Founded in the college town of Tempe, AZ, State Bicycle Company started out selling affordable fixed-gear bikes and geared townies for college students and commuters. In their ten years of mostly direct-to-consumer bike business since, State has grown exponentially and now occupies a large warehouse/office in downtown Phoenix where they store and ship hundreds of bikes each month. While the brand still focuses on affordability and accessibility, its product offerings have expanded to include: lightweight road bikes, steel gravel bikes, coaster brake cruisers, electric bikes, apparel, and accessories. One bike in their lineup caught my attention a while back, the 4130 All-Road. Positioned as a versatile and well-equipped steel adventure bike, the 4130 fits 700c or 650b wheels with ample tire clearance, accepts drop or flat bars, boasts plenty of accessory mounts, and is designed around a comfortable geometry—for only $899!
In early 2022, State launched the 4130 All-Road with a SRAM Rival XPLR eTap AXS build kit for $1,999 and, if you were a prospective customer watching State’s website, you’d have noticed they sold out fast and have seen limited restocks. During that fleeting window of availability, I got my hands on one for this review and, over the past six months, have been logging long gravel rides, some singletrack shreds, and daily commutes. Continue reading for my thoughts on this capable machine…
4130 All-Road Chassis
State advertises the 4130 All-Road as their “most capable bike ever.” And for good reason. Starting with frame material, the numerical model name corresponds to the frame and fork’s 4130 Chromoly steel tubing construction (carbon Monster Fork upgrade fork pictured here). A common material for production bikes, 4130 boasts a high strength-to-weight ratio, corrosion resistance, vibration damping—the list goes on. While 4130 is found in many production bikes—from Surly, All-City, Chromag, and others—State calls it out specifically because it serves as a demarcation from their lower-tier lineup of bikes, made from heavier/more affordable tubing medleys.
The 4130 All-Road can be built around 650b or 700c wheels, and State sells the bike with either (or both, for a $389 upcharge). It can also squeeze some pretty thick tires in between the 100/142mm spaced dropouts. The smaller-wheeled version is not tubless-ready and comes specced with a Vittoria Barzo 27.5 x 2.1 with room to spare, while the larger counterparts are mounted with Vittoria Tereno Zero 700 x 38c. Another upgrade option is the carbon Monster Fork, which can be added at the time of purchase for an extra $399 and has the same hub spacing and similar tire clearance as the stock steel fork.
I began my review with the 4130 All-Road in the stock 650b configuration, which weighed in around 29lbs. Later, I swapped out the steel fork for a carbon Monster Fork alternative, along with a 700c WTB CZRi23 wheelset, shedding nearly 6lbs from the total build. I discuss the impact these changes had on my preferred terrain and riding experience in detail below!
Mounting points are abundant throughout the frame and fork, contributing to the overall versatility of the bike. Want to use it as a commuter? It has front and rear fender mounts. Want to load it up for a tour? Well, you’re in luck there too with front and rear rack mounting points, two bottle cage placements inside the front triangle, and four on each fork blade.
In my humble opinion, State nailed the paint on these frames. That might be one of my favorite aspects. The one I’m reviewing has a black base with a rainbow sparkle flake sheen. It gives off vibes of my childhood friends’ Glastron Carlson bass boat, only a little classier. The other option is a pearlescent white with a more subtle sparkle but is equally appealing.
Geometry and Sizing
While their higher-tier frames (like the Undefeated Road) come in five size increments from 49cm to 61cm, State offers the 4130 All Road in four sizes, ranging from XS-L. Unlike road bikes, which are typically sized according to seat tube length, modern gravel bike geometries are slightly different due to increased standover, slacker head angles, higher head tube stack, etc. I’m 6’0″ with a 34″ inseam and typically ride a 58cm frame. Looking at State’s website, it seemed as if I was between their medium and large sizes. Ultimately, I sized up because it’s usually best to size for my long legs first and make cockpit and saddle adjustments later. Still, the size L is labeled as “55cm” which, when evaluated through the lens of traditional road bike sizing, seemed a little odd. This is effectively the product of the 185mm head tube combined with a somewhat sloping top tube, for standover purposes (819mm), thereby rendering the seat tube a relatively squat 55cm for the L frame size.
