Mountain Bikes?

[polarbear]

LAST EDITED ON Mar-15-06 AT 04:47PM (MST)[p]
Howdy!
I am looking to get a mountain bike for hunting. I use to have an old Diamondback that I rode, but it is at the bottom of a canyon up at Clearwater. Haahaa.. I am not looking to spend a couple of grand for one, more like a few hundred. It has been a long time since I have had anything to do with a bike and I am pretty dumb when it comes to them. I am going to use it on old, blocked off logging roads, so it has to be able to take some pretty good jarring around. What would you folks suggest? What should I stay away from?
Thanks

Eric

 

[DJB]

I have a specialized mountian bike (avialible at REI) that I put a gun rack on the handle bars for my bow. If I would buy another it would have suspension. Mine is a little hard on the rear.

 

[easymoney]

Go with as low a gearing that you can get. And buy a brand name bike, look for used ones. There are loads of them out there...


Stop Global Whining

 

[polarbear]

What is a good brand to look for?

Eric

 

[eelgrass]

Eric....here is one for you! Might as well go first class!

 

[polarbear]

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet! Hey Eel, who "pimped" your ride? Can they do that to mine when I get it? I want it in purple and pink though!

Eric

 

[BuckSnort]

I think specialized bikes are a good for the money.

I would stay away from any full suspension bikes in that price range,they will just be crappy.

 

[BeanMan]

PB,

For the money you are wanting to pay I'd say look for a good used one. There are hard core riders who are upgrading all the time and if you can find them you can get a killer deal.

You will want at least front supsension, I've been riding a Marin full suspension for 7 years. It cost me $1500 then and is now fairly oudated but still a good bike. I won't ever go back to a hard tail.

My Wife just got a Specialized 'Epic' full suspension, you don't even want to know what she paid for it. Lets just say I won't have to beg for a new rifle this summer.

It's worth it though because we are both in our 40's and still in good shape.

good name brands:

Specialized
Santa Cruz
Trek
Gary Fisher

Beanman

 

[chevy4x4]

After reading Cameron Hane's blacktail book I am also looking into getting a mountain bike this year. Check out www.craigslist.com First select your area then go to for sale and search mountain bike. Theres a ton of listings on there. Polarbear you get my pm?

 

[bogey]

Check out bikesdirect.com they sell none mainstream name brand bike frames with good components. The bike will need to be tuned up when you get it. They have some really good deals on good products. The people I know that have bought from them are happy. I would make sure you spend a little extra and move to atleast Shimano deore. A hard tail will be cheaper and arguablly climb better. But you will enjoy a full suspension better.

 

[fletch]

This is a costco bike that my brother uses,,,it has hauled out a couple of elk and a deer with a kiddie trailer attached. we use our bikes on gated roads etc and any bike works great.

 

[Kirby]

Decent names are and these are just a few.
Specialised, Rocky mountain, Kona, Norco, Devinc. I personally have owned and raced Norcos Konas and rockys. All of the above make good bikes.

Kirby

When in doubt, floor it.

Diplomacy is the art of saying "nice doggy" until you find a big stick.

 

[WAmuleyHunter]

Ive got a trek with rock shoks on the front. I dont really ride anymore but i love that damn bike.. Trek is a good bike. just make sure its got good components and if you can get one with or at least put on a set of shocks on the front. It makes a huge difference. Or say F-it and get a little honda 90 trail!!!

 

[JACKELOPE]

my trek has been a good bike, not much severe use, but i bought it 5 years ago, still going strong...$400.00
front suspension. i would go to full uspension if i were buying a bike, but i think in the $400.00 range they would all be junk.
I think you're in washington, but not sure where...there is a place in seattle that is called the bent bike or something like that. my buddy who is an avid mt biker swears by that place for used stuff.

 

[Bambistew]

>

>This is a costco bike that
>my brother uses,,,it has hauled
>out a couple of elk
>and a deer with a
>kiddie trailer attached. we
>use our bikes on gated
>roads etc and any bike
>works great.

Thats the same bike I have. Its was about $250 and I like it...

 

[easymoney]

I have an older Specialized Stumpjumper that I rebuilt.Check your penny saver or easyad, as there are loads of nicer bikes being sold by those wishing to upgrade. The good bikes are very well built and don't change that much. Only thing I would add is a trailer and you can find those older kid karriers pretty cheap.




