Riding a bike in waders

[Andrwhite610]

I’ve been pondering getting a used mountain bike, outfitting it to hold my fly rod/gear and hitting some of the miles of railroad trail along some SE PA rivers.

I’m sure some of you do this or have tried. Is riding a mountain bike in waders and studded wading boots a nightmare or doable?

In my mind I’d put a basket on the rear of the bike for my wading packs. For the rod I’d have it rigged and in two pieces Velcro strapped to the frame of the bike.

Happy to open this up to a discussion on bike rigging but the main question is how comfortable is riding in wading attire?

 

[Gibbon]

I have also considered the bike route. I was planning on packing the waders for the ride. I think riding a bike with waders on would reduce there life expectancy considerably.

 

[Swattie87]

I have an old bike that I’ve outfitted similarly. TBH I don’t use it near as much as I thought I would though. But that’s on me, and where I’m choosing to fish. There are certainly plenty of opportunities for this sort of thing all over PA.

I never found it too difficult to bike in waders and boots. At least not on nice groomed rail trail type things where you’re just cruising. If you’re talking about actual mountain bike trail riding, that would likely be different. If you’re putting a basket on the back, you can likely get your waders and boots into that also, and not have to ride in them (if you so choose). I agree with the above that my biggest concern would be decreased wader life expectancy (seam wear) if you’re doing this a lot. If you have more than one pair of waders, use the beaters for this.

Try a shorter ride first, see how it goes, adjust setup/approach from there.

 

[poopdeck]

Never even thought about riding in waders, never will either. You could always get a pair of Bootfoot waders. Easy on easy off. There’s a reason they still exist. I’m going back to them for ease of use reasons and I never found them less uncomfortable than cramming your foot into an ill fitting bootie and then shoving that into an ill fitting boot.

 

[PennKev]

Totally feasible! I do, however, prefer to wet wade when using a bike for transport. Much more comfortable and no chance of tearing your waders up in the bike chain and gears. Wading shoes on a bike are not a problem in my experience. I use a pvc tube zip tied along the front fork and handle bars to carry my rod(s) unassembled. Carrying assembled, or exposed rods on a bike is a bad idea imo.
Also, make sure any pack straps, line, etc are secured are not in any way close to the wheels, pedals, ir chain. If you get something tangled you WILL wreck.

 

[JeffK]

Can't speak for biking, but for longer hikes I like to carry my waders in a backpack. More freedom of motion and less sweating when not wearing waders while hiking for me. Assume those same benefits hold for biking.

 

[Nymph-wristed]

Go for it. If you want to bike a distance to one spot, carrying them is fine. The real allure seems to be the ability to bounce around like you have a beach buggy. I caught a DUI in my youth but salvaged a spring fishing season in waders on a bike 🙂

 

[StreamBottom]

I found a tow behind child carrier at a yard sale.
It works pretty great for carrying gear and cooler.

 

[tomgamber]

I remember a few guys had bikes back when we did the Pine creek jam. I remember a few discussions since then as well.

here is one:

S

Thread 'Middle Yough - Tips, Techniques, Setup'

Jun 23, 2026

I finally got a mountain bike after many years of putting it off so I decided to fish the Middle Yough this last weekend - specifically the Trophy Trout section below Ramcat. I rode along the GAP trail and tried several areas you could access from the trail.

I've fished the outflow area numerous times and I've had success wading and using dry dropper, streamers, nymphs, etc. I approached the section below Ramcat with the same mindset and gear. However, I STRUGGLED. Only ended up landing one rainbow on a black wooly bugger after ~8-9 hours of fishing throughout the weekend.

For some...

• sam
• Replies: 3
• Forum: Pennsylvania Fly Fishing Locations

 

[tomb]

Rode bike in waders many times on the trail of Spring Creek, Shiloh road hatchery to Paradise Easy ride, no problems.

 

[Broodstock]

This is how I do it. I have a simple rack, milk crate. Then my net holds my waders. I’ve made a few adjustments to this but it works well. I bike the longest distance and then gear up. I’ll stay in waders when jumping from spot to spot.

You don’t need to overthink it.

 

[6xAdams(Jones)]

I want to know when and where y'all are having this parade.
🙂

 

[Andrwhite610]

A large majority of my trout fishing is done in the colder months. Preferably I’d put waders on at the truck and ride to my destination and not take them off until I’m done. I’m not concerned with wader longevity they will fail me anyways.

