John Deere Green Surly Moonlander; A brief appearance then off to a new home...

The Surly Moonlander is still an iconic Fatbike as it was the first Fatbike with 5" tyres and on 100mm rims available off the peg with a very `in line` drive chain achievable by using a very offset 48mm (17mm offset on the previous Surly Pugsley) that allowed the then only available 135mm Mountainbike rear hubs to be used. the frames were even more crazy offset than the Pugsley but folk did not care as the extra float and grip from the 4.7"  `Big fat Larry` tyres that Surly also produced for the concept were again a big move forward on off the peg available Fatbikes that would seen see bigger volume 4.8" tyres with again increased foot print and float on snow and sand and grip and cording comfort.. 

The bike was superseeded by the Ice Cream Truck when wide 177mm  thru axle hubs and later 197mm were made available allowing symmetrical  5" tyre capable frames to be made...

As the new era of Fatbikes came in as mainstream big Manufacturers coined in on the new Symatrical frame designs Surly lead the way with the Ice Cream Truck (ICT)  and the original 5" tyre Fatbike Moonlander made a brief appearance in a cool colour (that's color in the USA) before being superseded ...

I have never seen one of these `John Deere Green Moonlanders here in the UK in the flesh, or even posts of anyone with one online on UK groups, Social media etc...

So when one turned up this week on eBay which looked minted with a Buy it Now price under half of the retail price it would have cost new in 2014 I had to buy it... 

I thought it was a size Large frame which would have been ideal to use personally, but turns out it is an Extra Large! (XL)...

Looks great but sadly just too big for myself...

Not to worry though as with in minutes of posting pics on social media of the bike it was already generating interest from other friends taller than myself and first in the queue was friend Chris who like myself also has another Moonlander, so a part exchange deal was done as he has another Surly I have been waiting on for him wanting to part with...

An original Mk 1 non top tube Pugsley like my first medium size grey Pug, but this is a size Large, and it comes with Fat wheels and a very rare to UK pair of Alaskan Snow cat 29 x 55mm rim wheels that originate from when this Pugsley spent some time riding out there by it's previous owner. It was repainted when Chris acquired it, and so he had the frame powder coated grey but we do not know it it was a grey or the original Purple colour, so he opted for a nice metallic grey, 

Anyhows it will make a good old bike and along with an old Pugsley Fat wheel set I had sold Chris it comes with a rare wheel set to add to my Pugsley collection, and I got a bit cash back on the deal...

Snowcat 29" rims;

Rare as rocking horse poo here in the UK these rims were imported back to Spain from Alaska when this bike had went there to ride on ice as well as snow by the original owner, I only know of one other  Snow Cat 29" pair of wheels here in the UK and they are drilled and were originally owned by Motorman on an early 9zero7 Fatbike, there were sold on, someone somewhere has them....

Bikes history;

Chris bought this bike here in Scotland and It`s previously owner had worked for the Orbea roadbike team in Spain, and company rules meant he had to paint it in Orbea team colours with stickers to ride it,

Hence a weird looking colour Pugsley...

Chris sent me pics of it when he bought it...

A bike with history as well as a story...

When Chris bought this bike it came with an amazing story, this bike has cycled the Great Divide amongst other massive journeys, so it's been about. It's original Large Marge wheel set were impounded in customs in Spain returning from Alaska as officials said they were brand new so demanded a large tax to be paid, The owner who pleaded they were not brand new but used, refused to pay the tax and the wheels were left in Customs, guess their still lying in some warehouse somewhere...

I now have 5 pairs of 29" wheel sets now for Pugsley's, so probably will put a pair of 

Schwalbe ice spiker tyres on them just for show, as that is how they would have been used in Alaska...

Being a Large frame set it will be better for myself to cycle than my own medium size original Mk1 Grey Pugsley.  I need to scrape the frame and check the year of manufacture on the frame as that will determine if it is an original first batch of Pugsley in `Barney Zirple` Purple,

I had an original Purple Pugsley frame set I picked up after buying my own original Grey Pug in and should have never sold it but at the time was pushed for cash, so be good to get this one finished in that colour...

More soon...