Initial Thoughts - State 4130 All-Road (2026)
I’m about 200 miles into my State 4130 All-Road in Raw Phosphate, and I absolutely love this bike.
First off, the raw steel and brazed look is stunning. The frame quality appears excellent, and I have definitely caught myself staring at it more than I would like to admit. The finish gives it a simple, industrial, purpose built look that really stands out without trying too hard.
The frame uses modern standards like thru-axles and a modern bottom bracket setup, which should make future maintenance and parts availability straightforward for home mechanics and local bike shops. It feels like a classic steel bike with the right modern updates.
I originally considered the carbon fork for the “benefits,” but I could not bring myself to give up the color matched steel fork. I’m glad I stuck with it. The fork looks fantastic, and so far I have had no issues with wrist pain or discomfort. It can get a little lively on washboard roads, but nothing unmanageable.
The drop bars have also been very comfortable, and the bar tape feels better than expected. After roughly 200 miles, I have no complaints there.
The stock saddle, however, was not for me. It felt poorly made and uncomfortable, but saddles are very personal and usually one of the first things riders swap anyway, so I do not hold that too strongly against the bike.
One small disappointment was the head tube badge. It appears to be made of thin metal and not flush, and on my second day owning the bike, the middle of the badge caught my pocket and bent outward. Since it appears to be riveted on, I could not remove it, and I was not able to get it sitting flush again.
The wheels are not fancy, but they seem durable and good quality overall. The freehub buzz is absolutely wild. You should have seen my mechanic’s face when he heard it — he was not expecting that sound from a State bike. The engagement also feels almost instant. I purchased both wheelsets, and my local bike shop set them up tubeless and trued them. They did mention the wheels were pretty far out of alignment from the factory and needed to be trued.
I opted for the SRAM Eagle AXS drivetrain, and both my bike shop and I were impressed by how simple it was. There was basically no setup needed. It worked properly right out of the box, and pairing everything through the SRAM AXS app was quick and easy.
There is no chainstay protector, which made me wonder whether that is intentional because the chain does not contact the frame, or if it was simply a cost saving decision. Either way, I will probably add one just to be safe.
The number of mounts and braze-ons is fantastic. I will probably never use all of them, but I love having the option. It makes the bike feel ready for anything.
My only aesthetic complaint is the amount of State branding. The logos on the frame, seatpost clamp, head tube, top cap, and other small areas feel a little excessive. I understand the value of branding, and it is not a deal breaker, but I would have preferred a more minimal look to better match the clean raw steel finish.
Overall, this bike is a 50/10 for me. It is comfortable, simple, reliable, and genuinely fun to ride. I ride about 10 miles a day on my lunch break and usually do 25–50 mile rides on the weekends, so having a bike I can jump on every day and enjoy immediately matters a lot. I can already tell this one is going to get years of use.
