State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike Review: An Excellent and Budget-Friendly Way to Get Around Town

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The Lowdown

The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike is my first bike purchase as an adult, and I’ve already put over 200 miles on it. The drop bars took a bit of adjusting, but you can always go for flat or raised bars if you don’t like those. I just really really enjoy the fact that the State 4130 Road is easily upgradable. Regardless of whether you want to change out the tires, brakes, seat, or frame, it’s easy. Most bike shops have worked with a State Bike so they can easily assemble them and guide you to the appropriate upgrades.

Overall
4.5

Pros

  • When sized properly, it is a fantastic smooth ride
  • 8-speed bikes bring me back to my youth all while giving me a more controlled ride compared to a fixed gear
  • Upgradable, so it can grow with you
  • The warranty is thorough

 

Cons

  • If you want to do more intensive rides, I highly suggest upgrading brakes, pedals, and chains
  • Access to a local bike technician is needed for assembly to maintain the warranty

The pandemic inspired many people to get back outside and enjoy biking, hiking, and other social-distancing-friendly activities. It was the inspiration for me to start biking again, and I’ve really enjoyed getting back into it with the State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike.

State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike

The last time I hopped on a bike, I was roughly 16 years old, working at a fast-food joint. It was my source of commuting there since my parents used both cars around that time. So finally, hitting the pavement again with the State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike took some adjusting! Honestly, it’s not just my commuter bike; it’s become my personal exercise tool and a way to escape and clear my head.

The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike features:

  • FRAME:  Double-Butted 4130 Grade Chromoly Steel Frame ft. Seat Stay Rack Mounts and Cable Stops
  • WHEEL SET:  Light-weight ‘Lo-Pro’ Wheels w/ Sealed Bearing Hubs, Quick-Release Levers, and 28c tires
  • GEARING:  44T Chainring w/ 11-28T Cassette
  • DERAILLEUR:  Sunrace RD-R81 8 Speed
  • HANDLEBARS:  Aluminum Drop Bars
  • BRAKES:  Front and Rear Caliper Hand Brakes
  • PEDALS:  Includes Alloy Pedals from Wellgo
  • SADDLE:  Synthetic Leather Saddle w/ Steel Rails
  • WEIGHT:  22 lb 10 oz (Weights Taken Using a Size 55 cm Frame)

The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike comes in five frame sizes to fit any rider whose height is between 5’1″ and 6’6″.  I highly suggest going to your local bike shop for a proper fitting.

  • 49 cm (Riders 5’1″-5’4″), 52 cm (Riders 5’4″-5’7″), 55 cm (Riders 5’7″-5’11”), 59 cm (Riders 5’11”-6’2″), 62 cm (Riders 6’2″-6’6″)

This is my first bike purchase as an adult, so when State sent me a discount code for my purchase, I’ll admit I went all out for my new roadie bike. I toyed with the idea of getting a fixed gear bike, and I watched countless hours of Cycling Weekly on YouTube, attempting to figure out what would be the best fit for me. Ultimately, the look and price of the State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike checked all of my boxes.

State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike

The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike comes unassembled in a box similar to a 65″ TV. I monitored UPS like a hawk for its arrival! State Bicycle comes with a warranty for their bikes, but you have to have it assembled by a certified bike technician. You should be able to work with your local bike shop on this, and State Bicycle helpfully has a locator on their site, so you can find a store approved to service their bikes.

I’m not the tallest guy, standing at 5’7″, so I opted for the 52 CM as I was on the cusp between that and 55. All bike companies are different, so I would suggest heading to your local bike shop to be properly fitted. Not many shops will have State bikes on hand, so there’s a little bit of guesswork there, but after reading other reviews on State’s site, I was confident in their assessment that they should size down for the 4130.

State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike

Having an 8-speed bike allows me to ride the way I want, tuning it as I’m on the move. I’ve struggled a bit going uphill, but I’m still on the journey of getting fit. I’m certain my struggle is more because I am working on getting in shape, not an issue with the bike itself.