Stop Global Whining

 

[HerbD]

So, what happens when a tree cop catches you with a bike behind locked gates? Anyone been caught yet? How much was the ticket?

I also go around them with my Honda 110, but I'm a bit concerned everytime I do it here in Kali.

BTW, I'm talking about non-wilderness areas. I don't want a "bobcatbess tune-up".;-)

 

[fletch]

The roads we use are posted no motorized vehicles ...which means mtn bikes or horses are fine. I can pedal fast but nobody has ever confused me for a motor...now the trail 90 on the other hand...

 

[Desertflinger]

Try EBay. My wife and I got two Specialized stumpjumper bikes for the price of one new one. My suggestion would be to stay away from full suspension and get a hardtail. It's easier to go uphill. Full suspension bikes are for downhill racers.

 

[polarbear]

Thanks guys! I have heard that a full suspension bike will rob you of energy if you have a ton of hills to go up because of the bouncing of the frame with every pedal stroke. I am going for one with from suspension only.

Eric

 

[BeanMan]

The cheap full suspensions can be bad at wasting energy. The new ones are Much better. Better designs and the hydraulics are built to sense down push and not react to it while mostly reacting to up bounce.

You gotta spend some serious money for them though. If you aren't going to spend a lot of time riding the you have made a good decision to go front supsension only.

BeanMan

 

[bogey]

BeanMan is correct. If you ride one of the new full suspensions you will end up spending a bunch of money. My brother spends lots o ftime and money on bikes. His new full versus my klien mantra, thats 6-7 yrs old, is no comparison. Of cousre his 6 figure income made it possable for him to spend a bunch more on it.
Try a good full you will love it.

 

[Eastwood]

Check your paper for municipal auctions. Bikes are an extremely common item to be stolen. Our small town had an auction last summer featuring 400 bikes. They went for next to nothing.

I'll be looking to upgrade this year and am not picky, and I plan on going this route. No need to pay serious coin for something your going to be leaving out often like I do on public land.

 

[polarbear]

That is main reason that I dont want to spend some major coin on a bike. I will be riding in on gated logging roads and tossing my bike into the brush when I get to where I want to hike. It is all public land and if some yayhoo walks out with, or trashes it while I'm hunting, it wont be so bad. Plus, most of these roads are pretty rough and easy to tear up a bike. That is what happened to my Diamondback. I was hunting early archery in Clearwater (WA) and crashed pretty hard on my way out with 200 lbs of elk meat in my little trailer. It torqued my bike beyond use, so I got pissed and tossed it to the bottom of the canyon and hiked the rest of the way out.

Eric

 

[bogey]

So you left trash on the Mountain????????????

 

[polarbear]

Yep, right along with all of the cables, oil and fuel jugs and barrels that the loggers left when they bugged out of there.

Eric

 

[bobcatbess]

polarbear!!!

I'D CHECK INTO FULL SUSSPENSION THAT WON'T ROB ALL YOUR ENERGY!!!

LAST YEAR WE HAD SOME AVALANCHES THAT CLOSED SOME ROADS & THE FOREST SERVICE WAS TOO LAZY TO CLEAR THE TREES!!!

ME & MY BOY LOADED UP A COUPLE OF THE WAL-MART SPECIALS & ROAD UP & PACKED THEM OVER THE DEAD FALL!!!

DAMN THAT WAS A GOOD WORKOUT,CHEAP ASS BIKES DIDN'T HELP!!!

DOES ANYBODY MAKE A LOW GEARED BATTERY POWERED/PEDDLE BIKE THATS WORTH A DAMN???

THE ONLY bobcat WONDERING???

 

[COLO3D]

Costco must have sold a ton of those bikes, my wife and I are the proud owners of a couple of them as well. They have been good bikes as far as I am concerned. Hard to go wrong for $250 with Shimano components.

 

[cohntr6]

I had a TREK on my mission and it held up (I'm sure some of you out there know how Mormon missionaries ride bikes!). A friend of my parents trashed it when I got married and took some of the good parts so I made him buy me another TREK. It is a 6500 that was about $650-700. It is awesome and has taken me to a few far reaching places to bowhunt elk.
Jeff

 

[contender]

I bought a bike for the same reason just to ride in on closed to motor vehicle roads. I never used it I thought I would look too dumb. But now I see others do it I will bring it along this year.