Surly Moonlander Resurrection...

 

So with G now happy with her Pink Pugsley 2.0 I of course can take the Moonlander and re spec it how it was more or less originally upgraded to from new and once in decent running condition can go into the Retro Surly Fatbike collection. 

The Surly Moonlander was quite a game changer when released and really moved the goal posts on where you can actually cycle a bicycle. The Pugsley with 3.7" (reads 4" measured) on 65mm wide rims opened up what is possible on snow sand and soft gravel where a bicycled can be realistically cycled more easiblly, but when the Moonlander  concept came out it blew the minds of those original Surly Pugsley Fatbike owners minds again what more was possible, and I was one of them, riding across rocks on the coast so slippy i could not walk over on foot. And once the 4.7" tyres(which were the same size as modern 4.4" tyres) were superseeded with 4.8" tyres it was agin even better!

Here is my original launch film of my bike in more or less stock trim with a few extras added... If you asked me what my favourite film I have made it is since started blogging it is probably this film, Mixing the Moonlanding footage into Gullane dunes by filming Google Earth - both using a digital camera filming a pc monitor on a trip pod while swiping along the screen with a mouse to fly along the Gullane coastline and changing to black and white, then after zooming in on Gullane cliffs with WW2 anti tank blocks, then the bike upside down with LEGO Spacemen, and then the pan the camera down and across the tank block and the concrete waves from the corrugated sheeting mixes into the wind waves on the sand dune at Peffersands was pure fluke! but worked a treat...BEEP!

First though before anything I had to sort out the surface rust from years and several thousand miles of salt water exposure abuse...

But once sanded with a wire brush it was like my original Pugsley Fatbike only just surface rust...

M10 - Manufacured 2010, arrived here in the UK in 2011, first of two in the UK, mine the first in Scotland, it is now 10 years old, and not finished seeing action yet!...

Getting a matching touch up would not be easy but I went for Hammerite Black and Hammerite Silver mixed as close as I could get it...

On top of this I will spray a glitter clear coat I have ordered via eBay and it will be close enough...

With the rust taken care of i added some of the original parts I used for years...

This was after I sorted the wheels, which new tyres had been removed for the Pink Pug (G`s Xmas pressie!) but no panic as I had as new Surly Bud and Lou 4.8" yours bought around 2 years ago in an eBay auction and squirrelled away for fututre use, this went on split tube tubeless using motorcycle inner tubes - the go too tubes for Ghetto tubeless on 100mm rims - you have to go Schrader valve though, but as you probably know I have for years said high pressure Presta valves are pointless on low pressure Fatbike wheels and have from day one ran with Schrader valves...

17" motorcycle inner tubes are a bit too tight and if you price it to cut around the tube it will tear, so marked a line with a sharpie to follow before deflating. In the future I will use 80/90 x 19 tubes on Moonlander wheels... 

Magnet on a new blade to leave a small bit of tube exposed, which helps against rim spikes at low pressures...

5 psi rear, 4 psi front...

I still need to swap out the busted rear Crud Guard and will probably rob the Thorn cranks for another Pugsley build ongoing but the old bike - well it is 10 years old is ready for the odd day out for a few year yet...

And after riding the bike last weekend with friends I was reminded how good this bike was  - and still is today in its design and how it rides, popping a few wheelies along forest tracks it has an amazing balance point, probably the best of any Fatbike I have owned, though not sure if I could do this again... and wheelie the length of Gullane beach... those were the days!

More soon...

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...