The BRUCE GORDON Rock’n Road Tire, a staple for us here at Circles—a shop that loves blurring bike concepts and injecting hybrid essences into things—has been updated.
The Rock’n Road’s original 700 x 43c spec has finally become "Tubeless Compatible." (All other sizes were already tubeless compatible.)
With this renewal, the entire lineup is now restocked as "Tubeless Compatible."
A "29er" Concept Ahead of Its Time
It all began around 1982, when Gary Helfrich (a partner who helped Chris Chance build Fat City Cycles and was one of the founders who later started Merlin Metalworks) was importing the HAKKAPELIITTA (700 x 43c), a winter tire from the Finnish brand NOKIA, into the U.S.
When Ross Shafer (founder of Salsa Cycles) was building a frame spec capable of fitting these large-diameter off-road tires, Bruce Gordon saw one at his workshop, which sparked the initial inspiration. The final design was supervised by Joe Murray (a legendary MTB pro rider who preceded John Tomac and Ned Overend, later worked as a product designer for Marin, Kona, and VooDoo Cycles, and served as an official product test rider for Shimano). (Just writing this, it’s wild how legendary every figure involved is... and you have to admire their foresight.)
And so, the Rock’n Road was born in 1988 with a 700 x 40c specification. (It was made in Taiwan at the time.)
When the Rock ‘n Road tire was designed, it was made for one purpose, and one purpose only.
That purpose was to make riding over any terrain an easy feat.
The unique "stepped pyramid" tread pattern is the key to this ability. At high speeds, the center tread line forms an almost continuous line, causing the rest of the tire to lift slightly off the ground when riding on pavement.
The Rock ‘n Road mimics the feel of a thin road tire on pavement, but its true qualities are revealed when you ride it on dirt, sand, mud, or gravel. This tire shines on trails where road surfaces and weather conditions are constantly changing.
However, back then, there were almost no general-purpose frames that could fit them, so Bruce Gordon apparently designed and sold a dedicated frame that shared the tire's name.
I can’t help but get excited by this story, so full of that Californian entrepreneurial spirit—practicing the 700C or 29er off-road concept at a time when 26-inch mountain bikes were the norm.
It’s just overflowing with romance.
That story alone is enough to feed on.
Later, in 2012, production of the Rock’n Road was moved to Panaracer, and it was updated to the current 700 x 43c size.
And after Bruce passed away, they were unfortunately discontinued for a time, but in 2019, David, a devoted disciple who had worked under Bruce Gordon during his lifetime, took up his mentor's will and brought them back into production.
The initial Panaracer molds used since 2012 had finally started to degrade, so this update to "Tubeless Compatible" coincides with the switch to brand-new molds. (In other words, the old specs could be called the last batch from the original molds.)
They may have been ahead of their time back then, but the Rock’n Road is now perfectly in the mainstream.
Why not install some romance on your bike?
Might as well go tubeless, too.
【SPEC】
・Color: Blackwall, Gumwall
・Size: 650b×43mm, 650b×48mm, 700c×43mm, 700c×48mm
・Tubeless Compatible: 650b×43mm, 650b×48mm, 700c×48mm, 700c×43mm
・Weight: 650b×43mm – 530g , 650b×48mm – 650g , 700c×43mm – 560g, 700c×48mm – 700g
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