Month: June 2023

We’re super excited to announce our very first complete-build bike AND a limited edition super build that brings together the best of Bristol, Lancashire and further afield in Europe.

Our Limited Edition Hope Build takes a Starling frame – Murmur, Swoop or Twist, you chose – and dresses it up in a super-spec from some amazing UK and European manufacturers. Trail and Enduro modes are both available.

We’ve got Hope everything (including bar and stem, cranks, wheels and more) Ohlins suspension, a Bike Yoke dropper and Michelin tyres. It’s a build that wants for absolutely nothing and, we think, is a perfect pairing of UK and Euro brands.

If that’s not quite enough, we’re offering the full range of Hope colours and FREE custom paint, including premium colours, to guarantee your new dream build will be a true one-of-a-kind.

Complete Spec:

• Ohlins TFX36 air fork / TTX Coil shock
• Hope headset
• Hope seat clamp
• Hope Tech E4 brakes
• Hope EVO crankset
• Hope AM stem
• Hope carbon bar
• Hope Head Doctor
• Hope Fortus 30 SC wheelset
• Shimano SLX drivetrain
• BikeYoke Divine dropper
• Funn saddle
• Funn Hilt grips
• Michelin Wild AM2 tyres

The last piece of good news is the price. We’ve worked HARD on the pricing of this one to create a monster build at the best possible price. We’ve also included that FREE paint upgrade and free premium paint, worth £160.

The complete build of this bike should be £6326. We’ve worked some magic and can supply a complete bike, with premium paint for just £5777, saving you over £500.

How To Order..?

UK customers will receive the new Hope Edition as a complete build – marking the first-ever complete bikes that Starling has sold.

They’ll be shipped built-up and you’ll just need to do some easy assembly on arrival with basic tools. Nothing complicated, just pull it out the box, get the wheels in, bars on and your set.

European and USA customers have a choice. They can purchase direct from our suppliers in their regions who will supply complete bikes (pricing and spec may vary) or they can purchase direct from us and we can supply unbuilt components.

Anyone in any other countries, should purchase direct from Starling and we’ll supply unbuilt components.

Ready to Learn More?

You can learn more about the Starling Cycles Limited Edition Hope Build here on our website.

Great news for USA and EU customers – it’s now even easier to buy Starling Cycles frames from within the EU and the USA, thanks to two new importers.

Up to this point, we’ve supplied frames direct from the UK to the USA and EU. Orders are placed, frames are prepped and then shipped direct to customers.

But (particularly in the EU) that can be tricky with import fees, shipping times, import taxes and uncertainty over timescales to clear customs.

That problem is now solved thanks to our partners Traillabs and BikeTheWorld.

Both are now holding stock within their respective territories and dealing with sales, warranty and tech support.

Introducing…

Trail Labs is a black-belt-level suspension tuning and servicing centre, based out of Springfield Missouri USA and Starling Cycles USA importer.

Trail Labs is holding stock of Starling Cycles Core frames and can supply anything from frame-only, to full builds to custom projects.

They’re also offering custom-painted frames, with an almost endless supply of paint options and – of course – handling warranty, technical, spares and anything else you might need.

And, because they’re also suspension experts, Trail Labs can work with you to get that suspension setup absolutely dialled.

If you’re looking to buy a Starling Cycles frame in the USA, you can contact Trail Labs here.

BikeTheWorld is a rider-owned company that’s based in Zurich, Switzerland and is the Starling Cycles importer for the EU/mainland Europe.

BikeTheWorld is also holding stock of Starling Cycles Core frames and can supply frame-only, full build and custom builds. They’re going to handle EU sales, warranty, tech and spares and be your one-stop-shop for Starling Cycles in mainland Europe.

The big benefit of BikeTheWorld is that they hold stock within the EU – meaning none of those annoying import fees for EU customers that you’d face when shipping from the UK and no hassles with customs holdups.

If you’re looking to buy a Starling Cycles frame in the EU and mainland Europe, you can contact BikeTheWorld here.

How Does This All Work?

It works however you want it to.

USA and EU customers can contact BikeTheWorld and Trail Labs direct and deal 100% with them. They’re experts, they know our bikes, they can answer pretty much everything you need to know.

Or, if you’d prefer, you’re welcome to contact us here at HQ to discuss your dream build. We can provide all the usual advice that we would to a direct-sales customer, then refer you over to our importers when it’s time to make a sale.

We know you lot like to speak to us when speccing your bikes, so we’re 100% happy to keep that open to all customers.

Ready to get started..?

You can browse the full range of Starling Cycles frames here.
You can contact Trail Labs in the USA here.
You can contact BikeTheWorld in the EU here.

After several years of designing the logos, graphics and soft-goods for Starling Cycles our art guy John decided it was time to get his very own Starling.

Here’s the story behind his new Stainless Murmur. 

Words and photos by John Lambert:

Back in early 2016, I was in the early stages of setting up my freelance design business, so I had a little bit of time on my hands.

