In the world of mountain bikes, we have seen a variety of wheel sizes emerge in recent years, from the standard 26-inch to 27.5-inch and 29-inch options. Furthermore, the advent of "plus-size" tires—semi-fat tires measuring around 3 inches wide—has made what was once considered the 26-inch standard seem as if it has fallen far from the current trends, as if it had tumbled off its pedestal long ago.
Is the 26-inch really outdated?
The answer is NO.
At least not here at Circles.
For example, we never stop receiving requests for the repair and maintenance of bikes like the Surly Long Haul Trucker and Disc Trucker, the Araya Muddy Fox, and the Specialized Stumpjumper—bikes that use 26-inch wheels and are still being ridden to their full potential.
Of course, the same can be said for Culture Club in Matsubara.
It is in this context that we have added a new 26-inch lineup to SimWorks' classic THE HOMAGE tire.
Back in the 90s, the excitement for off-road cycling was heating up, and by the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, mountain bike cross-country racing was officially adopted as an event, propelling the sport into the mainstream in name and reality. With its inclusion in the Olympics, more riders transitioned from road racing to cross-country, increasing the demand for tires that excelled in acceleration and top speed—qualities more critical than performance in tight, technical descents—as there were few places to overtake.
To meet the needs of increasingly high-speed racing, Panaracer developed the "Mach SS," which, as it happens, became the basis for the Homage tire. While developed as a pure racing tire, its tread pattern—designed for lightweight performance—proved to be just as effective on the road as it was off-road. As people recognized that it didn't sacrifice the bike's feel during on-road approaches to trails, it gained attention as a "fun tire" capable of expanding riding paths regardless of road conditions.
Creating a truly all-terrain tire was an epoch-making achievement that only Panaracer, with its roots in touring, could pull off. This DNA was later passed down to the modern GravelKing series and branched out into the SimWorks Homage tire.
The resulting Homage tire captured the hearts of cyclists around the world who love riding their bikes everywhere, but we received an especially large number of requests from the United States.
"Will you make a 26-inch version?"
Yes. Even in this day and age where 26-inch wheels are considered obsolete, there are still people using them. So, we used the original Mach SS molds to bring it back into the modern era in that classic 26 x 1.95" style.
In fact, on the U.S. West Coast, many cyclists use their old 26-inch mountain bikes as commuters or touring bikes.
I spent about three months in Portland last summer, and I was surprised to see so many vintage steel-frame mountain bikes equipped with relaxed handlebars, favorite baskets, and fenders, used as daily transportation or fun tools for weekend touring. At the same time, it made me understand why there were so many requests for a 26-inch Homage.
The tire that lets you have fun on any surface, from paved roads to dirt, remains the same as it was back then, now imbued with the SimWorks essence and available in two colors: Black/Skinwall and Green/Skinwall.
We started selling them at the shop right away, and the very next day, we had the opportunity to install them on a customer's bike—a mountain bike they had owned for a long time and were now using for commuting. I thought it was very "us."
Here in Japan, there are still many people who take good care of their 26-inch bikes, and we never see an end to requests for overhauls and maintenance of these types of bikes.
While the latest technologies and standards in cycling continue to evolve daily, the foundation of our philosophy is that we don't want to just toss things aside, but rather repair and properly maintain them so we can keep using them for a long time.
I'm sure there are many people who cherish their bikes like this, not just in Nagoya, but all over Japan and the world. It was the voices of those very people that gave birth to this Homage 26.