As many of you know when you get in to cycling it can get pretty pricy. Thats where State Bicycles steps in with their moderately priced line of bikes.
About 6 months ago I got my hands on one of the State 6061 All-Road bikes. Now I already have a number of bikes, but as most of you know the gravel scene is booming and well, I figured it would be fun to pick one of these up and give it an honest review.
First, Here's what State has to say about the bike.
"Two Words: Speed and Versatility : High performance on and off-road! Make it 2-bikes-in-1 by selecting “both” as your wheel set choice and we’ll send you a 2nd pair of wheels, tires, tubes, rotors, and cassettes for easy back-and-forth switching between 700c / 650b. Now featuring cable-actuated hydraulic brake calipers and rear derailleur with enhanced clutch."
Here are the FULL SPECS AND GEO BREAK DOWN link if you're so inclined to dig through them.
The State 6061 All-Road Gravel Bike Review
I have been riding this thing almost everyday, both as a city commuter and on some moderate to long gravel rides and have a few thoughts.
When I got the 6061 All-Road I had one of my local bike shops, The Freewheeler, assemble it as to avoid any issues and be able to give this thing an honest review, sans any frustrations I would have had putting it together and after all, I'm no bike mechanic. (Also, note that when buying from State if you don't have an actual bike shop assemble it, it will void the warranty)
On first inspections after getting the bike back from assembly everything was good, looked nice, rode well and seemed like a solid entry level gravel bike. However when you start to take a closer look at the frame there are a few glaring issues, mainly around the paint job and quality of the welds. The welds look like they were done by someone wearing a blindfold, with gaps, pops and slag marks, which in turn leads to a poor paint job that will, over time be an issue as will the welds. I've been told that this is a hit or miss issue with their bikes, some bikes showing better than others.
The State All-Road 6061 Standard Set-up
- Frame: 54 cm 6061 Aluminum; Weight: 4lb 4oz; Color: Dune Tan
- Wheel Sets: both 650b & 700c, but I pretty much ride the 700c's
- Fork: Full Carbon - 12mm Thru-axle,1.5” hollow formed crown, monocoque one-piece forming technology, Flat Mount disc brake mounts with integrated car bon cable cradle; Weight: 15.9oz
- Breaks: State Bicycle Co. Hydro-Mechanical Calipers (Cable Actuated Hydraulic) 6-Bolt - 160mm Front and Rear Rotors
- Handlebars: State All-Road bar, 6061 aluminum 31.8 x 420mm
- Hubs: Sealed Bearing Front: 12*100 THRU-AXLE Rear: 12*142 THRU-AXLE 6- Bolt
- Headset: FSA NO.42/ACB , sealed bearing ,1.5 - 1¹/8”
- Crank: State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 Forged 7075 Aluminum Crank Arm Length: 170mm
- Shifter/RD: State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 1x11 Rear Derailleur Version 2.0 with internally adjustable clutch
- Saddle: Brooks Carved in Black
- Bottom Bracket: Threaded 68mm Bottom Bracket
- Chain: YBN 11 SPEEDS
- Cassette: SBC 11-42T 11 speed
- Stem: State, 3D forged 6061, 7˚ x 100mm
- Chainring: State Bicycle Co. All-Road 1 Forged 6061 Aluminum 42T 110 BCD
- Spokes: 14G Stainless Steel
The peddles it came with, the State Alloy Platforms were fine but kind of stiff and a little to heavy so I swapped those out for some clipless/platform combos I got at one of my local bike shops and I did the same for the saddle, tossing on a Brooks® carved, both of which I go at Grand Rapids Bicylce Co. Past those two changes, I really didn't do much to the bike other than put on a Yellow Bird Thread Works stem cap, which if you don't know them, make sure to head over to their site and buy something, sooo sick.
The set-up listed above is all standard from State, but they offer a whole host of upgrades that can add up pretty quick and if you max out the upgrades you'll be looking at somewhere around $4,300.00. However as State claims you can roll out of the shop with a capable gravel bike for under $2000 and at the time of writing this that was about $1800.00 dollars, which is pretty amazing all things considered.
Final thoughts on the bike
So, after all that what are my thoughts on this thing. Well, honestly for the price point it is more thank capable and with their recent updates to the 2024 model such as the carbon fiber fork, hydraulic breaks, upgraded hubs, and lighter weight frame it shapes up to be a pretty fun bike that handles fantastic for the price point. If they could get the welds cleaned up this would honestly compete with a lot of the other gravel options on the market that come in at almost double the price. If you do choose to get one, make sure you order through your local bike shop. That way if there are any weld issues or if anything else come up they will be able to help you resolve the issue without much hassle.
Pro and Cons
Pros :
- good entry point bike for most riders new to the sport
- affordable price point
- easy monthly payment options when purchased via their website
- loads of options to customize your build
- can be purchased via your local bike shop
- offers 2 wheel sets for extremely good value
- variety of color options for the frame
Cons:
- can have issues with welds and paint
- some components aren't of the highest quality (pedals and seat)
- mass produced frames
- harder to resell if you upgrade to a new bike
- options change frequently based on availability