Not looking to extreme mountain bike just cover some distance and save time on the Lehigh or Skook River trails.

If I commit to the idea I’ll post a report.

 

[laurelhighlander]

I take my bike everytime I fish the yough. My waders have never got caught up in chain. I hold rod in one hand and can still hold handle bars with both hands, I did break the tip off a rod one time riding in the dark cuz I wasn't paying attention and got to close to the trees

 

[chief17]

I take my bike everytime I fish the yough. My waders have never got caught up in chain. I hold rod in one hand and can still hold handle bars with both hands, I did break the tip off a rod one time riding in the dark cuz I wasn't paying attention and got to close to the trees

I basically do the same thing. Never had an issue with my waders. I break my rod down in half and slip it into a sock so its a bit more manageable and less likely to break. I normally wear a backpack and just throw it on and go.
I typically only bike in along rail to trail type paths when fishing. Not mountain bike single track type stuff.

 

[Steelhead905]

I converted to an e-bike several years ago and frequently fish Pine Creek and Lehigh. It has full electric via thumb throttle. I wear waders along with sling pack and have no issues. I have a rack similar to @Broodstock, and just bungee my fly rod fully assembled to the rack sticking straight out of the back. They also make rod holders for bikes, but not sure how well they would hold a fly rod.

 

[wildtrout2]

Can't speak for biking, but for longer hikes I like to carry my waders in a backpack. More freedom of motion and less sweating when not wearing waders while hiking for me. Assume those same benefits hold for biking.

I used to do the same. There were several streams I fished with long distances to access them on my mountain bike. The Lehigh Bike Trail (think tribs) being one. I used to put all of my gear, rod, vest, and waders in my backpack, which allowed for both hands on the handle bars. It worked well.

 

[keirns4]

I’ve been pondering getting a used mountain bike, outfitting it to hold my fly rod/gear and hitting some of the miles of railroad trail along some SE PA rivers.

I’m sure some of you do this or have tried. Is riding a mountain bike in waders and studded wading boots a nightmare or doable?

In my mind I’d put a basket on the rear of the bike for my wading packs. For the rod I’d have it rigged and in two pieces Velcro strapped to the frame of the bike.

Happy to open this up to a discussion on bike rigging but the main question is how comfortable is riding in wading attire?

I have done this with a basket on the front to hold waders and wading shoes. Make sure you take a lock and chain with you to lock the bike to a tree.

 

[Mike]

If you have a multi-piece travel fly rod that doesn’t now get much ir any use, recruiting it for bike in fishing might be an option in place of a standard rod, especially if it came with a very protective, flat plastic case as mine did. I bike toured, now called bike packing for some reason, fully loaded with camping gear, etc on assorted 1000 mile trips in Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and the Canadian Rockies of Alberta and British Columbia. The rod was always included and rode bungeed down to the bike’s rear rack beneath the tent and sleeping bag. Never had any damage.

As one who has traveled a lot by bicycle and considered many alternatives to organizing equipment, the idea of a plastic milk box mounted on a rear rack with a standard 2-piece rod extending out the back through and expanded hole in the back side of the milk box and a day pack to carry other equipment, such as light weight waders, seems quite practical for relatively short, fishing-specific rides of about 12 miles or less. I would put padding in the bottom of the milk box to protect the reel and pad the hole through which the rod would extend. I’ve seen Amish kids transporting shot-guns the in the same manner.

Note: If you rode a lot in waders, I suspect that the crotch of the waders wouldn’t last very long. On the other hand, if you only rode a couple of miles each time and only did so for just a few trips each year, the waders would probably last. Perhaps someone with some details on total miles ridden while wearing waders without a leak or blow-out would be willing to comment.

 

[ryansheehan]

I do this all the time on a couple of the rivers I fish. I wear my waders and korkers with massive carbide studs, no problem. I stuff my vest that I purchased just for this style of fishing full of my gear. The vest has a built in rod tube holder. My buddies just bring a bungee cord and attach their tube to the bike frame. None of us have a basket of any sort, just varying larger packs and vests. I do recommend a bike lock as a good buddy got his bike and tube stolen on the yough. It's a fantastic way to fish more with your limited time.

Edit: a few more things.
1. Haven't noticed a wader issue...yet.
2. If you have a net that hangs handle up, net down off your back get a fishpond connector and use it the right way. My old system hung net down and got all into the tire and brake area, had to cut it loose.
3. I leave my rod in a tube to the first location than I ride spot to spot with the rod in one hand.