'I believe Tadej could win the Tour de France on this bike' - Phil Gaimon plugs an unreleased but 'pro-worthy' State Bicycle Co. aero bike

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.

"I can get bikes from just about anyone," proclaims Gaimon. "I had calls with a ton of major bike brands. And here's the thing, as you know, all of the high-end bikes are super nice. They're all beautiful, they're all fast. They're all super high-tech. But there's a feeling I've had for years now that the major bike brands have, in a lot of ways, lost the plot."

Gaimon, a climber, argues that the industry has become overly fixated on aerodynamics and wind-tunnel performance, with nearly every major brand chasing the same goal. In his view, that singular focus has come with tradeoffs, particularly in weight, which matter far more in real-world riding than marginal aero gains. He points out that climbing has always been his strength, and that some of his oldest bikes were also his fastest because they were lighter.

 "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."

And that's where State Bicycle Co. comes in.

With its fixed-gear and Klunker bikes, wild collabs and value-focused offerings, State has built a reputation around accessibility rather than prestige. Until now, that positioning kept it largely outside the conversation around "world-class" road bikes, but the new model Giamon is teasing could be a turning point for the brand. He believes so anyway, stating, 'I believe Tadej could win the Tour de France on this bike.'

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.

Now we're sure that Giamon is paid well to promote the bike, but even so, we look forward to getting this bike in for review, and see just much performance and modern design one can actually get for $4,000.