Surly Moonlander update; new skins and drive chain...

Update on the good old Surly Moonlander and a few replacement parts needed...

I managed to eventually after months of Covid shortages in the UK get a pair of replacement Schwalbe Jumbo Jim 4.8" tyres in the compound I have found best with the ADDIX mark.  Funny the USA Fatbike Forum is fun of folk slagging off these tyres types as being far too heavy...      Not being the type of Fatbike rider who still after 13 years riding experience buys a product first for it's weight  and second for strength and reliability I am happy to spend hard earned money on something that lasts. And this compound with a stronger sidewall does indeed stand up to regular scrubbing through rocks on the east coast at 4 psi.... it is one reason I don't post much on social media Fatbike pages and Forums anymore as they are full of a number of `experts` apparently... lol...

If you know what works then use what is good for you... and moving on the said tyres arrived and with the needed wide tubes for 100mm rims and other usual stuff needed for `split tube tubeless` required it was time to fit some the new tyres for the forthcoming summer season...

 

You can see here despite loads of tread left after several thousand miles in 3 years the sidewalls are shot on these lite skin Jumbo Jims....

With the old tyre removed I trued the wheels and sorted things like this bend rim from a rock impact...

Enter an old `English tool maker pair of `King Dick` spanners as favoured by old Plumbers, I use these to try straighten slight warps in disc brake rotors, but turn their hand to stuff like this good...

Out with the roll of camp foam and using a wood saw cut a strip to fit inside the 100mm Clownshoe rim...

Wrapped around the rim and trimmed and set with duct tape a Phillips screwdriver soon makes a hole for the valve... 

17" small motorbike inner tubes have the width once split to cover a 100mm fatbike rim, if your happy to use Schrader valve tubes this I do on near everything and I should write a blog post on why I do and why Presta valves really have no advantage or extra use on Fatbike wheels to Schrader tubes...

Inflate to squeeze over wheel then once the centre rib on the tube is in line deflate to pierce and cut around with sharp scissors...

This set up should stay in place the duration of the life of the tyre if you keep regular puncture sealant top ups but copper grease the valve core so when/if needed it will actually unscrew without vicegrips etc...

With the tube split and folded over the sides of the rim wipe the chalk off the inside of the tube and then start to fit the tyre of the rim and tube, it will be tight going as using the foam you are eliminateing having to use a compressor if no access to one and can re inflate the tyre out on the trails if it deflates from thorn punctures and you can re juice the tube with sealant having removed the thorn and re inflate...

Last bit is tight but will go over and check split tube is mount on both side of rim...

Next is tubeless sealant to add, I now mix `stand Tubeless Sealant 50/50 with thicker OKO Agri tyre sealant. and the 160mm bottle on the left of picture fills a new 4.8" Fatbike tyre with enough sealant to coat the inner walls etc and make an air tight seal...

With the tyre filled with sealant and inflated to 20 psi to seat the bead a new Stanley blade with two 5p size magnets spaces the blade 2mm up from the rim to leave an exposed tube sealing the tyre and will be reusable in the future is not that nice on the eye to look at...

And that's the old Moonie rolling again on a pretty bombproof wheel set up...

I also had a new Moonlander drive system to fit having discovered a shot chain and rear mech jockey wheels...

Wear indicator says it all...

And shot jockey wheels...

Chainrings were worn enough to replace the lot as most economical thing to do...

New and old jockey wheels...

Friday and May Bank Holiday weekend, and finally some warmer weather!

We cycled around the beach at JMCP, a relaxed Friday cycle, suits me as Friday`s I feel a bit tired after work the last 3 days, aye I know only 3 days but it is what it is...

G loves riding the big Moonie again and appreciates the new parts fitted!,

The 4.8" tyres on the Surly `Clown Shoe` 100mm rims make riding over soft sand like this near easy, yet since the first Surly Ice Cream Truck these has been no other Fatbikes produced with 100mm rims?, currently available Fatbikes only go as wide as an 82mm rim... 

With the cheaper to source 135mm rear hubs I am still convinced the Moonlander and last V2 (orange) Ltd run of Surly Pugsley which also takes this size of rim/tyre and the Moonlander - which have good chain lines are still my favourite go to beach bikes...

Here  is a wee film along the beach, is `Forever` by Phontaine, 

More soon...