One qualm I have with State’s sizing of this bike is that, at my height, I’m close to maxing out the size large. Their size chart says this frame size can fit someone up to 6’5″, but I don’t think many folks of that height would agree. With my 34″ inseam, the seat post is already extended fairly high and, for a while, I was riding with a 100mm stem, but think the bike handles better with an even shorter one. Additionally, my size 43.5/10.5 feet don’t put me in the range of toe overlap with 29″/700c wheels and wide tires, but it’s close.
Riders on the ends of State’s sizing spectrum can find ways to make the 4130 All-Road fit, but I think it would be nice to see the brand expand the size range to five options like some of their other models. I recently brought this up with State’s co-owner Mehdi Farsi who responded in agreement that “the size Large probably maxes out around 6’2″, so it might be time to revisit the sizing […] We tend to start small in terms of sizes and roll out additional sizes as the product line matures.”
Serving double-duty as a chassis for both drop and flat bars, the 4130 All-Road provides an upright and stable riding experience courtesy of its short-ish reach, tall stack height, and long chainstays. While I’ve been putting some effort toward enjoying a more aggressive position lately, I appreciate the 4130 All-Road as a comfortable yet adequate stance for what it is: an entry-level price point bike. The majority of State’s target audience for these bikes are folks interested in dipping their toes in gravel riding without mortgaging a kidney to do so.
Relaxed geos are a large part of why gravel bikes have gained market share over traditional road bikes. Still, that fitment on a bike like the 4130 All-Road also opens the potential for other uses like commuting, loaded touring, or light singletrack riding. Additionally, with long 450mm chainstays across the size range, the bike feels planted and stable on choppy descents and also climbs well even in steep terrain. However, the long chainstays make it not quite as snappy as other more progressive gravel bikes I’ve ridden recently, such as my Amigo Bug Out or the Sklar Super Something (with 420mm and 424mm chainstays, respectively).
SRAM Rival eTap AXS XPLR Mini-Review
Back when SRAM released Rival eTap AXS (their third tier/lowest cost wireless shifting components), the only other electronic groupsets for drop bar bikes from SRAM (or Shimano; Red, Force, Di2) were north of $2000 alone. So, in an attempt to do something special, State had complete bikes equipped with this new electronic group for just under $2000, effectively replacing State’s house-branded drivetrain and brakes “out of the box.” When I asked Mehdi why they went in this direction, he responded, “I really believe in giving everyone options. While we won’t ever get away from being a great starting point for new riders looking to break into the outdoor world, we do realize there are more discerning riders, and with something like electronic shifting, the ride is a totally different experience from our stock offerings than if we just were to spec a higher-end mechanical groupset.”
The Rival AXS All-Road builds sold out super fast (confirming Mehdi and State’s point above) and while there have been a few restocks since the initial launch, supply chain woes have kept State from making the AXS build kit a permanent fixture. But while it seems that maybe they’ve moved onto other projects (like re-vamping their mainstay mechanical Sensa drivetrains) Mehdi says they will “continue to sprinkle in electric offerings when it makes sense,” or, potentially, offer them “as an upgrade on every model. That way riders who don’t want to pay for it don’t have to, and riders who want it can have that option.”
The 4130 All-Road was my first extended experience riding a drop bar bike with electronic shifting. Complete with integrated hydraulic brakes, the 12-speed Rival AXS group has many of the same characteristics as its higher-tier Force and Red siblings, but in a more approachable package. Where the Force and Red parts are made from carbon and lighter metals, the Rival crankset is polished aluminum with a pinned cassette (versus a machined single piece) and aluminum/composite brakes. Additionally, the Rival derailleur has a spring clutch mechanism rather than the Orbit fluid damper used in the two higher-tier models, and only brake lever reach is adjustable, not caliper contact points. The overall weight penalty between Rival and Force is a mere 183 grams for the complete group.
All of SRAM’s electronic AXS components exist in an ever-expanding ecosystem of interchangeability. For gravel riding, in particular, they call this XPLR, which includes 1x drivetrains and dirt-centric components from subsidiaries like Zipp, RockShox, and Quarq. While this might be part of SRAM’s grand plan of eventual world domination, XPLR provides useful functionality for us riders, including the 10-44 gravel-oriented cassette and pulling in elements from SRAM’s mountain bike division.
