though.

 

[DESERT ED]

Big debates going on about Ebikes in wilderness areas... grab a 29r hardtail and trailer off of Craigslist and give
It a try.

 

[FlyGuy]

I just went thru all this last Fall. I ended up with the Salsa Timberjack and couldn’t be happier. It’s rigged up for bikepacking and hunting, but still fun to ride on the weekend.

You can’t cheat the mountain

 

[mtnbiker208]

the trailer is a bob trailer.

 

[freedomhunter25]

been doing a ton of reading. I get the hardtail idea and you lose energy with dual suspension. But... Why not get a dual suspension and use the lock out on the rear for up hills or when you want a hardtail function. Then when you want a more cushy ride run the dual ??

 

[mtnbiker208]

I have used both, prefer hardtail for hunting. You are using the bike as an access tool, not really going for a ride.
does that make sense. If out riding, heck yea, full suspension, but when it is a functional tool, the hardtail just works better. Plus hardtails are easier to put racks and so forth on. Frame bags rock! As far as carrying your rifle, the eberlestock packs work real well.

 

[Jellymon1]

been doing a ton of reading. I get the hardtail idea and you lose energy with dual suspension. But... Why not get a dual suspension and use the lock out on the rear for up hills or when you want a hardtail function. Then when you want a more cushy ride run the dual ??

That would work great. The only negative there would be the added weight.