General Cycling Discussion - Bicycles, and the great outdoors...

A recent P.M. from a fellow B.F member raised my curiosity. The P.M. was in response to my answers on a poll in the Roadie Forum: do you have a life outside of cycling?, or something to that affect.

The person that sent the P.M. was happy to hear that one of his fellow B.F.er’s in into fishing and hunting.

My question is, are there many more of us that enjoy the outdoors in other ways than biking? It doesn’t have to be hunting, or fishing; it could be bird watching, photography, or many other things.

And also, how many of you have intergraded bicycling into your other outdoor activities?

I would love to be able to ride a MTB up the trail (about a half mile up and down hill) to my favorite tree stand for deer hunting, but carrying the equipment (safely) and scent control of the bike itself may make it a pipe dream.

It's not exactly a sport, but I do chainsaw carving. Seriously. I do it under a gazebo in the back yard using logs that I get from the local tree guys. I've done bears (of course), frogs, mushrooms, and a few things that can't be recognized as anything from this planet (OK, they were mistakes).

Does that count?

Does that count?

Yes.

Pete Fagerlin over in Mountain biking does some really decent photography and videos.

I hunt, fish, and photograph, though I really haven't combined them much.

The bike is great for scouting deer as I can cover lots of ground quickly and quietly. But I haven't used the bike for actual hunting as I fear a rough bump or spill would knock my scope out of whack. The camo golf cart is just too handy for that. :)

Haven't taken a fishing tour yet but am planning on it this spring now that I have a good touring/mt bike built up.

And one of these days I'm going to spring for a nice enough handlebar bag so I won't have to worry about messing up my cameras. It's either that or buy a cheaper camera. ;)

So many plans and interests, and so little time and money. :D

"I would love to be able to ride a MTB up the trail (about a half mile up and down hill) to my favorite tree stand for deer hunting, but carrying the equipment (safely) and scent control of the bike itself may make it a pipe dream."

Maybe not. Around here they stand in the field and watch the bikes go by.

Might just work on the trail, with a nice Kimber and full kit!:D

Personally, I prefer to entertain ducks and geese by inviting them to dinner.

"I would love to be able to ride a MTB up the trail (about a half mile up and down hill) to my favorite tree stand for deer hunting, but carrying the equipment (safely) and scent control of the bike itself may make it a pipe dream."

Maybe not. Around here they stand in the field and watch the bikes go by.

Might just work on the trail, with a nice Kimber and full kit!:D

Personally, I prefer to entertain ducks and geese by inviting them to dinner.

I don’t know if deer are really afraid of bicycles, or if they just think that it is some sort of weird looking animal coming their way… My wife and I were on a greenway a few weeks back and came up on a small heard of deer; they just stood there looking dumbfounded until I rang my bell and the wife honked her horn. I thought I was going to have to get off of the bike and chase them to get them to move…:eek: Hunting on the greenway is illegal, so they were safe in that respect… They probably were just curious to see what the heck we are. :rolleyes:

It's not exactly a sport, but I do chainsaw carving. Seriously. I do it under a gazebo in the back yard using logs that I get from the local tree guys. I've done bears (of course), frogs, mushrooms, and a few things that can't be recognized as anything from this planet (OK, they were mistakes).

Does that count?

I'd say it counts...:) I think those chainsaw carvings are really neat, to say the least. I can't believe what a person can do with a chainsaw, and how great the work can look after they are done... I'd love to see some of your work sometime... Maybe you could P.M. me some pics of it. My wife is very talented in art, I'm sure she would love to see them as well...

I hunt by bike and I can tell you that the deer "bust" you much easier if you have ridden 15 miles to get to your deer stand.

Hunt High.

I don’t know if deer are really afraid of bicycles, or if they just think that it is some sort of weird looking animal coming their way… :


A freind of mine and I were riding single track the evening and he about wacked a deer in a turn. She ran about 20 feet and turned and watched us.

A freind of mine and I were riding single track the evening and he about wacked a dee in a turn. She ran about 20 feet and turned and watched us.

I watch real close on that section of the greenway where we came across that little heard of deer... It is bad enough to hit a deer with a car, but I would not want to be hit by a deer on a bicycle... :eek:

I guess you could probably say I dabble in photography when I'm out cycling. I also cycle out to places in order to hike. I have debated about cycling to snowshoe trails carrying my snowshoes ... but I haven't done that yet.

