Are Billy Bonkers narrower than listed?

[Conway Bennett]

I just tried to mount Gravel King 26s to to Dyad rims on my '94 XO-3--no dice.  Does anyone have experience with Billy Bonkers?  My history with Schwalbe is tells me that in practice their tires are reliably narrower than listed.

Thanks in advance.

[Garth]

As for the tire mounting, those Kool Stop Tire Jacks are designed to assist in just what you describe, very difficult "I can't, it won't, etc" tire mountings. 

Schwalbe states their tires are "usually" a little narrower, but not every specific tire is like that. They state a variation of +/-3mm.  No experience with the Billy Bonkers from me.

[Russell Duncan]

I first heard about those Kool Stop Tire Jacks on this site and I'm glad to now own them. They are the answer to all of my cursing when mounting various present day tires, from Challenge to Veloflex. Its precursor, the VAR RP-42500, now my second choice, which is good for the road in a riding jersey pocket or in a seat tool bag. I swear by them both, with the Kool Stop tool having better leverage when first mounting the new tire.

Russell Duncan

Leverett, MA USA

[Conway Bennett]

Thanks Garth.  They mounted to the RIM with no tools and minimal effort.  It has to do with clearance issues with the frame and fork.  I used to run 26 x 50 Schwalbe kojaks with no issue in aeroheat and cliffhanger rims, so I presumed the 26 x 2.1 gravel kings would work.

Anyone want to trade new folding Billy Bonkers, gently used Natches Pass, or new Homage tires for a new pair of Gravel Kings?

Or, I may just be done with idiosyncratic bikes (e.g. Quickbeams and Xo-3s).

[iamkeith]

Don't give up.  I've had this same question.  I put the 2.1 GKs on my Allrounder last summer.  They fit the frame ok, but are too tight with fenders.  For what it's worth, the 2.1 GKs are bigger than the 2.1 Rat Trap Pass tires that were on there previously, which kind of bummed me out.  I thought 2.1 would be the magic size.  So I'm (purely) guessing the BBs will be smaller - even if that just means true to size.  If not  maybe RTPs will work instead of the NPs?  If not, we're all just waiting for 26x1.95 which, at one point, was the dominant size produced.

[iamkeith]

I meant that the 2.1 Gravel Kings are bigger than the 2.3 Rat Trap Pass tires

[Conway Bennett]

RTPs were a non starter on the '94 XO-3.  This bike has been languishing in the rafters since 2019 once the original headset was too indexed to service.  I had sold off the wheels for it too, but I recently bought a new headset and wheelset because I thought the 2.1 gravel kings would be the ideal tire.  Maybe I'll parlay my quickbeam and xo-3 into a disc romancer.

[Patrick Moore]

Conway: What about the RH Naches Pass for your XO-3? A pair will cost as much as the bike but they give utter plushness at true 42 mm width at ~30/35 f/r under my 170 lb and loads up to 45 lb. 42 mm (mine are 42 mm on 21 mm OW rims) is too narrow for our sandy trails, but if I rode in firmer dirt I'd be quite happy with 42s for most off-pavement riding. I use the extra lights but they also come in standard and endurance flavors. Oh, and pair them with Schwalbe's extralight 559/584 X 42 mm tubes; claimed 90 g and actual 100 g. I use these successfully with sealant in goathead land.

I must try them on my 1999 Joe Starck Riv Road custom fixie gofast, as one fits comfortably under the normal reach single pivot and the rear has even more clearance.

[Patrick Moore]

Typo: Mine are 41 mm on 21 mm OW rims.

On Wed, Jan 4, 2023 at 9:51 AM Patrick Moore <bert...@gmail.com> wrote:

... (mine are 42 mm on 21 mm OW rims) ...

[Conway Bennett]

I just ordered Billy Bonkers on Amazon for ease of returning them if they don't work out.  I like the idea of Renee Herse tires, but they are relatively expensive and I've read enough negative feedback about them that I have always chose another option.  In this case, I'd probably but panaracer pasela 1.75s and concede the .05 of width that the Natches Pass tires offer.

[iamkeith]

Please let us know how the Billy Bonkers work out.

The Naches Pass size is interested.  I haven't tried them, but I have the original "Compass" model, which were in fact based on the 1.75 Pasellas.  Same mold and tread, but more supple casing.  They were/are nice (that's what I used before the RTPs and then, again, before the Gravel Kings),  but I keep wanting to max out my frame clearance a bit more. They look so small in there.   It's odd that Jan would pay for a whole new mold that only gained  .05" in size over its predecessor. My only real frustration is that the sidewalls are rotting out before the tread wears out.  But that's often the case for me because of high UV exposure where I live and due to having too many bikes in rotation.  Based on this though, I'd have to say Pasellas are a good choice.  Or black sidewalls.

[iamkeith]

Did you ever try the Billy Bonkers and do you have any feedback about how they compare in size?  Any measurements or photos would be appreciated.

On Wednesday, January 4, 2023 at 10:52:22 AM UTC-7 captaincon...@gmail.com wrote:

[Conway Bennett]

Good timing.  I just got these this week, and I will be installing them this weekend.

[Conway Bennett]

I can confirm that they run small, but it's still a tight fit on the '94 XO-3.  They are definitely the lightest tires I have ever mounted.  They feel like rubber bands!

Fair winds,

Captain Conway Bennett
239.877.4119

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