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Murmur

Frame

29″wheels
Hard-Hitting, Versatile Trail and Enduro Frame
135mm
a green bike frame
headtube gasets on a green starling murmur bike frame
swingarm yoke
bottom bracket and swing arm assembly
headtube badge of a bike
shock linkage on a starling murmur
a green bike frame
headtube gasets on a green starling murmur bike frame
swingarm yoke
bottom bracket and swing arm assembly
headtube badge of a bike
shock linkage on a starling murmur

Starling Cycles Murmur Frame

Our award winning, do it all, steel shredder. UK-made with 135mm rear travel in Reynolds 853 steel. Base price is for frame only, without shock.

Current frame lead time is 6-8 weeks, but we can often deliver quicker if we have frames in stock.

£1,851.67

Choose your frame

Add upgrades

BikeYoke Dropper Seat Post
BikeYoke Dropper Seat Post
Clear
£229.17
Ohlins RXF36 M.2 Air TTX18 Fork
Ohlins RXF36 M.2 Air TTX18 Fork
£916.67
Ohlins TTX22M.2 Coil Rear Shock
Ohlins TTX22M.2 Coil Rear Shock
£620.83
Hope Headset
Hope Headset
Clear
£75.00
Hope Seatclamp
Hope Seatclamp
Clear
£18.33
Clutch Handmade Steel Stem (Back Order)
Clutch Handmade Steel Stem (Back Order)
Clear

In stock (can be backordered)

£145.83
Stainless Steel Stem Spacer
Stainless Steel Stem Spacer
£5.83

Add extras

Related products

Starling Cycles Murmur

Starling’s original, award-winning and bullshit-free steel mountain bike.

The Murmur is a tough-as-nails, race-winning, adventure-seeking, do-it-all single-pivot.

It has 29″ wheels, 135mm rear travel and our award-winning, bullshit-busting, handmade steel frame that made with Reynolds 853.

That perfect compliant steel ‘feel’ creates a one-of-a-kind ride feel that’ll handle everything from your local singletrack to your once-in-a-lifetime season in the mountains.

Just two bearings to maintain. Zero marketing gimmicks or next-best-thing shithousery.

Review

The Loam Wolf
“The ride quality offered by the steel tubing gives exceptional grip and a comfortable ride. By fitting high-quality suspension units, the Murmur can be a seriously fast and capable bike.”

Review

BikeMag
“The Starling Murmur’s feel is second to none. Its steel front triangle is elegantly simple and sleek, round tubing speaks of the beauty found in function over form. The Murmur is a bike that’s built to be ridden, plain and simple.”

Review

Pinkbike
“A beautiful bike, and so unique. A rowdy, rock crusher. “

Review

The Radavist
“This new Murmur just proves that with the right kinetic engineering, proper geometry, and tube selection, a steel full suspension bike can offer the same, if not better, performance and ride quality as a carbon bike. The way Joe and his team have set up this simple single-pivot design, there is little to no effect on the suspension from hard braking (anti-rise), yet with the new geometry tweaks, the Mumur climbs even better than before and still holds its own on descents.”

Review

Blister Review
” It’s a genuinely good bike, period, albeit one that offers a somewhat different combination of traits and ride feel than most other bikes in its class. The Murmur’s greatest strengths are in traction and composure on rougher, off-camber, slippery bits of trail — probably not coincidentally, the kind of stuff the UK is famous for”

Review

Singeltracks
“The Murmur stands out with its overall comfort and poise while descending. The first ride on this bike felt familiar, with an easy handling character and smooth-footedness on rocky trails that inspire fun riding. I carried it to the top of a mountain on the second ride and was as comfortable bouncing across the trail-less crest into the valley below as I would be on my personal bike.”

Starling Cycles V3 Frame Design

Our bikes eliminate complexity.

They are the counter-argument to mountain biking’s obsession with ‘more’.

With more pivots and more space-age materials. More acronyms and more marketing bullshit. The misconception that more tech means more fun. 

We make unapologetically simple bikes. We include only what’s necessary, nothing more. Zero marketing gimmicks and next-best-thing shithousery.

We’ve stripped away the bullshit and left tough, long-lasting, beautiful and hassle-free mountain bikes. Bikes made to ride, not polish and preen. Simple to ride and bags of fun.

But simple doesn’t mean basic, and it certainly isn’t easy. It takes a whole heap of experience, expertise, testing, refinement and raw passion to make bikes this good, and this simple.