The single chainring attached to the crankset is simple and gets the job done, but if you’re a more advanced rider or intend on riding long distances for hours, I was told to consider upgrading. Your price will vary depending on your bike shop, but for now, my chain has held up fine.

State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike

The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike’s frame is made of Chromoly, a material that makes the bike “somewhat” light but at the same time feels stiff for riding on all types of terrain. As I mentioned, this particular bike is an eight-speed bike, and it also has retro down-tube shifting, which is a bit of a change from bikes that have the gears readily available by the handlebars.

When the tech came to assemble my bike, they warned me that some of the pieces on my 4130 Road might need to be swapped out in order to fit me, and there were particular elements that came out either damaged in transit (thanks UPS) or needed to be completely discarded.

For one, my wheel seemed to be damaged in transit, but that’s no fault of State Bike. The cable housing brake needed fixing, the cable end tip needed to be adjusted, and a new brake cable needed to be installed because the brake cable itself was messed up as well. Finally, the stem for the 4130 Road is short, and my body type needed a longer one, but the bike shop easily upgraded that.

One of my biggest issues, though, came after my initial ride on the bike. I got about two miles down the road, and the crank arm completely failed on me. The crank arm is what connects the pedal to the actual frame of the bike. This could obviously be hazardous if the pedal itself falls off.

State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike

This was where State Bicycle’s warranty came in; they replaced everything swiftly and without issue. The local bike shop again assembled everything, and after those initial issues, I’ve been good to go!

This is my first road bike, and I’ve already put over 200 miles on it. The drop bars took a bit of adjusting, but you can always go for flat or raised bars if you don’t like those. I just really really enjoy the fact that the State 4130 Road is easily upgradable. Regardless of whether you want to change out the tires, brakes, seat, or frame, it’s easy. Most bike shops have worked with a State Bike so they can easily assemble them and guide you to the appropriate upgrades.

State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike

The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike has a vintage look that exudes the style I was looking for, especially in a world full of fluorescent or “matte everything” bikes. I enjoy the two-toned drop sock look, and I’ve received a few compliments on the bike itself. I’ve updated the saddle to one from

If you don’t know how or don’t want to change your tires after a flat, I would highly suggest tubeless tires. The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike comes with 25mm tires but can be upgraded to 33mm wides if you see fit. I opted for Continental tubeless tires, and there’s a slight difference in ride, meaning you’ll feel “less” of the churn of the road, but I personally enjoy it.

I have friends with horror stories of being on the side of the road patching a tube or changing their tire completely to continue their ride, and I always told myself I refuse to do that. Again, watching YouTube clips about cyclists telling you “how-to” quickly change your tire was helpful but still made me nervous, so I started as a tubeless cyclist. It’s great not having flats, and it saves money at the same time.

State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike

Overall, the State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike is a great value whether you’re commuting or going for a recreational ride. This particular bicycle is $579 stock, but when making your purchase, you should consider budgeting for extras like an upgraded saddle, a multitool for repairs, a water bottle cage, and any other accessories you might need. I enjoy riding the now sold-out Black & Metallic color, but the red, white, and blue Americana version and the Hunter Green version are still available.

The State Bicycle Company 4130 Road Bike sells for $579.99; it is available directly from the manufacturer.

Source: Personal purchase with company provided discount code

What I Like: When sized properly, it is a fantastic smooth ride; 8-speed bikes bring me back to my youth all while giving me a more controlled ride compared to a fixed gear; Upgradable, so it can grow with you; The warranty is thorough

What Needs Improvement: If you want to do more intensive rides, I highly suggest upgrading brakes, pedals, and chains; Access to a local bike technician is needed for assembly to maintain the warranty

 

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About the Author

Greg Alston
Diehard Apple fanboy, and lover of all things tech. Born and raised in Washington, DC, Greg enjoys spending time with his wife, family, and friends, live sporting events, good bourbon, Tetris, and pizza. In that order.