Phil Gaimon doesn’t mince words about, well, anything, really. But in his latest YouTube video, it’s the modern road bike market that gets the full Gaimon treatment as he announces his new brand partners for 2026. And with it, a bit of a surprise. The former Garmin-Sharp rider won’t be riding a Factor bike this season, but instead a selection of frames from the wallet-friendly Arizona brand, State Bicycle Company.
The decision wasn’t made for lack of options, either. Gaimon explains that while he had interest from “a ton of major bike brands,” none of them ultimately stood out.
”Having a bike that’s super fast for the sprint isn’t gonna help you if you get dropped [on the climb] with 20K to go,” he argues.
In his view, that imbalance is one of the main reasons so many modern road bikes feel disconnected from how people actually ride. But performance is only half the equation. If there’s one thing Gaimon says he’s pushed back against for most of his career, aside from doping, it’s price.
“The price tags on new bikes these days, it really just started to bum me out,” he says.
He’s quick to add that he likes nice things and still turns out world-class numbers on the bike, and therefore “deserves a very high-end, a very capable bike.” But, he says, he’s “not interested in a bicycle as a status symbol.”
Here’s what we know about the yet-to-be-released road bike.
State Bicycle Co’s unreleased road bike
While the bike hasn’t been formally announced, a representative of State told Cycling Weekly that an all-new carbon road bike to replace the Undefeated model is, indeed, well on its way.
While details remain limited, Gaimon has revealed enough through his own channels to paint a clear picture of what State Bicycle Co. is building.
At its core is a carbon road frameset with what Gaimon calls “the right amount of aero features,” including integrated cable routing and an aero seatpost, while keeping the overall shaping more traditional.
“It doesn’t have a bunch of crazy aero features that are gonna add weight, make it harder to work on, harder to travel with, easier to break,” Gaimon says. And, crucially, “it’s super light.”
Gaimon has already seen a complete build come in at 13.5 pounds (6.1kg) and says he’s aiming to get his own build lighter still.
“This will be a very capable, super fun bike,” he says. “If I was going to buy a bike, this is the bike I would pay for.”
State told Cycling Weekly that a limited number of framesets are expected as early as later this month, with complete builds available on the State website by the end of the first quarter. There will be two versions on offer: the Gaimon-promoted super-light build for around $4,000, and an even more value-focused standard model.
While Gaimon is supported by Shimano, State’s production builds will likely follow its usual approach of pairing house-brand components with a SRAM drivetrain. In fact, State has confirmed that the standard model will be equipped with SRAM Rival AXS electronic shifting and DT Swiss wheels for just $2,800.
If the early details hold, this new model could defy expectations of how much performance and modern design you can get for $4,000. We’re certainly looking forward to getting this bike in and putting it to the test.
