Finally got a gravel bike after a lot of deliberation! Been a long-time fan of State (the green All-Road is replacing my Black Label V2 single speed). I wanted something I could use for riding to and from work, as well as something I could take virtually anywhere. I also didn't want it to break the bank, even though this is the most I've dropped on a bike (in one shot) to-date.
First impressions after about 4-5 hours of riding, the brakes need some work. I assembled this myself (I've built 3 bike from the framset up), but I did look up how to bed in disc brakes. I still think the stopping power isn't great, so I need some tweaking or even just a better system.
I am 5' 9", so right in between their small and medium sizes. I opted for the medium, 54cm frame as I sized down before with the Black Label v2 track frame set, and the stance was way more aggressive than I anticipated. I have barely enough stand over, but I also don't have my stack set to the max or feel like I'm falling over the front of the bike, so I consider this a good size choice. If I were doing more single-track riding, I probably would opt for the smaller frame, but again it's tough being between sizes.
The drivetrain also needed a bit of adjusting and I'm still hanging up slightly when shifting down, I can hear some clicking so that's a little more to play with.
One of the things I am a bit disappointed in is the paint. I love the color, but I've seen some very small chips just from the little time I was riding. It might be the matte paint job and I'm used to more of a gloss finish on my bikes. It's not the end of the world.
I put on a different seatpost as I prefer a zero offset, as well as changed out the saddle since it didn't fit well for me. I also swapped the stem out for an 80mm one, added some basic Shimano PD-M520 clipless pedals. I found them to be affordable and I don't have to worry about ruining them. Lastly I added the rear rack as I want to commute more and I have two panniers to carry my laptop, lunch, and change of clothes with room to spare.
Upgrades and modifications I want to do in the future include:
– brake system upgrades (probably starting with new cables)
– different bar-tape (these seem to be wrapped backwards from every other bar-tape instructional I've seen)
– gum wall tires (when these eventually need replaced, but that will take a while)
by the-recyclist
4 Comments
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Juintech R1 brakes or TRP HY/RD brakes are transformative on this bike. I have both, long term I prefer the Juintech.
Take the cabel out of the rear mech and take it off. Unscrew the barrel adjuster all the way out. The face is smooth. Machine a waffle face in it. Either with a dremel, hack saw, or needle file. This will stop the tension from auto adjusting when you go over bumps.
The new matte olive… pretty!
I’m trying to decide between this and a topstone 4. For gravel and bikepacking