Panaracer Tire is celebrating its 70th anniversary of developing and manufacturing high-quality, reliable bike tires in Osaka, Japan. And to mark the milestone, they’ve given 2022 a theme of “Encountering Uncharted Paths” – playing off their ongoing resurgence fueled by booming gravel bike & bikepacking segments, and promising more new tires to come this year.
Panaracer Tires celebrate 70th anniversary
Established as the National Tire Corporation back in March 1952, they say they’ve been the only tire company in Japan to focus exclusively on producing bicycle tires for these seventy years.
The list of cycling companies that have been around as long as Panaracer is quite short. It’s interesting to think of how these long-enduring companies have evolved, shifted, and cycled up-and-down over the years. With their origins first more as utility cycling tires, I first remember Panaracer for producing proper cross-country tires in the early days of mountain biking that were actually trail-capable, at least relatively at the time. Then, around the turn of the millennium, their light rando/touring tires were some of the best gravel road riding options before gravel was a thing.
Panaracer ride Gravel Boom!
As gravel bikes boomed and bikepacking became mainstream, Panaracer seems to have risen up again with a big cult-like following for mixed surface riding. There’s a full scope of GravelKing tires for all sorts of gravel riding. And their limited edition colors sell out fast with riders begging for more.
Check out our Bikerumor Podcast episode #43 last spring when we talked tread design & gravel evolution with Panaracer’s Jeff Zell.
What’s coming in 2022?
So, what does Encountering Uncharted Paths mean for new Japanese tires this year?
At Eurobike last fall, Panaracer gave us a glimpse of what’s coming with more, fast GravelKing semi-slick options and even fast-rolling versions for mountain bikes. They even launched a collaboration with Chrome Industries to make grippy soles for bike shoes.
Now, Panaracer are teasing “more exciting new products in conjunction with events that will encourage cyclists to discover new roads, trails, friendships, and vistas while cycling“.
Our interest is piqued, to see where that will lead the tire maker. And we’ll keep our readers updated as Panaracer reveals details on global anniversary events to bring cyclists together in 2022.
