Text by Rie Sawada

February 14th, yes Valentine’s Day, marked seven years since SimWorks USA officially began our operations.

Some of you may already know that SimWorks USA has its roots in Japan, born from the Circles group, while for others, this might be new information. (Circles is celebrating its 18th anniversary!) You can learn more about Circles from here.

I first met Shinya Tanaka, the founder of Circles and SimWorks, in 2006. Twelve years later, in 2018, I was given the opportunity to establish SimWorks USA—a chance to fulfill my dream of living in America. My mission was to immerse myself in the U.S. cycling community and to build a bridge between Japan and the U.S. The visa application process was long and arduous, taking over a year. In order to launch SimWorks USA from scratch, I had to define my role clearly. I still remember submitting my passionate essay to the U.S. Embassy, expressing my dedication to this new business venture and my vision for the future.

At SimWorks, our goal is to introduce exceptional Japanese craftsmanship to the U.S. while also bringing outstanding American craftsmanship to Japan. Our handlebars, stems, and fenders are not just bicycle parts; they serve as tools for sharing the stories, values, and philosophy behind their makers. To convey their true appeal, it was essential to go beyond the products themselves and directly communicate the importance of the people, culture, and communities involved. Carrying forward the vision of Shinya Tanaka, who built Circles and SimWorks, I came to the U.S. as the ambassador—the face of SimWorks.

Upon arriving in the U.S., with the generous support of our distribution partner, Chris King, we secured a 650-square-foot space within their factory and officially launched SimWorks USA’s operations. In the beginning, I handled everything alone—customer service, inventory management, shipping, event planning, and running pop-up shops. But it soon became clear that I couldn’t continue managing everything by myself. 

Just one year later, at the perfect time, I reconnected with Steven. I had known him since my time at SimWorks Japan when I was working as a distributor for Chris King, and he was a painter for Chris King’s Cielo badge. Then, in 2019, thanks to a casual text message from Bob at POBS, a fortuitous opportunity arose—Steven joined our team, and SimWorks USA took a significant step forward. Over these subsequent, he has become my right-hand man and an indispensable piece of SimWorks.

In 2023, we officially began recruiting new team members. After reviewing a diverse set of qualified candidates, we welcomed Aaron, who became the perfect third addition to our team.

In 2024, we opened our Showroom to coincide with the MADE show here in Portland. This space was created to connect directly with our customers, allowing them to experience our products firsthand, join us for rides, and to foster a sense of community.

We created the SimWorks Showroom as a permanent Pop-up so we can connect with everyone. We’re open Monday to Friday, 10 AM to 5 PM—come stop by!

As we continued to expand our possibilities, we welcomed Jeff (Photo on the left) and Nick (Photo on the right) to the team in the latter half of 2024. With their addition, SimWorks USA has grown beyond anything I could have imagined seven years ago. Building a team and hiring people is never easy. However, to grow SimWorks and to continue to share our vision with more people around the world, collaboration is essential, and embracing new challenges is the only way forward.

Beyond just to our teams in Japan and the U.S., I want to express my deep gratitude to everyone who supports SimWorks—the customers who understand, buy in to, and believe in our mission; our dealer partners, the manufacturers who work alongside us to create our products, and the friends and community members who share in our journey. I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by such amazing people. 

Thanks to your support, SimWorks USA has established itself in Portland, and I have been able to build my life here in America. Without the support of these people who have been involved with me, neither SimWorks USA nor I would be here today.

with deepest gratitude,

Rie
SimWorks USA