State specced the AXS All-Road with a 42T chainring and 10-44 cassette, which is a nice middle ground for most riders including myself. The tight steps between cogs offer a snappy and accurate shifting experience versus a wider gearing range alternative. For about 90% of my riding, I found this range to be plenty. However, on longer rides and/or when I had the bike loaded with water, snacks, and camera gear, I found myself wanting even lower gearing. I didn’t do any overnight tours with this bike, but if I did, I’d want lower gears.
With XPLR, SRAM makes it simple to sync Rival levers with an AXS Eagle mtb derailleur which, of course, enables the use of cassettes with an increased range from 10-50 teeth or even 52. This is a benefit over native SRAM mechanical groups, as they have not yet made it possible to use their drop bar shifters with cable-actuated 12-speed Eagle derailleurs. It can be done, just not without the Ratio hack. Regardless, if I were to purchase this bike, I think I would be fine with a smaller chainring vs. a massive cassette. But if I were to use this as my camping bike, the Eagle range would sure be nice.
SRAM claims there are only material differences between the groupsets and that shifting performance should be similar—if not identical—across Rival, Force, and Red. Not having used the higher-tier groups, I can’t speak to the validity of this claim, but I can report that the Rival AXS I tested was intuitive, precise, reliable, and comfortable. Once the AXS system is paired with the associated app (which I only did once, and it’s been fine ever since), shifting controls and even dropper actuation can be assigned to each lever or a combination of both. I chose to have my left lever downshift (mech moves to the left), and the right do the opposite.
There is the slightest delay between clicking the lever and derailleur movement, which feels akin to a mechanical lever pulling cable to shift but without the accompanying tactile sensation. The electronic shifting experience is not issue-free, however; I have experienced a few instances of over-shifting past the big cog when using eTap’s Multishift function. While I might have been a bit overzealous in these situations and contributed to the chain skipping over the cassette, I’ve found that it’s better to keep things simple and rely on one click per shift.
Lever ergonomics have vastly improved over the years. I enjoy the newer Rival hoods much more than the Rival1 mechanical levers I had circa 2016, and even more than the newer Campagnolo Chorus levers on my Amigo Bug Out. Rival eTap levers feature a trim yet substantial body, which makes for comfortable and supported riding on long days. I spent plenty of 4-8 hour days on this setup and didn’t notice much wrist or arm fatigue afterward. I also felt like they offer good leverage in singletrack and chundery dirt road descents.
Turns out that I shift more than I thought I would (according to the SRAM app), and it seems that pushing a button rather than pulling a cable with a lever actually induces less hand stress, thereby lessening total fatigue at the end of the day. Calipers are the same two-piston flat mount DOT fluid system as SRAM’s other hydro road brakes save for their Bleeding Edge system like on Red or Force brakes; it’s a threaded port on Rival. If SRAM made 12-speed mechanical levers shaped just like the electronic ones, I’d make the switch on my Bug Out. But unfortunately, the only way to get a similar mechanical lever would be with the Ratio conversion using an SRAM 11-speed lever.
Stock Build and (Some) Parts Tinkering
State’s primary goal is to make bikes—and offer complete builds—that come in at approachable price points for their respective categories. From the $399 Core Line to the standard flat bar 4130 All-road at $849, and $1,499 Undefeated Disc Road, you’d be hard-pressed to find comparable values for similar bikes with good components and solid customer service. Scaled overseas production and direct-to-consumer sales are some of the ways State is able to offer such price points in an inflating and competitive market. They are also intentional in selecting component specs for their builds, often utilizing black-labeled, or “house branded,” parts to retain reasonable complete bike pricing across models.
These components are functional right out of the box, though they aren’t what I’d consider performance-forward or lightweight. But they provide riders on a budget, or those wanting to explore a certain aspect of cycling, decent products without breaking the bank. To put this into perspective, a complete drop bar 4130 All-Road costs $899, whereas the frameset alone runs $429. That means the entire build kit, including wheels, drivetrain, brakes, tires, cockpit, etc, all cost $470. It also means many of these parts are tossed aside, sold, or donated when a rider decides to upgrade.
Stem
I wanted to ride the 4130 All-Road throughout the review period with most of its stock parts intact. Could the stock build be enough? Let’s take a quick look at this specific build, skipping over the from-the-factory upgraded Rival eTap AXS drivetrain, which I already discussed. Saddle, stem, handlebars, and seatpost are usually the first things I swap when building or even borrowing a bike. These are all fitment and contact point components and subject to personal preferences, and I have my favorites. But I thought, what the hell? The parts State specs seem just fine, so why not see how they fare over a few hundred miles.
