DISCLAIMER: I do not own a State Bicycle. So this is a completely unbiased review. That being said, I’d love to own a State bike, but I can’t drop the dough on a second bike. So, State, if you’ve got a used size 56 gravel bike kicking around the warehouse and want to get rid of it for a steal, let me know.
This is a review of the 650b version.
REVIEW:
I bought these as winter training wheels and wheels that I can beat the daylights out of. And I have done just that. After several months of gravel riding in an upstate NY winter, I can now say that I have put these through the wringer. So here’s my impressions:
THE BAD:
1. They’re not light. That being said, they’re also not super heavy. Kind of a mid-weight wheel.
2. They’re not especially fast. The power transfer isn’t spectacular.
3. They have silver nipples. This is a pet peeve of mine. Why in the world do wheel builders/manufacturers use silver nipples on an all black wheelset?
4. I was not particularly thrilled about the Vittoria tires.
THE GOOD:
1. The price. You will not find a deal this good anywhere. And I’ve tried. You can’t even find second hand wheels with a cassette, rotors, tires and tubes for this price.
2. The wheels come well packaged with rotors, cassette and tires installed. Nice touch. Oh, and they were true right out of the box.
3. They are legit “bomb-proof”. I have hammered the daylights out of these and they are not worse for the wear. I haven’t even had to true them.
4. The aesthetics are great. Very tasteful minimal branding.
THE FINAL WORD:
These wheels are a great buy unless you’re looking for race wheels. But I think it’s safe to say you didn’t come to this page thinking these would be race wheels.
If you’re looking for a set of quality, bomb proof, good looking (except for the silver nipples) wheels for training, Bikepacking, gravel grinding, or to swap between 700c and 650b, you cannot beat these wheels.
So, go ahead, put them in your shopping cart.
And I hope they carry you many miles.