NEWS
2017/2/7

Try your “THE HOMAGE” everywhere you go

Text by Toyoshige Ikeyama
Photo by Circles

What makes you feel riding your bicycle and motivates you to ride?

I planned and rode my bike to the next town with my friends together when I was a little kid, and the excitement I had when I went fishing to a pond far away from my home, these kinds of feeling are not faded away yet and stayed in my heart as a first intention at that time.

Pedaling to somewhere we have never been before makes us alive and bring us back to who we were before. Even now, I ride my bike on the road I have never been on and have a strong mind to explore more to the untouched places. I bet that some of you who read this article feel the same way right?

Under the name of Circles company, there is a distribution department called, SimWorks (as you already know), which promotes a lifestyle toward bicycle lovers. THE HOMAGE tire is the first original tire production from SimWorks. SimWorks refined the old famous tire called ‘MACH SS’ by Panaracer when mountain biking was in the golden age and made the tire pattern for gravel ride, bike packing ride, and all terrain style.

There is a block pattern which you can ride on off-road as you ride on a mountain bike, and moreover a unique pattern called, center slick, which is slightly different from a slick pattern which can be ridden on a paved road will excite your adventurous minds. Absolutely, the safest products by Panaracer, made in Japan. Since we have released this awesome products to the world, so many cyclists are using right now. I am also using this for a long time and rode so many places, and now I would love to talk about the feature of this tire based on my experience.

1 : Features for On-Road

When you ride on a clean and smooth paved road, thinner tire will give you a speed since its surface resistance is small. THE HOMAGE tire has 43mm width and has more volume than usual 25mm road bike tire, however, since the pattern on the center line, you feel much more smooth than any volumed tires. Of course the weight will be slightly heavier than thinner tire, but if you are not riding your bike as a race competitor, THE HOMAGE tire will be your best comfortable one ever.

I definitely recommend it to you for bikepacking and touring for sure and also it would be great use for your commuting and daily life.

2 : Features on Gravel Road

THE HOMAGE tire is very useful on a gravel road. Using the best of 43mm width, you don’t have to worry so much about the tire and pedal forward and the block patterns on the both sides can provide you the best grip feeling. I rode my bike for the bikepacking tour with tent and sleeping bag on a dirt road, I wasn’t even worried to slip off or fall off from the bike since the tire caught the road surface perfectly especially on the corner.

I also rode my bike with THE HOMAGE on a mountain trail, volcanic doubletrack and all the wild places. I am sure that you really have to be careful of big rocks, trail with roots of the trees, and wet off-road condition. However, this tire is very much compatible with any condition roads and I would say this is almighty all terrain tire for sure.

If you use the lasted casing and compound which is also used for Panaracer / Gravel King, it makes the weight lighter and able to ride without worrying side-cut on the tire. However, as you already know that side-cut might happen if you are not careful with the road condition and inflation pressure. I would like you to talk with the tire and the road at the same time and I bet you are able to enjoy the moment very much.

Curtis Inglis, who is Retrotec bike frame builder in Napa, CA, also spent time with me together for 4 nights and 5 days bikepacking tour and he used THE HOMAGE as well on his all road bike.

THE HOMAGE is available in 2 sizes : 700 x 43c and 650 43B. Since its 43mm width so that some of you cannot use this tire on your bike, but it will fit commuters, touring bikes, cyclocross bikes like Cross Check and Straggler by SURLY. We have Black/Black side, Black/Brown side, and Light Green/Skin Side available.