New tires for the Moonlander

The stock tires that came on the Moonlander were (I think) the Big Fat Larrys. Now, these are pretty nice tires and at 4.7” wide, they have some decent floatation. In many cases these could be amazing. Sand comes to mind. However, where I live, I think I need some more bite in the tread than the BFLs offer. Often the snow that we get here is sugary and wind-swept drifts. The lugs on the BFLs are kind of on the short side.

The tread pattern of the Big Fat Larry

One thing that I have been shocked by was the price tag on fat bike tires. Like freak out! A lot of options that I was looking at were more than I’ve ever paid for winter tires for my car. While I’m sure they work really well, I can’t spend as much on tires as I did for the complete bike. With that decision made, I turned to my local classifieds. Kijiji. After a few days of checking, a fresh ad popped up for a pair of Surly Bud and Lou tires. The price was right and the tread was still decent. Sweet!

The Surly Lou is designed to be the rear tire offer a great grab of the terrain with rotational force.

The Surly Bud is designed with somewhat linear lugs to help with side to side traction of the wheel.

At 4.8” wide, there is still plenty of clearance front and rear.

Fatties Fit Fine

After spending a few kilometres in deep(ish) crusted snow, mad what a difference these tires make. I have been experimenting and learning just how important tire pressure is when setting up for various types of snow conditions. But, having a more aggressive tread pattern also plays a significant role.

All in all, this bike is much more capable in winter riding conditions, and I think I’ll hang onto the Big Fat Larrys and install them in the spring. They do have a smoother, quieter, and faster ride on non-snowed surfaces.