Mountain bike for prospecting

[G-bone]

Was thinking of some of the places on my bucket list I want to go to soon and the thought of using a Mountain bike popped into my head. There are a few places that have decent trails to them and can totally be accessed by bike. By adding a trailer, I can easily get my Drywasher, MD and tools and buckets back into these places.
I have the bike and trailer already so it will be tried.
But the Fat bikes might fit the bill over my normal bike.
Plus I would want to convert the bike to electric which would be gold in itself.



So anyone done this and if so, How did it work for you?
Any pictures or your setup?


G

 

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[ratled]

I like it! A human powered Rokon for mining.

ratled

 

[Asmbandits]

Where I go a mountain bike would be out of the question due to some of the steep terrain, but I could see it working quite well in the right area. My brother does a lot of downhill mountain biking and rides some ohv trails but it has almost killed him literally more than once. I bought the bike in the photo shortly after I really started prospecting quite a bit and it is worth its weight in gold as far as im concerned. Its a trials bike thats ca street legal, more like a mountain bike with a motor that you could technically take on the freeway if you dared! Ive ridden bikes and motorcycles all my life and a trials bike is by far the best method ive found to get to areas otherwise unreachable except for on foot.

 

[Asmbandits]

Ive been really wanting to build a trailer like the one in the photo for my trials, there are a few people that make and sell them but they want an arm and a leg.. Im planning on building one hopefully soon.

 

[KR6MR]

Mountain Bike for Prospecting

Yes. I have done similar. I also modified a A frame exercise frame to run a water pump. I modified a washing machine pump and can deliver a flow rate of 800 to 1000 GPH. Can I pump for a hour? No, not without a defibrillator. And for that, I can swap out the pump for a generator which will deliver 250W at 14V regulated to charge car batteries, operate radios (ham) and charge my defibrillator. Most everything fits in the black container which also acts am my hi banker water base. Can also use foot valve and draw from local stream (reduced volume to 700 GPH). The trailer folds up for storage and is very light.
This is a 2 person operation. One to feed and tend the sluice or wash plant and the other to pump on the bike. The tender can also supply the pumper with refreshments of his choice.

This project started as a generator for ham use. Every year there is Field Day where clubs all over the US operate off the grid for 24 hours and get special points for battery/generator/ solar operation. I was able to supply power for a 100 watt HF radio station quite easily. The gold came into play. But with the California rules, many places do not allow motorized mining. that is where this comes in.
Future projects include a mini rock crusher and maybe a small air compressor. Drink blenders are all over the place already and I don't need to go there.

 

[goldenmojo]

SamplePanDan piloting "The Goldstreak"

 

[Bodfish Mike]

View attachment 1251029 Yes. I have done similar. I also modified a A frame exercise frame to run a water pump. I modified a washing machine pump and can deliver a flow rate of 800 to 1000 GPH. Can I pump for a hour? No, not without a defibrillator. And for that, I can swap out the pump for a generator which will deliver 250W at 14V regulated to charge car batteries, operate radios (ham) and charge my defibrillator. Most everything fits in the black container which also acts am my hi banker water base. Can also use foot valve and draw from local stream (reduced volume to 700 GPH). The trailer folds up for storage and is very light.
This is a 2 person operation. One to feed and tend the sluice or wash plant and the other to pump on the bike. The tender can also supply the pumper with refreshments of his choice.
View attachment 1251021 View attachment 1251022
This project started as a generator for ham use. Every year there is Field Day where clubs all over the US operate off the grid for 24 hours and get special points for battery/generator/ solar operation. I was able to supply power for a 100 watt HF radio station quite easily. The gold came into play. But with the California rules, many places do not allow motorized mining. that is where this comes in.
Future projects include a mini rock crusher and maybe a small air compressor. Drink blenders are all over the place already and I don't need to go there.

Totally awesome -- I was thinking of building a drywasher using a bike to power the bellows.
I think Lance Armstrong is looking for a job

 

[Bodfish Mike]

I cheat --- I use this and a backpack

 

[Bonaro]

A Year before last, my sons and I decided we were going to do early elk season on Mountain bikes. This was an area that we use to drive to before they locked the gates. I it was only 5 miles in but it was mountainous. In just 5 days I learned to both love and hate this bike. Going in and wearing a 50 pound pack was very difficult because the exertion required was intense. After gaining the elevation to get to camp the ride was reasonable and the bike gave me a lot of mobility. I think MTB's are a success for exploring but I just bought a Polaris 4x4 and will retire the bike to the scrap pile.

 

[The Dirt Pirate]

Just thinking about using a mountain bike for prospecting makes me tired. I don't think I would ever try it because I'm a pretty big guy and I would have a hard time finding a bike big enough for me.