However what I really want to know is this ... What are you doing with MY CAT as your avatar????

I guess you could probably say I dabble in photography when I'm out cycling. I also cycle out to places in order to hike. I have debated about cycling to snowshoe trails carrying my snowshoes ... but I haven't done that yet.

However what I really want to know is this ... What are you doing with MY CAT as your avatar????

Your cat????... no I don't think so... P.M. sent... :D

I frequently combine my cycling with photography, camping and hiking. Photography in particular is a great way to document your adventures while riding. Just recently I've started running again as a "recovery exercise" after long rides. So far so good.

I don’t know if deer are really afraid of bicycles, or if they just think that it is some sort of weird looking animal coming their way… My wife and I were on a greenway a few weeks back and came up on a small heard of deer; they just stood there looking dumbfounded until I rang my bell and the wife honked her horn. I thought I was going to have to get off of the bike and chase them to get them to move…:eek: Hunting on the greenway is illegal, so they were safe in that respect… They probably were just curious to see what the heck we are. :rolleyes:

I've been on the same 1,000 acre deer lease for 16 years so I know the deer there had never seen a cyclist until I started riding there a couple years ago. I've never seen deer so spooked as when they see me coming. They don't stop running until they're long gone!

Now if I ride a few miles over to the next ranch where the dirt road ends and the pavement begins, and where I've seen other cyclists, the deer just stand there and watch you go by for the most part. Once they realize cyclists aren't a threat they calm down, and indeed "my deer" are starting to get used to me, as they did my golf cart.

I Snowboard in the winter, probably the sport I'm most into, and I also LOVE white water canoing, camping and hiking in the summer.
That is, among tons of other summer and winter activities.

I do my best to combine my interests...check out my blog.

Birding, hunting, checking out mushrooms, even the genealogy! If I can do it on a bicycle, that's the way to go.

East Hill

I like to camp, though I haven't done any recently and I've not yet combined it with biking.

I'm not sure if it counts but I do enjoy getting to go out and do fieldwork (I'm a biologist). Sadly I spend most of the daylight hours in a lab. I bike in before the sun comes up and leave after it goes down most days.

I love watching for birds, herps, creepy crawlies, etc. on my commute though. I've seen 4-5 snakes, more birds than I can count, rabbits, millipedes, spiders, toads, treefrogs, etc. I'm pretty sure I saw a gator the other night in the river by the MUP (eyes reflecting off my headlamp). I see deer pretty frequently and will echo the experience of them not really seeming to know what to think of the bike. They only run away if there is a car right behind me.

Camping, hiking, kayaking (sea/lake) and xc skiing here. I have combined everything else with biking, but for some reason I look at skiing and cycling as alternatives to each other.

I'm not much of a photographer, but I do carry a waterproof point-and-shoot camera with me on trips. I have a suction cup mounted camera stand I use when kayaking, I just point the camera forward or to the side and program it to take a pic every 10 minutes or so. Obviously the great majority of resulting pics are worthless, but for each kayak trip there are usually 1-2 good ones I keep.

--J

Yea besides cycling, I enjoy fishing and sailing. This year, I have focused more on cycling than fishing and sailing. Have only been on the sailboat once this year and didn't even take it out the bay but rather stayed there for the night at the marina to include fishing that wasn't so great, caught mostly nuisance catfish. I also enjoy hiking which again, haven't done any this year.

Things I like doing outside include jogging and running, shooting, hunting, ice fishing, camping, and often working.

I don't do anything like that myself, but I know a lot of people here who use their bikes to get to their favorite fishing spots.

I don't do anything like that myself, but I know a lot of people here who use their bikes to get to their favorite fishing spots.

I witnessed a fellow about two weeks ago with two fishing poles attached to his bike, and The way he had the poles strapped on his bike, he better hope he didn’t crash with them. :eek:

I thought to myself at the time…”that looks like a fun way to get where you want to fish”.
I thought I might try that sometime myself, I used to do that type of thing, when I was a kid. But, then I thought about it some more and towing my boat would be difficult at best…:rolleyes:Sometimes as we get older, we complicate our lives more…

I would like to strap my Archery equipment to my bike and try to ride it to the tree stand my wife and I use, but the idea of a possible crash, with my bow and razor sharp broad head tipped arrows, doesn’t appeal to me either. Sometimes with age comes wisdom, or at least a more caution driven outlook…

Sure, I do hunting, fishing, bowfishing, free-dive spearfishing, canoeing, kayaking, golf, work on the golf course in maintenance, some informal birding and wildlife watching in that I don't keep a list I just watch what I see, and various combinations of all of the above along with cycling.

