I first want you to know that my State Bicycle does the job. I ride through Prospect Park in Brooklyn a few times a week to maintain my mediocre physique. That being said, I consistently find myself frustrated about two things I wish I had known prior to selecting my bike. The first is that the brakes weren't very strong and didn't feel safe. Currently in NYC, there is a well documented bicycle part shortage. When I got the brake levers replaced, the only ones they had in stock were very expensive. With labor, this was around an additional $100 added to the cost of my bike. Second, shifting gears is not a joy. My bike always begins to come out of gear and I have to shift up and then back down and maneuver the gear shifter around a bit to get it to stop clicking and stay in gear. Also, there are a few gears in the middle that don't feel any different. I took it into the bike shop, and they said this was something they commonly encounter with State Bicycles and that there really isn't much that can be done about it. So I hope State Bicycle changes the gears (or the gear shifter, not sure) that they use in the future.