Our full suspension frames are made using high-end, recycled steel. They have a smart and simple adjustable shock mount to vary travel. They have an aluminium seat-post insert to eliminate stuck seat posts. There’s a tough-as-nails anti-flare headtube, a neatly integrated chain guide, a machined main pivot piece that’s strong, stiff and easy to maintain. And they have SRAM UDH hangers, of course.

And to give you the confidence you need, our frames are covered by our 7-year warranty and crash replacement service. They can be repaired, refurbished, repainted and often upgraded to keep them charging hard for years to come.

Features

  • V3 frame design with updated technology.
  • 29″ wheels.
  • 135mm rear travel as standard.
  • Adjustable shock mount also allows 120mm/165mm rear travel (new shock required).
  • Front triangle hand-built in Bristol, UK, using Reynolds 853 heat-treated tubing.
  • Rear triangle hand built by ORA, Taiwan, using heat-treated Chromoly.
  • NEW: XL/XXL now with UK-made Mega swingarm for more balanced ride (455mm).
  • UDH derailleur hanger.
  • Up to 200mm rotor.
  • Fits standard tapered forks.
  • Boost rear axle spacing (fits non-boost with spacer).
  • Seat tube reinforcing strut on XL and XXL.
  • Stainless & numbered dropper port.
  • Starling headtube gusset.
  • Bottle mount in frame on medium & above.
  • 7-year warranty/crash replacement service.
  • Frame repair, refurbishment and repaint service.

Starling Cycles are made by real flesh-and-blood humans. The perfect blend of precision and passion.

Our frames are hand-crafted with quality, lightweight steel for an unmistakable feel and undeniable speed.

Our single-pivot suspension design eliminates complexity. A blast to ride and a breeze to maintain.

Geometry and sizing

Frame SizeMediumMediumPlusLargeX LargeXXL
Shock210×55210×55210×55210×55210×55
Rear Travel135135135135135
Max Rear Tyre2.6″2.6″2.6″2.6″2.6″
Fork Length150150150150150
Rider Size Range5’6″ – 5’9″5’9″ – 5’11”5’11” – 6’1″6’1 – 6’4″6’4″-6-8″
167cm – 175cm175cm – 180cm180cm – 185cm185cm – 193cm193cm-203cm
Reach450465485515545
Stack629629629638647
Head Angle65.065.065.065.065.0
Seat Tube Length410430440480510
Head Tube Length110110110120130
Chainstay445445445455455
Wheelbase12281247126012981328
BB drop3434343434
Eff. Seat Angle78.078.078.078.078.0
Eff. Top Tube*596611628663690
Max Post Insertion280300310340370
Standover #825832839843862
* Effective ST Angle measured at 750mm from BB Centre.
# Standover measured at top tube mid point.

Technical

Travel 135mm
(and adjustable to 120mm/150mm)
Shock 210x55mm
Headset Top ZS44/28.6
Headset Bottom EC44/40
Seat Tube 31.6mm
BB 73mm Threaded
Seat Clamp 34.9mm
Chain Device Integrated 28T-34T
Rear Axle 148x12mm Boost
Max Tyre 29 x 2.6″
Brake Mount Post Mount 180mm
Max Disc 203mm
Front Shock Hardware 30x8mm
Rear Shock Hardware 35x8mm
Main Pivot Bearings 6902 2RS
Bash Mount ISCG05
Derailleur Hanger Replaceable SRAM UDH T-Type Compatible

 

Tech Journal

Reviews

Beady Little Eye photo review
Max
A fistful of Birds. "When a person's got a Starling in their pocket, they begin to appreciate peace." After selling my Light-Eebs and getting a CX...More
A fistful of Birds.
"When a person's got a Starling in their pocket, they begin to appreciate peace."

After selling my Light-Eebs and getting a CX powered EBike I got tired of riding and missed the feeling of gratification. I felt as if there was no fidelity left with all that high-tech, like listening to your favorite tune through a tin-can turned up to 11.

This bike turned all this around. It's exactly as advertised: LoFi bike for HiFi fun - as long as you don't mind the bit of extra pain for a lack of gears.

