Ok, it's all Justin's fault!
He let me ride his Moonlander at OX12 and I immediately fell it love with it. :sombrero:
I drove 120 miles one way :smiley_drive: and spent most of the day at Topanga Creek Bicycles. They have a great rental program where you can take out some pretty esoteric mountain bikes for an extended test ride. The cost of up to 5 rentals can go toward the purchase of a bike. I took a Moonlander out on some of the roads and trails near the shop to make sure it was a bike I really wanted. There was lots of climbing but the bike and I did better than I expected considering I haven't been riding much for the last 5 years. If anyone in Southern California is thinking of getting a Moonlander and wants to try it out first this is probably the only bike shop that has one for test rides. Chris Kelley, the proprietor, is a really cool guy and he took the time to answer my questions despite the shop getting pretty busy at times. They have the widest array of Brooks saddles and bags I've ever seen along with a lot of other cool bike accessories you don't commonly see in other bike stores. The first time I got a Brooks saddle it took 2 years of searching bike shops before I found the model I was looking for (pre Internet days). He probably has at least one of every model from the Brooks catalog.
Needless to say, I ordered an 18" Moonlander when I got back to the shop. I couldn't resist the Brooks leather grips and wood bottle cages I found at the store to go with it. It should look very retro yet strangely modern when I get it. He doesn't floor new Moonlanders so you need to order them which only takes a week or two.
One thing I found is that riding a Moonlander is worse for getting attention than driving a Pinzgauer. I'm sure Justin can comment on this since he has a Pinzgauer as well. During my 10 mile or so ride I had people driving cars stop and ask about it, about half the cyclists I encountered asked about it, hikers asked about it and I even had one guy in a car pull along side as I was going down Topanga Canyon Road and roll his window down to ask about it while we were moving. From growing up with, and owning unusual old cars, recumbent bicycles, and a Pinzgauer I've learned that curiosity from people is to be expected but I didn't anticipate the level I found with the Moonlander. I can see that, as with the Pinzgauer, I won't want to use it for running common errands unless I'm willing to spend some time answering people's questions.
Now I'm waiting with anticipation to get the bike. I've already starting rescheduling my summer activities to include extra mountain biking time. It should be a great summer of riding and getting to know the capabilities of the Moonlander.
Bruce