Right from the start, however, I did exchange the stock 110mm stem for a shorter 90mm alternative I saw sitting on the mechanic bench when I retrieved the bike from State’s Ride Shop near my house in Tempe. As mentioned, I tend to prefer an upright riding position, particularly for handling bikes in rough road conditions and singletrack. So, a shorter stem was important. State has many customizations available on their website’s build tool, but selecting different-sized stems isn’t an option. Rather, the size small comes with 90mm, medium has 100mm, and the large has 110mm.
Bars
Similarly, all frame sizes come with the 42cm All-Road alloy drop bar—a far cry narrower than the 52cm Ritchey Beacon XL I’ve been using on my Amigo Bug Out! Still, with my average-width shoulders (about 50cm), the State drop bar seemed like what I might run on a road bike rather than gravel and, as the All-Road leans more on-piste than off, a narrower bar could be okay. While this isn’t remarkable by gravel and alt bar standards, the bars’ 18 deg of flare was enough to provide a comfortable position in the drops, a place I found myself spending a lot of time with the upright nature of this setup.
On longer rides (40+ miles) that featured consistently varied terrain, or singletrack, I found myself wanting a wider bar for leverage and more hand positions on the flats. I also came away from these rides with more upper arm and shoulder fatigue than I get with the Beacon XL or other wider bars. State already offers more customizable aspects to their builds than many brands, but it would be nice to stem and bar selections added to this suite of upgrades and changes in the future.
Wheels
For the first few months of my review period, I also retained the State-branded 650b alloy wheelset with Vittoria Barzo 2.1 tires, rather than swapping them out for a lighter alternative. While I ultimately upgraded the wheelset, I wanted to see how and if the stock alloy wheels and basic hubs could cut it over many rough miles. The wheelset alone weighs roughly 8lbs (with tubes and rotors)—a noticeable heft but I didn’t find that it hindered the ride quality too much.
In fact, the smaller wheels coupled with the knobby Barzos made for a lively and somewhat nimble ride, which was more than I expected given the long chainstays. I rode this setup for months, over hundreds of miles, on everything from long gravel climbs, mellow singletrack and tarmac. It shines most in the dirt, where the tread pattern provided plenty of traction on gravel paths and rocky desert roads.
(More) Parts Tinkering/Trading Metal for Carbon
After looking through all of these photos, you’ve probably noticed that I did end up making two significant component swaps on this bike during my review period: the State 650b wheelset turned to carbon 700c wheels, and the chro-mo fork was traded for the carbon Monster Fork. The 650b stock wheels are a good value for the price point. But they are undeniably on the heavier side, not tubeless compatible, and built around standard Formula hubs. Since State sells wheel upgrades for the All-Road (DT Swiss G 1800: $450; or Zipp 303S: $1,300) I was curious how a lighter rim and hub with increased engagement would impact the overall ride experience. Rather than buy wheels from State, I pulled in WTB’s CZRi23 700c carbon wheelset that I had been saving from a previous build project that never materialized.
As mentioned, I found the 650b-configured, complete Chromoly 4130 All-Road, to be a solid overall : the 4130 frame and fork absorb trail chatter and provides a springy ride quality, while the 650b wheels feel agile and grippy with knobby Barzos. Lightening the overall build with carbon wheels and fork did make a substantial difference in how and where I rode, however. And, when I say lightening, I’m talking about 5lbs difference for the build with carbon bits. Now, I’m typically not a carbon fiber fanboy or weight weenie, but 5lbs is 5lbs. Plus, I’ve become spoiled by high-engagement hubs and wanted to explore the difference between WTB’s 5° engagement from the 20° Formula hubs on the State wheelset.
With the All-Road in 650b mode, my rides incorporated combinations of dirt paths and mellow singletrack miles. I would often jump on one of Phoenix’s gravel canal paths and detour through a mountain park for some quality trail time before looping around back home. Down south throughout Santa Cruz County, I did multiple longer rides on this setup, which encompassed smooth gravel roads, forest service 4×4 dirt tracks, and the occasional AZT section. A favorite ride, that I thought the bike was perfect for, was actually one that I did for the first time as an event sponsored by State called the Brownbolt Beam-Up. I went back and did the route multiple times, with a few variations, in addition to a few others like it in the same area north of Phoenix. While I certainly wasn’t breaking any speed records on the heavy-ish bike, it handled the varied terrain well and was comfortable during long days in the saddle.
