What do you find interesting about riding a bicycle?
For me, it’s the sense of excitement I felt as a child when I’d plan trips to the next town over with my friends, or strap a fishing rod to my bike and ride to a pond far from home. That feeling remains with me today as a kind of initial impulse.
Because a bicycle is powered by human effort, pedaling toward places you’ve never been awakens that same childhood excitement. I still have a strong desire to explore and roam down roads I’ve never traveled, and I’m sure many of you reading this feel the same way.
Under the same umbrella as us here at Circles, SimWorks is a distribution division that imagines a lifestyle for cyclists. Their first original tire, produced among the many items they create, is named The Homage. It refines the tread pattern of the "Mach SS"—a tire once made by Panaracer during the heyday of mountain biking—to suit the diversifying ways we enjoy cycling today, such as gravel riding, bikepacking, and all-terrain adventures.
With a unique "center-slick" pattern that differs from the block patterns used to tear through off-road terrain like mountain bikes, or the slick patterns for zipping along paved roads, this tire is sure to stir your sense of adventure. Of course, it is manufactured in Japan by the world-renowned Panaracer for true peace of mind. Thanks to all of you, many cyclists have been using these since their release. I have been using them myself from the very beginning, and after riding in all sorts of places, I would like to share their features based on my experience.
1: Features on-road
On smooth, paved roads, thinner tires have less road resistance and roll more easily, making them faster. The Homage is 43mm wide, which is quite voluminous compared to the 25mm width of a standard road bike tire, but the file-tread pattern in the center makes them roll so smoothly that you won't even notice the volume. They are slightly heavier than thinner tires, of course, but if your goal isn't pure speed, they are nothing short of comfortable.
They are versatile tires perfect not only for bikepacking and touring but also for daily use like commuting to work or school and running errands around town.
2: Features on gravel
The Homage excels most on gravel paths, dry dirt, and what we call "gravel roads." Leveraging their 43mm volume, they don't just push through rough roads without hesitation—they also provide a solid sense of grip thanks to the block patterns on both sides of the tread. On a recent bikepacking trip, I rode on unpaved roads while fully loaded with a tent and sleeping bag, and even when leaning the bike into corners, I could feel the tires gripping the surface firmly, which gave me the confidence to finish the ride.
I've ridden all over, including trails usually reserved for mountain bikes and volcanic double-track. You need to be a bit careful on roads with larger rocks, trails with exposed tree roots, or muddy off-road sections, but even then, these tires handle a wide range of conditions. To put it mildly, they are excellent, versatile all-terrain tires.
Furthermore, by using the latest casing and compounds—also found in the Panaracer GravelKing, a favorite of adventure cyclists—the tires are finished to be lightweight for their size, allowing you to ride without worrying about side-cuts. That said, a bad strike can still cause a side-cut, so I personally like to think of this as a tire that asks you to enjoy the ride while communicating with the terrain and monitoring road conditions and air pressure.
Curtis Inglis, a custom bike builder from Napa, California, who joined me on our 5-day, 4-night bikepacking trip, also enjoyed the journey on an all-road bike equipped with these Homage tires.
They are available in two sizes: 700x43C and 650x43B. At 43mm wide, they won't fit just any bike due to tire clearance, but they are a great fit for cyclo-cross bikes with generous clearance like the Surly Cross-Check or Straggler, as well as various touring bikes and commuters.
In addition to the standard Black/Black side, Black/Brown side and Light Green/Skin side versions are scheduled for release soon. Please feel free to contact us regarding whether these will fit your specific bicycle.
Click here to purchase The Homage Tire.