Best E-bike for hunting.

Posted by Old_Director3219@reddit | ebikes | View on Reddit | 26 comments

I am going to Wyoming to a lease to hunt mule deer this fall. We most travel the ranch on a sxs but was looking into an e-bike to close distances and keep quiet. I’ve looked over many brands but not sure what would be best for the mountains. Some areas are pretty big mountains. I’ve looked at quietkat, Rambo, aventon. Has anyone used one in this area and what do you suggest? Thank you

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Born-Ask4589@reddit

I've got a Dirwin Pioneer Plus. I dont know what type of hill grade your climbing in WY, but ive taken this thing on 15-20% grade hills and havent had a problem pedaling or gunning it on the throttle. Had it for over a year now and no issues yet. I like how its quiet on my approaches and apparently scentless which is something i didnt think about until i got it and i gotta say it does make a difference. Not having to break a sweat when pedaling 5+ miles out to my stand has been huge too. For under 2k price point, you cant beat it. obviously if youre going to spend $3-4k you can get pretty crazy with specs, but the pioneer plus has been a solid bike and i’ve gotten a few of my buddies to jump on board after testing out mine.

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Maadmin@reddit

I can't speak to any name brand bikes because I'm extremely frugal and mechanically inclined so I bought a fat-tired mountain bike and converted it with a BBS02 middrive. I needed a middrive because I hunt very hilly terrain and of course fat tires for off roading, so by building my own, I was able to set myself up for about a 1/3rd of what a brand name, set-up bike would have cost me ($1200 vs. $3,500).

What I did want to say is what a game changer an e-bike is for hunting. The biggest benefit and the primary reason I wanted one in the first place is because I hated working up a sweat hiking out to my blind, then having to sit in the extreme cold for hours with wet hair and moist long underwear. Putting an end to that alone was worth every penny I spent.

A secondary benefit that I hadn't even anticipated was that these bikes don't scare the deer. I was amazed at first at how close I could get and they'd just watch me drive by or at worst, casually walk away. I love the "where the hell did you come from" look on their faces.

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WinterDice@reddit

I have a 2017 specialized fatboy that I’ve been thinking about converting. I’m not very mechanically inclined when it comes to bikes, though. Was it a difficult project?

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Maadmin@reddit

I grew up on a farm and I could rebuild an engine by the time I was a teenager, so for me Bafang conversions are crazy simple. I've done seven now- 4 for myself and immediate family, and 3 for friends, with at least 3 more planned soon when it warms up a bit.

I'd recommend watching some Youtube videos to see if it's something you think you could handle. There's plenty of them. Johnny Nerd out being one of my favorite ebike vloggers.

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Tazt@reddit

Do you have a recommendation on a base bike? Looking to do this with a BBSHD

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Maadmin@reddit

That's the beauty of the Bafang conversions. Pretty much any bike will do.

I prefer full suspension bikes, but they require you to get a little creative with the battery placement-- I tend to mount them on top of the top bar, but I've also done rear rack batteries.

As for a recommendation, I'd recommend a steel framed bike. They are the cheapest and they are stronger and less likely to give you trouble when you add the extra power of the electric motor to them.

But pretty much any bike will do. You probably already own one that will work fine.

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WinterDice@reddit

Thank you! I appreciate the reply and the resource.

I think the question for me will be is it worth the expense of the kit and the time to get it to work vs selling the bike and buying a purpose-built e-bike.

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hashtagsmcgee@reddit

If you’re gonna be in the mountains in Wyoming, you’re gonna need some big knobby tires and a lot of torque. There’s a lot of options out there with all sorts of different advantages and drawbacks, so there’s really no singular “best” answer. If you want to stay on two wheels, your best bet would be either an electric mountain bike or an electric dirt bike. But therein lies other questions, would you be okay with mid-drive or do you need to have a throttle? Does it need to be able to carry cargo or tow a deer? What’s your budget? Narrowing down your criteria will give you a more solid selection of options and help you make a well-informed decision.

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pcpaddiction69@reddit

You can definitely have mid drive with throttle lol

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hashtagsmcgee@reddit

Great, that's another option for the guy then. Not everyone knows everything about e-bikes.

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pcpaddiction69@reddit

Then don’t give advice that’s false

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Previous-Warthog-351@reddit

I don’t think he intentionally did so…. Most folks commenting here are only doing so trying to be helpful to others. If we are both giving out unsolicited advice, don’t be an asshole.

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arenablanca@reddit

Of the 3 replies you got so far I’d probably gravitate to an ebike like the Denago with a high torque mid drive motor (160Nm). Mid drives are generally what are recommended for long hill climbing (as opposed to a rear hub drive). That torque rating is kind of overkill for a regular commuter ebike which range from 40Nm to maybe 90Nm but if you’re hauling lots of extra weight (like a gutted deer) that might be what you need, if that would even work.

If you looked at Aventon they make a mid drive, the Ramblas. Many brands make a mix of hub drives and mid drives.

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Old_Director3219@reddit (OP)

Have you used the denago? I’ve narrowed it down between the denago and the Rambo rebel 2.0.

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arenablanca@reddit

No. Just going off the specs I saw online. Looks like the Rambo is similar powered. If you’re going through the specs and comparing details the water resistance (IPX) might be useful in your case (if they list it). IPX4 would be light showers/splashes and IPX6 would be heavy rain.

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Old_Director3219@reddit (OP)

I think I’ve narrowed it down between the denago and the Rambo rebel 2.0. Has anyone tried these bikes for use in the mountain? I’m not really concerned with the price, I want what will be the most reliable for hills and mountains. From the comments it appears mid drive bikes are the way to go.

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Icy_Link3697@reddit

I bought my Brother a UBCO. Him and his giant ass friend hauled 600lbs around like nothing. It’s not that well priced but unique and well suited for hauling stuff through anything. Wheelbase is shorter to be more nimble in tight places. It’s 2 wheel drive and silent

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miniminerrockhound@reddit

AostirmotorS18 in camo, I’ve got 400 miles on it so far and no problems whatsoever

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pcpaddiction69@reddit

Hub motor and mountains terrible idea

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Straight_Finger1776@reddit

How the hell do you find it once you've parked it in the woods?

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WilliamBontrager@reddit

5t stealth bomber clone. Dead quiet, good torque, can pull a trailer to haul out a couple hundred pounds of meat. Big battery, full suspension. An eride would be good too, but it's noisier. E-strapz has a nice selection. 5000-10kw would serve you well.

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sanjuro_kurosawa@reddit

BTW I've talked with my hunting friends, and I think this pursuit is an underappreciated ebike market.

While many people go offroad in various vehicles from bicycles to UTV's, you mention a key element which goes overlooked: how quiet ebikes are.

As for the kind of bike, it is leaning to a Class 1/2 fatbike. Most offroad ebikes are capped at 20mph: you'd be a fool to hit tight singletrack going faster than that. However torque is always helpful with steep climbs and sloppy terrain. The best Class 1/2 ebikes are in the 75nm range.

Fat tires also offer the highest traction. I suppose you are not even looking at traditional widths for offroad riding.

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