This is an early access, exclusive first look at the new State 4130 Trail.
Become a Bicycling Member today to read this review and get the pre-order code.
If you’re looking to purchase your first trail-capable mountain bike, or seeking a great deal on a new one, State Bicycle’s latest offering has the makings of a winner. With a nice frame, solid geometry, and good suspension, the 4130 Trail’s $1,499 base price allows riders to hit the trail confidently.
The 4130 Trail is one of the most exciting new bikes of the spring. And with new tariffs hitting in the coming weeks, it will drive up bike prices. Don’t sleep on a deal like this!
Bicycling Members can pre-order the bike with the code “TrailMix” for shipments in late April.
Pros
- Cromoly frame with good geometry
- RockShox suspension
- Tubeless compatible wheels and tires
Cons
- Dropper costs extra
- Non lock-on grips
The Bike’s Basics
State is well-known in road, gravel, and commuter circles for its well-equipped bikes at stellar prices. The brand’s bikes consistently perform well in our testing and have earned multiple Bicycling Bike Awards. However, until now, State has lacked a proper trail-capable mountain bike. The all-new 4130 Trail is the Phoenix, Arizona-based brand’s entry into the mountain bike world, and it is an impressive first step.
As the model’s name suggests, the base of the 4130 Trail is a neatly constructed cromoly-tubed frame. While State bicycle snobs sometimes complain that the brand’s bikes are generic, this new trail hardtail’s frame would not be out of place in a trendy mountain bike company’s product line. This bike looks—and more importantly, plays—the part of an all-purpose, trail-ready mountain bike.
By trail-ready, we mean a bike you can take from the shop (or assemble from a box), put on a helmet, and head directly to a beginner-to-intermediate level mountain bike trail. Typically, this means a bike with geometry that allows for confident descending and a suspension fork with at least 100mm of travel. Other important details for a trail-ready bike include hydraulic disc brakes for stopping power, sufficiently low gears for climbing hills, and grippy tires. The 4130 Trail ticks all of these boxes.
Details We Like
The 4130 Trail features a 29-inch wheeled 4130 frame (available in four sizes) with a UDH dropout, tapered 1-⅛” to 1-¼” headtube, 12x148mm hub spacing, and ISCG05 mounts. It has clearance for up to a 29x2.6-inch (or 27.5x27.5”) wide tire, and the bike’s cable routing (save for the dropper post) is externally routed for easy access and service. The head angle sits at 65 degrees and the seat angle at 74.4° for confident descending and improved climbing.
However, the frame isn’t the only good thing about the 4130 Trail. The bike has a solid foundation for off-road thrashing with its stock 130mm travel RockShox Psylo Silver Solo Air fork and tubeless-ready wheels and tire. A PNW Range dropper post and lever are available for an additional $200; other upgrades include a SRAM GX Eagle AXS drivetrain for $500 or Enve AM30 carbon wheels for $1,000.
Some of the bike’s stock parts (like the entry-level Tektro hydraulic brakes and non-lock-on grips) are lackluster. And the MicroShift drivetrain, while functional, isn’t super flashy. However, the bones of the bike are solid, plus the 4130 Trail uses common-size parts to ensure easy upgrades when parts wear out. For only $1,499, this is one of the best deals in the mountain bike category.
We look forward to proper riding on the 4130 Trail when our local trains dry out. But if our first impressions are any sign, this bike should be a ripper on dirt. It might be the best value trail bike to come out in a long time.
As Deputy Editor, Tara Seplavy leads Bicycling’s product test team; after having previously led product development and sourcing for multiple bike brands, run World Championship winning mountain bike teams, wrenched at renowned bicycle shops in Brooklyn, raced everything from criteriums to downhill, and ridden bikes on six different continents (landing herself in hospital emergency rooms in four countries and counting). Based in Easton, Pennsylvania, Tara spends tons of time on the road and trail testing products. A familiar face at cyclocross races, crits, and bike parks in the Mid Atlantic and New England, on weekends she can often be found racing for the New York City-based CRCA/KruisCX team. When not riding a bike, or talking about them, Tara listens to a lot of ska, punk, and emo music, and consumes too much social media.