I’m typically not much of a road rider but the bike edged me onto more tarmac once I installed the Monster Fork and WTB wheelset. I rode pavement often prior to moving to Phoenix, but I’ve been totally turned off here by oblivious drivers. But there’s some great road riding in these parts, and I hadn’t really experienced it until I made the All-Road a little more svelte.
Recently, I’ve started using the local canal path network to link some of the classic Phoenix hill climbs and traffic-free zones, in lieu of my usual trail and mountain park destinations. I’ll ride from my house in Tempe north through Papago Park on the Crosscut Canal over to the Grand Canal and then pop off at 56th Street for some hill repeats on the south face of Camelback Mountain. Alternatively, I’ll ride along the Highline Lateral to Central Avenue and then climb to the summit of South Mountain. As opposed to the stock 650b wheel/tire configuration, the bigger wheels and smoother, yet still plump, tires offer a planted and fast ride experience while the lighter weight tubeless carbon rims give a noticable efficiency bump on punchy climbs.
An ideal scenario would be buying both wheelsets from State and, if it were me, opting for at least one of them to have a higher engagement hub. Wheels like the Zipp 303 or the WTB CZR are certainly nice (lightweight, compliant, high engagement, etc); the DT Swiss G 1800 available from State for a fraction of the cost would be a great alternative for the 4130 All-Road.
As with most bikes, even MTBs, larger wheels tend to be good for achieving a stable feel with more momentum once they get rolling, while smaller wheels are more nimble and lively. Go with whichever suits your budget and riding style.
Bags and Racks
I prefer to carry gear, snacks, and water on my bike rather than on my back when possible. Plus, my back is often occupied with a camera pack without room for much else. When my bikes have space and mounts for bags and racks, I tend to deck them out. The size large All-Road’s front triangle provides ample space for a full-length half-frame bag plus two water bottles. The tall headtube also offers plenty of real estate for different bag and rack setups. I spent a lot of time with a set of bags from Swift Industries, including the large (4L) Hold Fast Half Frame Bag and a fun little handlebar bag combo using the Kestrel bag as a base with Rando Pocket and Sidekick Pouch strapped to its integrated rear webbing straps.
Around the time I installed the Monster Fork, I received the Manivelle Bike Basket and Wizard Works Alakazam Bag, which I used for about a month. I really enjoyed this setup, which you can read more about here, but wanted to move it to another bike, so then installed the uber-clever Diamond Rack from Allygn/Fern Bicycles with a custom-fitted Diamond Bag from Gramm Tourpacking. It’s a perfect setup for a bike like this, as it only weighs 420g and bolts up solidly to the fork crown and blades.
The Diamond Bag attaches via front and rear velcro closures and is a breeze to take on and off. I often just leave it on the rack, as it’s not much of a weight penalty (though it is a bit of a wind block) and really comes in handy when I’m picking up a sack of tacos or other necessities after a long ride. While the bag I have is sized specifically for the Allygn rack, Gramm has just released a Diamond Bag with a universal fit for a variety of racks.
Wrap Up
The 4130 All-Road will be a great bike for many people. And, with the amount of customization available straight from the factory, it’ll fit pretty much any budget while still providing a solid value. And value is key here. It’s easy for me to get caught up in parts swapping/upgrading, particularly when brands like State include so many factory component options, but such musings are not necessary to enjoy the 4130 All-Road. While I am hopeful that State continues to offer electronic drivetrains within their catalog, the All-Road frameset is a fun and versatile foundation for a variety of build scenarios, electronic or not. So, to answer the question I ask in the title: yes, it’s good!
Pros
- Approachable price/value for complete build + Rival eTap AXS
- Comfortable geometry for varied riding
- Plenty of build options and upgrades are available at the time of purchase from State
- Abundant accessory mounts and component configurations
Cons
- Stock build with 650b wheelset is heavy
- Limited size range for smaller and larger riders
- Finding Rival eTap AXS builds in stock can be difficult