A pair of eagles.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2190/1536683573_449b686b1d.jpg

My 6 yr. old, on the bay.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2097/1510577670_0a477b14c2.jpg

A pod of mantees.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/446493340_1b159b6b82.jpg

On the road.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/200/446469959_e0e15b6d56.jpg

Or on the water.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/199/446472057_4a4ecf6bf8.jpg

Oh yeah, I also dabble a little in photography and sometimes sleep in a hammock out in the yard. I also occassionally cook out in the yard over an open fire.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Wow... makes me tired just reading all you do... Am I seeing that right, are you pulling that canoe with your bicycle? That is just way too cool, I had never seen that kind of set up before... I guess I don't get out enough... I don't think it would work for my fishing boat though... :rolleyes:

does breathing count?

I hike and camp. Haven't combined either with biking yet, but hope to do so next summer. I mainly camp with my sister (who isn't a cyclist) or my Girl Guide group (when I have to haul so much stuff it isn't even funny. Maybe when I get teh Xtracycle though!).

CommuterRun, that is an excellent set up for the canoe ...

OP, I too enjoy the outdoors (hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and if you want to count it ... farm work). I combine the first three with cycling when ever i do them. Carrying the equipment (especially a gun) can be tricky. one option can be found here: http://www.texaselectricbikes.com/catalog/bike-rack-p-83.html.

anyway, good luck.

CommuterRun, that is an excellent set up for the canoe ...

OP, I too enjoy the outdoors (hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, and if you want to count it ... farm work). I combine the first three with cycling when ever i do them. Carrying the equipment (especially a gun) can be tricky. one option can be found here: http://www.texaselectricbikes.com/catalog/bike-rack-p-83.html.

anyway, good luck.

Thanks, it's a Wike Woody Wagon with the optional alloy wheels.
http://www.wicycle.com/kit.htm

I use a Burley Flatbed to carry a rifle or shotgun when I'm not taking a canoe or kayak.

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/34/71291167_d30883ed27.jpg

I don't have a photo with one of them loaded on the trailer, but one will fit, butt forward, top of the receiver down, letting the muzzle hang over the rear of the trailer, between the cooler and the side rail. Best to use a scope cover to keep road grime off the lenses.

Oh yeah, I'm just getting into hunting and I want to get into trap, skeet and maybe sporting clays soon too (soon as I get enough money for the shotgun I want).

Oh yeah, I'm just getting into hunting and I want to get into trap, skeet and maybe sporting clays soon too (soon as I get enough money for the shotgun I want).

I would love to get into trap shooting myself… the conservation club I belong to has a beautiful Trap range, but it is just a matter of buying/affording a nice shotgun, and finding the time to practice… Anyone that thinks Road Cycling is expensive… should price some of the better Trap shotguns. :eek:

I'm saving up for a Franchi Renaissance Classic, 20 Gauge with 28" barrels.

Thanks for the link CommuterRun ... i might just have to pick up one of those.

Your welcome. Before buying that one, I suggest doing a search and looking at some of the others on the market. There might be a different design you like better. The main selling point for me on the Woody Wagon was that it's modular, and breaks down into small enough pieces to fit in the optional pack so that you can take it with you. The down side to this, I have discovered, it that it's so modular there's no good way to lock to something, so that you don't have to break it down and pack it along on every trip.

Hiking, backpacking, canoeing, whitewater kayaking, snowboarding, trail running. I've been known to go fishing every now and then. I enjoy it but I don't consider myself a fisherman.

The down side to this, I have discovered, it that it's so modular there's no good way to lock to something, so that you don't have to break it down and pack it along on every trip.This is truly a downside. With my kayak trailer all parts of the frame break loose with just one standard hex key. Add a small adjustable spanner, and you'll have the wheels too. After having my seat post and Brooks saddle stolen in broad daylight, I feel a bit uncomfortable leaving bike and trailer behind when I go paddling, sometimes for a whole weekend.

--J