do i need a moonlander

[cas-pa2]

I live in Philly and love my 5.5" travel dually. I have pretty much one of every bike.

But I rode a fat bike in moab at outerbike and totally love these things.

Yes we get some snow but not really that much. More rocky technical stuff with hills that take you on an up & down a lot.

Just wondering if I can justify this purchase.

Also any tips on transporting on a rack and storage. Can ya put a 35 lbs bike on a hook?

[CS2]

I live in Philly and love my 5.5" travel dually. I have pretty much one of every bike.

But I rode a fat bike in moab at outerbike and totally love these things.

Yes we get some snow but not really that much. More rocky technical stuff with hills that take you on an up & down a lot.

Just wondering if I can justify this purchase.

Also any tips on transporting on a rack and storage. Can ya put a 35 lbs bike on a hook?

You can justify anything if you're single. Unfortunately I'm not. But I still want a moonlander. Good luck on the quest.

[NevB]

Yes, you definitely need a moonlander. So do I.

[bb1mina]

just make sure all your bikes are the same color and the wifey won't even notice

[Volsung]

do i need a moonlander?

yes

[ianick]

yes

+1 Yes

Fatties are as much fun to ride on rocky rooty trails as they are on snow and sand. It's also another way to keep those home trails feeling fresh and fun.

[sasquatch rides a SS]

just make sure all your bikes are the same color and the wifey won't even notice

This is the only way to get new bikes! My bikes are referred to by the color of the frame, sometimes the rims too. She won't notice if I have a couple black bikes, but throw a white one in there and whoa!


And, yeah, get a Moonlander. Because Moonlander.

[dfltroll]

You can justify anything if you're single.

Ha!

[Saul Lumikko]

I never had a black bike before the Moonlander, but she took notice of the huge tires anyways.

[bike for days]

I live in Philly and love my 5.5" travel dually. I have pretty much one of every bike.

But I rode a fat bike in moab at outerbike and totally love these things.

Yes we get some snow but not really that much. More rocky technical stuff with hills that take you on an up & down a lot.

Just wondering if I can justify this purchase.

Yes. Because I live in Philly and I want to try one!

Yeah, don't trick yourself into thinking it's for snow. I've ridden in our snow on a slick mtb tires and on 700x32 fixed gear, as well as studded tires. You don't need it for our weather.

You would be getting this bike because it's a blast and a beast, and that's ok! Plus if you take that to the Wiss you will be quite popular for awhile me thinks.

I know for a fact there is one other Moonlander in Philly. Perhaps you can form a club?

[CS2]

just make sure all your bikes are the same color and the wifey won't even notice

Tried that for a while. Then she started counting them.

[XJaredX]

I live 90 min. north of Philly and I rode my Pugsley 95% of the time on rocky singletrack. Snow was just a side-benefit for me. I deeply regret selling it!

I will probably get a Moonlander or another Pugsley in the next year. I will say though, you'll probably have as much fun on a Pugsley in our area.

[cas-pa2]

Thanks for the comments!

I do know one person who has a Jones Space bike that they won from a dirt rag mag contest and I have seen one Moonlander owned by a wrench at Main Line Cycles.

I think it will be fun and like one post put it: it will kept the home trails fresh. I'm sure it will completely different from a 150mm dual suspension with dropper post in a good way.

And yes, you will see me in the Wiss since I live right on the edge of the trails.

[CLONG]

Sounds like a Pugs might fit better with your riding. The complete (definitely in yellow) with narrower rims would feel better on singletrack than the biggest of teh big. A pugs will fit the largest tires (Bud and Lou) if you use them on slightly narrower rims.

Might I suggest a Krampus?

[jbphilly]

Yes. Because I live in Philly and I want to try one!

Yeah, don't trick yourself into thinking it's for snow. I've ridden in our snow on a slick mtb tires and on 700x32 fixed gear, as well as studded tires. You don't need it for our weather.

You would be getting this bike because it's a blast and a beast, and that's ok! Plus if you take that to the Wiss you will be quite popular for awhile me thinks.

I know for a fact there is one other Moonlander in Philly. Perhaps you can form a club?

What this guy said...in all seriousness, there is nothing in Philly that will ever warrant needing a Moonlander. But it's probably fun as all hell, and you can go down the shore and impress all the Guidettes with your beach-biking skills.

I saw a Moonlander in for repair at Trophy Bikes, so yeah, there's at least one. Probably more, cause the mechanic at Main Line Cycles probably isn't taking his to Trophy to get fixed.

[aBicycle]

Surly doesn't make the only fat bikes. The real ones come from Alaska. Look them up if you do plan to actually buy.

[andy b.]

I live over near Easton, PA and at one of the bike shops on Sullivan Trail just north of Easton, they always have a Moonlander out front on display. It is damn cool looking!
Like XJaredX, I ride my Pugs in the area on single track and your standard mild XC trails. The fat tires work wonders as a moderate suspension and I never had any troubles riding. Since I have the Pugs I don't need a Moonlander, but one would be cool to have!

Just imagine cruising the slushy streets of Philly this winter on the Moonlander and slinging water and snow all over like a city bus!

Andy B.

[LostBoyScout]

I've spent a lot of hours myself debating whether a fatbike is justifiable for my local terrain and weather. We don't get much snow either.

However, at some point I came to the realization that it's not about how practical it is, it's about whether you'd have fun riding it. Fatbikes are fun even though they're not always the right tool for the job. We ride to have fun!

[NevB]

Surly doesn't make the only fat bikes. The real ones come from Alaska. Look them up if you do plan to actually buy.

some details might help!

[LostBoyScout]

some details might help!

Fatback and 907 are the brands he's talking about I'm sure. Fatback is especially well regarded.

Salsa also makes the Mukluk, which has more tire clearance than a Pugs but slightly less than a Moonie. Salsa uses 170mm rear spacing which means you can build a strong, non-offset 29er wheelset for it. And the Beargrease, which is well under 30lbs.

[CLONG]

Surly doesn't make the only fat bikes. The real ones come from Alaska...

The real ones? Surly's fatbikes are very real.

[commutenow]

The Moonlander at my local shop looks like it would be a blast to ride.

[The Thug]

Have a read through this...

Surly Moonlander vs. Pugsley… « The Lazy Rando Blog…

Should help your decision.

[nelzbycks]

I live in Levittown, not far from Philly, and I own one of these bikes! I personally find myself riding it all of the time because it's such a novelty right now! I get asked about the bike all the time when I leave it locked outside my local WAWA! Like you I pretty much have my choice of bikes, but I usually ride for errands and stuff. I rode the moonlander EVERY morning of my vacation in OCNJ on the beach! If it snows like it did 3 or 4 years ago when I first bought my toyota tacoma then I'll get to ride in snow finally! If you can afford it, buy it! I think you'll enjoy it.

[No_Roads]

I've had my moonlander for 3 weeks now. Just did 25 miles through Minneapolis all on paved bike paths. Had it on single track, in the woods, in cornfields, etc. I have 3 other bikes but right now I can't find a reason to ride them, and it hasn't even snowed yet. Its a blast.