The SimWorks by Panaracer Volummy Tire series is back. Rather than wearing superhuman strength on Kaisei, he learned harmony at Mt. Myoko. Anyway, I want to say “Welcome back”.

Originally, Volummy was a tire that was produced for supreme durability. Thick sidewalls often referred to as gum walls structure protects the side of the tire; it’s a structure that you might often see used for off-road cycles. The heavy-duty construction is one that at times seems to be at odds with a preferred perception of a lightweight sport bike, or our notions of how a road bike should be dressed.

In the beginning of development, we had to ask ourselves and our customers, “what kind of tire are we trying to produce?” Our research, especially in the United States, seemed to conclude “Let’s make it robust, and eliminate people’s concerns for flat tires.” It was this image of Volummy that was crafted in its initial form that responded obediently to this request. In the five+ years that the tire existed in that condition, we fielded next to no sidewall tear complaints, but then the feedback shifted to, “can we trim weight and make a version that’s more supple?” Alas, an update has arrived and it’s the result of a total shift in the construction of the Volummy line of tires.

The objective for improvement is always there- “It’s a good product, but how can me make it better”, but we have to acknowledge the trade-offs that exist. History has shown us that almost always, if you make something lighter, you decrease it’s durability, or at least pay a significant premium. The expected response to taking something away, is that you’ve likely made a sacrifice somewhere else. It’s the balancing act we play… but we’re constantly trying to tip the scales to our customer’s favor.

In this latest Volummy update, we’ve asked Panaracer to change the basic underlying structure of the casing from gum-wall to an “open sidewall” while keeping the original SimWorks Peanut Butter color. There are two types of “lightness” that can be obtained by removing the thicker rubber- one is overall mass and the other is rolling resistance. The reduction in mass, that is, the weight reduction, has a positive effect not only on dynamic effects such as acceleration and braking performance, but also on the rider’s sensation and handling. If it is the outer peripheral weight of the rotating body, the effect is even greater. In addition, the casing becomes “supple”, energy loss due to deformation is reduced, and the rider’s comfort is also improved.

However, just because it’s now lighter, durability still needs to be considered greatly and addressed. SimWorks and our associates still rely on tough tires. Therefore, while the casing has a revised open structure, the top rubber tread is set as thick as possible, and a puncture-resistant layer is added to achieve the necessary and sufficient durability.

Is it somewhat of a non-sequitur? Did we create a better riding, more comfortable, lighter weight Volummy? We’ll let you be the judge.