State Bicycle Co. just released a fat version of their 6061 off-road frame set. Thoughts?
EXPLORE BOUNDLESS TRAILS WITH EASE: THE STATE BICYCLE CO. 6061 TRAIL+ FAT BIKE – EXCEPTIONAL PERFORMANCE MEETS UNBEATABLE VALUE.
The 6061 Trail+ Fat Bike is designed to conquer the most challenging snowy terrains. With its large tires and low PSI capabilities, it offers exceptional flotation, allowing you to glide over snow-covered trails with ease and stability. Whether it’s a serene journey through a winter wonderland or a daring descent on a snow-covered slope, this bike ensures an exhilarating yet secure riding experience.
https://www.statebicycle.com/collections/bicycles/products/6061-trail-fat-bike-stone-grey
by hugoriffic
2 Comments
I know it’s a bit of a jump but I think either a Rocky Mountain Blizzard or Norco Bigfoot for about $400 more is a much better value. Also search for something used or lots of sales right now.
“allowing you to glide over snow-covered trails with ease and stability.” also this is a lie in my experience. Most of the time the conditions make fat biking a slog in my experience. When the conditions are good yeah it’s great. The way winters have been lately though it can be a struggle. I’ve encountered a few people that bought into fat bikes for riding in the snow and just hate it. I don’t have a lot of groomed options around me and I spent a bunch of time packing a trail with snowshoes and dragging my son in a sled last winter only to have it all melted and gone in about a week. Then it snowed again and had to start all over. It’s an extremely conditions dependent sport in my experience and can be a labor of love. It does depend a lot on what is available for trails around you and if others are out grooming and how consistent the temperatures are.
Off the top of my head, it looks like it’d be a serviceable bike, but as the other poster mentioned going up a little more gets you more bike. The only thing I’d be wary of on the State is the 1×9 with 28-42 as the lowest gear. That seems on the high side (the Norco Bigfoot 3, for example, has 1×11 and 30-51). If you don’t live in a hilly area it might be OK but climbing in the snow might be a bear on the State. I can’t find the geo chart for the state, but just looking at the picture it looks like it’s a shorter, steeper head angle bike too. That’s OK if you riding around on the flat, but going down hills is less scary if the front wheel is further out in front of you. Take a look at the pictures of the Norco, Rocky Mountain, and the State, and look how much futther out the front wheel appears to be.
I think the State is a decent lower-cost way to tip your toes in, but you might end up wanting to upgrade the drivetrain down the road, and maybe the frame geometry won’t be ideal for aggressive riding. My hot-take is the State is a fatbike for people that want to ride around town and easy, flatter trails. It’s a huge step up from like the Mongoose-class bikes, looks like a decent value compared to bikes from places like bikesdirect, but not at the same level as bikes from the established bike companies. If it were me, I’d save up / stretch to get the Blizzard / Bigfoot. The Blizzard A10 at $1299 (plus a $100 gift card) seems like a pretty good deal, modern geo and a nice 26-46 low gearing.