State Bicycle's New 6061 Black Label v3 Bike Offers Singlespeed & Fixie Fun For City Cycling

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With electric bikes popping up all over these days, it’s easy to forget the original clean and green micromobility option — a straight-up bicycle, or as Jo calls them, “acoustic” bicycles. I prefer the term ‘analog’ bicycle myself, but no matter what you call them, a traditional 2-wheeler with no electric motor or battery is still quite an efficient way to get around.

While there are number of advantages to riding an e-bike, such as being able to keep up with faster riders with less effort, the ability to cover longer distances and ride up steeper hills with ease, the decreased stress on joints and muscles that comes with a battery-powered bicycle, all while still getting the health benefits of cycling, there are also some disadvantages. Modern e-bikes keep getting bigger and heavier, so if you’ve got to haul one up or down stairs, or fit one inside your vehicle, or lift one onto a bike rack, it can be an issue if the e-bike weighs in at 60 pounds or more.

“E-bikes made a ton of sense for a population that found itself more or less forced outdoors after years of doom-scrolling and commuting to and from work. They got people outside, gave them a little exercise, and by-and-large enabled them to experience all the joys of riding a bicycle without the nagging strains and pains of middle age. And, unlike many trends of the early pandemic (how many of you still have an active sourdough starter?), e-bikes have hung on — in some small part because they’re practical, but in some larger part because they are genuinely a blast to ride.

“But now, a few years and a quite few miles into the two-wheeled habit, some of us are feeling a little better about ourselves. We have fewer aches and pains after long rides, we’re a bit stronger than we used to be, a bit fitter. Not all of us, of course — but some of us … and those e-bikes? We’re finding ourselves twisting the throttle less and less on the way to the Piggly Wiggly, we’re asking ourselves if this is really the best use of all that lithium, and we’re finding that a 60 or 70 or 96 lb. e-bike is kind of a hassle to get on a bike rack or out to a trail.” – Jo Borrás

If you’re looking for a truly emissions-free transportation option, and one that has a much lighter environmental footprint, you might want to take a step back from the field of heavy, high tech, all-the-bells-and-whistles-and-apps, 28 mph electric bikes and opt for a hip old-school bike like the latest in the Black Label Series from State Bicycle Co.

The 6061 Black Label v3, a lightweight (18 lb) city cycle built on an aluminum frame with a carbon fiber fork, comes with a flip-flop hub so you can ride it as either a singlespeed or a fixed gear bike, and with a choice of either a wide riser handlebar or compact drop bars. This bike is not just a looker, either, as it’s designed for “performance-focused urban cycling,” so it lends itself well to a variety of riding experiences.

“Responding to the growing demand for versatility in urban cycling, the lightweight 6061 aluminum Black Label v3 with carbon fork now supports up to a 38c tire, opening up a world of possibilities for riders. Whether it’s smooth tarmac, rugged city streets, or even a little tracklocross the v3 is ready to conquer it all. With a tapered head tube and featuring full carbon fork, the Black Label Series is a stiff and responsive ride.”

The 6061 Black Label v3 is available as a complete bike for $749, or as just the frame for $429. Check it out at State Bicycle Co.

Derek lives in southwestern New Mexico and digs bicycles, simple living, fungi, organic gardening, sustainable lifestyle design, bouldering, and permaculture. He loves fresh roasted chiles, peanut butter on everything, and buckets of coffee.

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