 

[goldenIrishman]

And yet another fine example of prospectors thinking WAY outside the box! There are many areas in the National Forests that don't allow motorized vehicles but do allow mountain bikes. A great way to get around both the regs as well as the area!

 

[Hefty1]

And yet another fine example of prospectors thinking WAY outside the box! There are many areas in the National Forests that don't allow motorized vehicles but do allow mountain bikes. A great way to get around both the regs as well as the area!

GI I do believe it is legal to use motorized vehicle on all National Forests to access your claim...looking for the court case. Will post it when found. Existing roads and trails.
I used my home made one till I went off a cliff. No problem with FS.

 

[goldenIrishman]

I was thinking more of the wilderness areas Hefty. Most of them around here don't allow motors of any type for anything. I guess the Big Horn Sheep were complaining about the noise.....

Also this system could get you into places in the forest where there are no roads. I've seen plenty of roads in the forests that are closed to motorized vehicles but open to mountain bikes, horses and hiking.

 

[mytimetoshine]

Yep been doing this all year to one of my spots. Got the trailer online at Walmart for like 70 bucks.works like a charm.

 

[G-bone]

View attachment 1251029 Yes. I have done similar. I also modified a A frame exercise frame to run a water pump. I modified a washing machine pump and can deliver a flow rate of 800 to 1000 GPH. Can I pump for a hour? No, not without a defibrillator. And for that, I can swap out the pump for a generator which will deliver 250W at 14V regulated to charge car batteries, operate radios (ham) and charge my defibrillator. Most everything fits in the black container which also acts am my hi banker water base. Can also use foot valve and draw from local stream (reduced volume to 700 GPH). The trailer folds up for storage and is very light.
This is a 2 person operation. One to feed and tend the sluice or wash plant and the other to pump on the bike. The tender can also supply the pumper with refreshments of his choice.
View attachment 1251021 View attachment 1251022
This project started as a generator for ham use. Every year there is Field Day where clubs all over the US operate off the grid for 24 hours and get special points for battery/generator/ solar operation. I was able to supply power for a 100 watt HF radio station quite easily. The gold came into play. But with the California rules, many places do not allow motorized mining. that is where this comes in.
Future projects include a mini rock crusher and maybe a small air compressor. Drink blenders are all over the place already and I don't need to go there.

Beautiful!!!
Maximizing to the max!
Generator alone is a game changer for sure.
Modular setup to swap things out. Love it.

And if the bike is electric assist, that opens doors to distance while not burning yourself out getting there.
And doing a 10 to 15mi trek would be doable.

Kudos KR6MR!

 

[G-bone]

And the Dirtbike has been done myself as well with just a detector.
I want one of these loaded with my drywasher and gear and hit the Randsburg area hard!!
This would be a desert prospecting animal.
Pack a tent and stuff too, and you're good for an overnighter or two.

 

[G-bone]

I like it! A human powered Rokon for mining.

ratled

Those Rokon's are real neat for sure.
I would like to get one some day.
This would let you pack it all!
G

 

[Ragnor]

Well, here is how not to do it. It worked but it was very uncomfortable and relatively dangerous on the downhill.



Back when I was a kid I found a creek literally yellow with free milling gold ore. I didnt get around to crushing and panning the ore till years later.
It was RICH! by then all the logging road gates had been closed to the area. So I bought a bike one summer after crushing the ore and set out on a 30 mile ride behind the gates. This was my configuration.
I arrived on the second day to find 15feet of boulders and overburden covering the gold covered bedrock, the old mine had been buried also and I could not find it.

Anyway, it can be done and I like your trailer allot better than my setup. I have been putting some serious thought into electric and even gasoline motors to attach to a mountain bike. The benefit of electric being it's allot harder to detect the electric setup than to hear a gas motor for covering long range behind the gates. Apparently a mobility power chair skirts the motorized vehicle laws, but that's a whole other can of worms.

 

[stefen]

Totally awesome -- I was thinking of building a drywasher using a bike to power the bellows.
I think Lance Armstrong is looking for a job

Lance doesn't have any huevos...

 

[KevinInColorado]

I was thinking more of the wilderness areas Hefty. Most of them around here don't allow motors of any type for anything. I guess the Big Horn Sheep were complaining about the noise.....

Also this system could get you into places in the forest where there are no roads. I've seen plenty of roads in the forests that are closed to motorized vehicles but open to mountain bikes, horses and hiking.

Sadly even a bicycle is forbidden in a National Wilderness Area. Shovels and sluices and metal detectors are ok. You can ride a horse in or walk. That's about it.