ROCKLAND – It’s the Humvee of mountain bikes and it carries names like Pugsley, Neckromancer and Moonlander. The Surly Bike Company makes it. It’s a year-round bike, it climbs with ease, and is as comfortable on snow or in sand as it is gliding down a treacherous mountain path. Only question is: Where do you find it and how do you get one? Well, that’s two questions, but what the hell, we’re talking about Moonlanders here.

Finding it is easy. Side Country Sports, 481 Main Street in Rockland, is your “handy dandy sweet as candy” official Surly dealer. The shop is owned by Andrew Dailey, of Rockport, Charles Jones, of Rockland, and Brian Kelly, of Lincolnville. If the address sounds familiar that is because it’s the old Bikes & Java that occupied the shop for nine years. B&J closed in March and on May 1, the three partners opened the combined bike, ski and snowboard shop for business.

The first thing you notice about the bike is the really big, fat tires and the “Large Marge” rims they’re set on.

“Big tires and low pressure act like a suspension,” said Andrew. “It softens the ride and you can roll over just about anything.”

You get more ground contact; hence, the better traction. Snow shoes work under the same principle. Spread it out and stay on top. Not only can you go offroad, you don’t even need a road and chances are pretty good you won’t have to get off and walk. The tires came with some reengineering. With tires that big, your chain will rub them when you’re pedaling like hell in the easy gears. The wheels are dished, in the opposite direction. No chain rub and problem solved. I couldn’t find out who actually manufactured the tires, but judging from the links on Surly’s website I got the distinct impression Michelin Tire Company was the rubber before the road.

The next thing I noticed were the disc brakes front and back. Not a big deal, I was surprised to learn.

“Disc brakes are pretty much standard on all mountain bikes these days,” said Andrew. “There are two types, mechanical and hydraulic. The hydraulic is what you would see in a car. The mechanical [like on this particular bike] uses a cable. They’re easy to adjust and work great.”

Looking at the bike I understood how immensely hard it would have been to fit it with rim brakes.

The bike has a 4130 CroMoly steel frame and 18 gears, nine sprockets in the back. The tires are 26-inch X 3.70, normal for a bike is 26-inch X 2.10. The Moonlander will push it to 4.0 next year and in March of 2013 the new Krampus model will feature 29-inch X 3.70 tires. No studded version is available on the tires, but Andrew said the shop would be happy to install them for you.

“If you ride studded tires on this, you’re riding some scary stuff,” he said.

Andrew got his certification in bike mechanics in 2004 from the United Bike Institute in Oregon.

“Brian is the ski guru here,” said Andrew. “He’s a USSA certified coach and there is only one other in the area.”

Now we know where to find it. Here’s how you get one. You walk in, plunk down $1,850 [I’m sure that’s before taxes] and ride it home.

“That’s cheaper than a full suspension mountain bike,” said Andrew. “Those start at around $2,000, for the good ones.”

So there you go. Buy one, find a really big mountain with no roads, and take the thrill ride of your life. But, do be careful. You still need to practice some common sense. It’s one thing to come out of the woods on a Moonlander and quite another to come out in a Life Flight helicopter.