REVIEW : State Bicycle Co E-Bike

What a time to be alive! State Bicycle Co just released their first ever E-BIKE!

I remember reviewing a State Bicycle Co fixed gear back in 2013 – almost a DECADE ago! (LINK TO THAT)

Here we are now in the year 2022 – State Bicycle Co is still killing the game and I’m 35 years old thoroughly enjoying commuting on an ebike every day.

As long as I’ve known State Bicycle Co, their products have always been simple and solid products. And I believe that’s the thing to keep in mind about this ebike – SIMPLE AND SOLID.

With this ebike, State Bicycle Co has removed the tiring/exhausting aspects of riding bikes but leaves the fun parts. With the ability to cruise up to 20mph for 20 miles or more, the amount of ground you can cover with such little effort will leave a smile on your face and a desire to keep riding.

This ebike has lots of bells and whistles but it doesn’t have ALL the bells and whistles. It’s equipped with an internal battery, no throttle, and no gears but just like your brakeless fixie – less can be more.

The internal battery basically means that you have to “plug the bike in” as opposed to removing the battery and charging wherever. This means different things to different people depending on where you keep your bike. Luckily for me, right where I park at home and work, there’s an outlet I can easily charge with.

There’s no throttle. So that means it’s 100% pedal assist. There are however five “pedal assist speeds”. On max five power pedal assist, you’ll realistically achieve ~ 20 mile range at ~ 20 miles an hour. If you chill out and take it easy, the box says you can get up to 100 miles of range on power level one. The traditional geometry of the bicycle and 52/16t drivetrain make for a easy riding bicycle – even on a lower power setting.

Front and rear disc brakes ensure you’ll stop well. The 700x40c tires are actually quite large for road tires which make them great for absorbing bumps and potholes.

The best thing about the State Bicycle Co. ebike is that it weighs under 40lbs! My other ebike was stolen because it was pretty much a motorcycle. It weighed 80 lbs+ so I locked it downstairs because I wasn’t able to bring it up the stairs to my apartment. This new State Bicycle Co. ebike sleeps safe and sound, covered and locked up on my apartment balcony every night now – I can carry it up the stairs very easily!

Actually got two ebikes (one for me and wifey) and thanks to the traditional frame design, both of them fit on our bike rack! We are having a blast cruising all around town not breaking a sweat.

A lot of other ebikes out there have such “unique” designs that you can’t put them on bike racks or swap out parts… You know what I mean? Super step through frames, weird shaped forks, single piece seat / seat posts, etc. etc… Aside from the LCD display stem on this ebike, most of the components are traditional sizes / shapes. So. Of course, I’ve got plans to switch out the “contact points” ASAP – seat, pedals, bars, and grips 🙂

UPDATE :

Here’s the State Bicycle Co. ebike with much wider / more comfortable MTB bars, Odyssey Pedals, a Brooks Cambium and a mix of State Bicycle Co. and Road Runner Bags (best bike bags ever) –

If it wasn’t affordable, it wouldn’t be a State. This ebike currently comes in at $1,499 and when you start comparing, that’s really not a bad price.

Once again, State’s simple and solid approach seems to be spot on.

The sleek design definitely makes this ebike the cooler option of whatever you’re comparing, but when you factor in the fair price and quality, this ebike just might be the best option of your comparision…