As many mountain bikers do, I was scrolling through the Singletrack World forum and came across a post on steel full-suspension bikes. I’ve always been a steel fan, with my first ‘proper’ mtb being an Orange P7 back in 2006, so I was intrigued to find out more about this unknown-to-me brand.

There was no website at the time, which prompted me to jump onto the Starling Facebook page, where I found a post offering some free handlebars or a frame discount in exchange for a logo design. The logo had to work vertically, and horizontally and look good as a head badge.

I played around with a few ideas and sent them to Joe and got a good response but there were also some other ideas he liked. I then sent an email suggesting that he may want to consider who his customers were likely to be and how the Starling logo design could appeal to and resonate with them.

Joe’s response was: “What would it cost me to sit down with you for a day, we can throw some ideas around and then you could take those away to produce a final polished logo.”

Since then, I have had the privilege of contributing to the brand’s growth from a small workshop in a shed, to a global brand with several full-time staff.

Along the way there have been multiple model logos, website front page videos, the odd photo shoot and many other interactions.

Since launching the merchandise shop, I’ve looked like Starling’s biggest fanboy and despite having the opportunity to ride most of the different bikes, I’ve never owned one myself.

I really like the UK-made frames and have huge respect for Geoff and Ollie in the workshop, but I was drawn to the finish of one of the early stainless frames while taking some photos back in 2019.

When Joe announced that there was a limited number of frames left and that there were no immediate plans for another batch, as well as a planned trip to Ard Rock and the Alps in the summer it was time for my own Starling to take flight.

As is probably typical for most designers, mine is an understated but well-thought-out Murmur Stainless ‘trail’ build. As far as component choice, I went for something a bit more ‘trail orientated’ but I love seeing the different directions that Starling owners take their builds in.

I started with some tried and trusted quality parts and touchpoints: Middleburn cranks, Magura Trail SL brakes, BikeYoke dropper, Chris King headset, Fabric saddle, ESI grips.

Wheels were built locally by Sam at Amped (who also provided the One Up carbon bars) using the new Hope Pro5s, DT Swiss XM481 and Comp butted spokes with brass Squorx prolock nipples.

Bouncy bits are taken care of by Rockshox, including a custom TFTuned rear shock.

Finally, I took a bit of a gamble ordering a DH Sign stem from Italy, but the stainless faceplate and matte anodised stem match the aesthetics of the frame perfectly.

Already the bike feels perfectly at home on my local trails in the South West of the UK; fast and confidence-inspiring on the downs and light and snappy enough on the climbs to pick up some Strava top 10s.

I’m looking forward to fine-tuning it and properly putting it through its paces this summer.

Full(ish) spec list:

• Pike Ultimate MY23
• Custom TFTuned Super Deluxe Ultimate
• Pro 5s on XM481 Slik stealth graphics
• CK Headset
• Starling top cap
• Middleburn cranks
• XT 12 speed throughout
• Magura MT Trail SL, 180mm/203mm
• DH Sign stem with stainless faceplate
• One Up 35mm carbon bar
• BikeYoke Divine/Squeezy
• Fabric scoop race
• ESI Chunky grips
• 76 projects cable tidies

You can follow John and his design business ‘Breathe Design’ on Instagram.

And learn more about the Starling Cycles Murmur Stainless here.

Great news if you’re looking to order a Starling Cyles frame.

We’ve just moved into the new workshop, we’re able to manufacture at a better rate and, we’ve managed to refine a few processes to improve efficiency.

We’ve also looked at our orders and (no surprises here) most of our customers are ordering Medium or Large frames.

And so, we’ve been able to make some improvements.

After a bit of planning and improvement, we’ve been able to cut our manufacturing time down pretty significantly.

Murmur and Twist frames in Medium, Large and Extra Large sizes can now be manufactured in 50% of the time that we’d previously been working.

Our usual lead time is 16 weeks, meaning you’d usually get a frame within 16 weeks of pressing ‘buy’. From now on, we’re able to cut that in half, delivering M, L and XL Murmur and Twist frames after just 8 weeks of you placing your order.

And in case you’re wondering, there are no changes to the manufacturing process, build speed or quality of the product. We’re just focussing on batch-manufacturing the most popular sizes that we know will be needed the most. The other sizes will remain exactly the same, at 16 weeks.

Order soon and you’ll be riding your new Starling in the summer sun with plenty of dusty trails, grippy lines and mud-free days left to enjoy your new frame.

Bear in mind though – it’s first come, first served and if this proves popular it might impact lead times. So, don’t hang about if you want to be at the top of the queue.

USA Customers – contact Trail Labs to place your orders. Trail Labs is now our USA supplier, based in Springfield, Missouri. They can supply custom paint jobs, frame-only, full builds and custom options.

EU Customers – we’re now working with BikeTheWorld which can supply to the EU without risk of import or VAT charges and are holding stock in Europe. They’re also able to do full builds, frame-only, custom options etc.

This applies to Murmur and Twist, Medium, Large and Extra Large only.

You can browse the full range of Starling Cycles frames here.