State Bicycle Co. Saturday Deluxe City Bike Review

PRICE $499.00

FIND IT AT statebicycle.com

AVAILABLE IN US and Canada shops and online

State Bicycle Co.’s Saturday Deluxe is an upright city bike with a frame made from Hi-tensile steel that rolls on 700c tires. No fuss or muss with coaster brakes and a single-speed setup. Ordered online, this bike includes a PU and steel rail saddle, bell, chainguard, bottle opener, front and rear racks with the following add-ons available: a spare tube set, light set, bottle cage or lock. There are three models in the ‘Deluxe’ series, with three color schemes as stock. One-year warranty on manufacturer’s defects.

TELL YOUR FRIENDS

The Saturday Deluxe is indeed the deluxe city bike on offer from State. It’s a $110 upgrade from the standard Saturday model, which gets you matching fenders, a medium-sized metal front rack with beverage holder, and a rear pannier rack. Of course, the included seat tube bottle opener is a key lifestyle element on all State city bikes.

WISH LIST

For a deluxe city bike, the lack of a kickstand is an obvious miss. I do like the addition of the front rack, however it is quite heavy on it’s own and when loaded up it adds a noticeable weight to the front end, particularly in the steering department. It took some adjustment in how I handled corners. Because of this heavy rack, keeping the bike upright while parked can be a challenge as well. Although it’s not offered, this bike could also benefit from an internal 3-speed hub, extending the range and attracting other potential riders.

IDEAL RIDER

The Saturday Deluxe is ideal for a city rider looking for a simple bike to get around gentle geography, on paved routes with different ways to carry their goods. It has the stylish looks to fit right into an urban, fashion-conscious lifestyle.

ORDERING / ASSEMBLY

Once ordered, State offers free shipping via UPS and the bike was delivered without delay. We found the bike to be in perfect shape when unpackaged and it was a reasonably easy set-up. With the addition of fenders and two racks, this added some time to assembly, but basic tools and some mechanical know-how had us up and riding the same day. It is always recommended to have a professional bike mechanic go over your handiwork to ensure it was safely assembled.

SUMMARY

The Saturday Deluxe is a nice addition to the blooming online single-speed bike market. For under $500, this bike is ready to ride, carry, and commute so long as your route doesn’t involve the biggest hills in town. By equipping this bike with city accessories, it’s not just a minimal fixie-style with mustache bars, but a load-carrying, all-weather bike suitable for many places. While the coaster brakes may be cause for alarm for some, this bike isn’t meant for speed so the stopping power is adequate in regular circumstances. Plus, locking up that rear wheel for a stylin’ show-off skid makes you feel like a kid again.

An occasional rider would find the price, simplicity, and comfort to be of value especially when you factor in the good looks. If you are planning longer, daily rides on uneven terrain a bike with more than one speed and/ or rim brakes may be of interest. The Saturday Deluxe is a head turner and as I thought of it as a weekender when I’m in no rush, it allowed me to hop on and enjoy the calm elegance of a relaxed ride to the market.

This bike was self-assembled at Momentum Mag.  

David Niddrie is Momentum Mag’s Photo Editor @davidniddrie