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State Bicycle Co. Rivals Some of the Industry's Best With 2023 Steel All-Road Bike

Imagine that we've reached a stage in bicycle evolution where we can get our hands on a machine that can rival the abilities of some of the world's more expensive brands, and all for less than how much you probably have in your swear jar.
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Photo: State Bicycle Co. / Edited by autoevolution
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Cue State Bicycle Co. and their 2023 All-Road two-wheeler. Why bring another bicycle to light? Simply because State has reached a new level of manufacturing and poured it all into its newest machine, along with some rather eye-catching color schemes.

If the name State Bicycle Co. sounds familiar to you, it's because I've covered their work before. Or it might be because this crew has been around since 2009. It could be how they've integrated themselves into the cycling community and the smiles they bring, or because they build affordable and capable bicycles, putting one into the hands of as many folks as possible. No matter how we look at it, the 2023 All-Road requires our fullest attention.

Let's start by simply understanding how State can sell us a bicycle like this one for no more than $900 (€800 at current exchange rates). Well, it all starts with the material used to build this bike's frame. Here, State chose to go with nothing but good old Chromoly (CrMo) steel to craft the tubes we see. Before you lose your cookies over steel tubes, remember that steel bends before it breaks, unlike aluminum and carbon fiber, which break before a visible bend appears.

Aside from the inherent properties of steel, that frame has also been taken a step further in its ability to do more than carry you around town. The State has taken the time to add two water bottle mounts, rear cargo rack or fender mounts, and the CrMo fork is fitted with five sets of cargo mounts. Five! Don't you like the CrMo fork? Drop an extra $300; you've got a carbon fiber fork instead.

All\-Road
Photo: State Bicycle Co.
Hang on a minute. This means that the All-Road is designed to aid you in your urban ventures and is ready to go the distance. Because of those countless mounts all over the bike, you can use it for urban duties like grabbing some groceries and even riding to work, but come the weekend, you can shift its purpose to a rather capable hunk of steel. In short, it's ready to take you places and loves doing so!

Now, I know that a bicycle's ability to carry you far has a whole lot to do with the sort of drivetrain or gearbox that are in use. Well, in my explorations of the All-Road, I noticed that State had chosen a drivetrain component manufacturer I wasn't aware of until today, themselves! Yes, this two-wheeler uses a proprietary drivetrain developed and crafted by engineers on the State Bicycle Co. payroll. It could just be branded stuff.

However, no matter how you look at it, it's actually quite a decent setup. For example, everything is tuned to the sounds of 1x11 speeds. At the front, a State crank brings a 42T chainring, while at the rear, eleven gears offer a range from 11-42T, offering the possibility of a 1:1 pedal ratio in the highest gearing. There's nothing on who may be providing the shift lever or adjustable clutch rear derailleur, but from what I can make out, it could very well be State once again. Brakes, you say? Yes, here too, State, with hydraulically actuated pads clamping down on 160 mm (6.3 in) rotors.

All\-Road Drivetrain
Photo: State Bicycle Co.
Why am I making such a big deal out of State building its own components? Simply because it's the first step toward entering the component manufacturing market. From here, they just build upon systems used by Shimano and SRAM, and before long, we might be able to buy State Bicycle Co. brakes, shifters, cassettes, cranks, and anything else you want. They already make handlebars, and a set is found on the All-Road, leaving stems, BB, and pedals to be added to the mix. A step in the right direction if you ask me.

Let's also consider that most of what we see on the All-Road is from State itself. We can also view this two-wheeler as their flagship, in the process, giving the world a taste of what can be considered this brand's upcoming plans for the industry.

To accompany this do-it-all bike, State has also chosen to reveal two new color palettes to accompany your choice. One of the two is the turquoise and black fade, and the second is the red and black version. No matter which one you end up choosing, they both look wicked! Personally, I like the red and black ones. What about you? We have a comment section below if you're feeling chatty.

To sum things up, there's really not much to say. It's affordable, built from materials known to take a beating, and can be transformed into one hell of a trekking and long-distance riding machine. Keep an eye on this one, folks.
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About the author: Cristian Curmei
Cristian Curmei profile photo

A bit of a nomad at heart (being born in Europe and raised in several places in the USA), Cristian is enamored with travel trailers, campers and bikes. He also tests and writes about urban means of transportation like scooters, mopeds and e-bikes (when he's not busy hosting our video stories and guides).
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