After 10 rides I can confirm it really is the forever bike - floats like a butterfly and stings like a bee if need be.
Swoop photo review
Simon C
My most versatile bike. Its been a short travel single speed (until I finally got a BLE), a trail bike and currently big travel enduro. The adjustable...More
My most versatile bike. Its been a short travel single speed (until I finally got a BLE), a trail bike and currently big travel enduro. The adjustable travel lets you build it however you want and it’s so easy to swap between setups. And one of the few places you can still get a 27.5! I can’t recommend Starling enough, super friendly team and awesome bikes.
Murmur photo review
Nathan C
I’ve worked in bike shops for close to 20 years. I always tried a new bike every year from a variety of brands and was never truly impressed. I’ve bee...More
I’ve worked in bike shops for close to 20 years. I always tried a new bike every year from a variety of brands and was never truly impressed. I’ve been riding my Starling Murmur now for 5 years and it continues to make me smile. I now get more excited about swapping out suspension or drivetrain components to only enhance the joy this bike brings. I’m hoping it lives longer than I do. It’s a keeper!
Mega Murmur photo review
Marcos C
Juste incroyablement confortable, stable, tout en restant fun et facile à rouler! Je remercie aussi l’équipe Starling pour tous les conseils sur la ta...More
Juste incroyablement confortable, stable, tout en restant fun et facile à rouler! Je remercie aussi l’équipe Starling pour tous les conseils sur la taille et les réglages de l’amortisseur. Une pure merveille!

"Just incredibly comfortable, stable, while remaining fun and easy to ride! I also thank the Starling team for all the advice on shock size and settings. A pure marvel!"
Mega Twist photo review
Marvin
I am simply blown away by the MegaTwist. It hast phanomenal grip, handles steeps like a champ and is planted and fun at the same time. Thanks...More
I am simply blown away by the MegaTwist.

It hast phanomenal grip, handles steeps like a champ and is planted and fun at the same time.

Thanks Joe and the great Team behind the scenes for a simply awesome mountainbike and the good times!
Swoop photo review
Assaf
When I ordered the bike I was sure it would be a big fail but couldn’t resist this thin tubes 😂 After 3 months it arrived and that’s the most close t...More
When I ordered the bike I was sure it would be a big fail but couldn’t resist this thin tubes 😂
After 3 months it arrived and that’s the most close to perfect bike I can think of for me and I rode the last years on Canfield balance,
The swoop hits you hard in the face with all the shit this industry feed us for years, it’s like the frame run naked in the forest and laughing out loud on all the other companies best efforts to make a good bike , like the pre sale support told me before I ordered them - it’s not one measure/ angel/matireal , it’s how all those things talk to each other, that’s the starling experience
Steve
I have one of the Murmur LTD frames. It was a handmade version of the 'Factory' model. I guess it's reasonably similar to the v2? Whilst I'm sure tha...More
I have one of the Murmur LTD frames. It was a handmade version of the 'Factory' model. I guess it's reasonably similar to the v2?
Whilst I'm sure that the v3 is an improvement I really can't find anything wrong with mine. It's the best bike I've owned & the best full sus bike I've ridden by a long way. The ONLY thing that could be better is the fact that bottle mounting is tight! I solved it with a fidlock bottle that will change shape a bit with boiling water and some pressure, then cold water! I'd probably sacrifice a little bit of standover to solve it but then that may reduce dropper travel. I think the newer frames have less of an issue with this though.
It climbs, pedals, descends and corners great and so far seems as tough as they come. I would have another Starling anytime I have the cash to spare!
I run mine 650+ which isn't a common setup, but I prefer it to 29. Going to try some of the new Schwalbe radial tyres on the 29er wheels but I really like the feel of the plus set up... The newer frames take slightly wider tyres in 29" through so that may make 650+ less relevant.
Oh and Cushcore - use them! Better everything, no real downside!
Beady Little Eye photo review
Simon C
I can’t get enough of this bike. I set it up as a trail bike and have been riding it everywhere I’d normally ride my Swoop. It is so much fun. It goes...More
I can’t get enough of this bike. I set it up as a trail bike and have been riding it everywhere I’d normally ride my Swoop. It is so much fun. It goes like a rocket around the Ashton Court/Leigh Woods motorway type stuff encouraging you to pump and pop just about anything and on the natural stuff, for how I like to ride, I really think this is as good as it gets.

Single speeds are my favourite type of bikes and that little bit of give that you get over a hardtail is just enough to let you really push it and leave you with a little bit of wiggle room on the drops and jumps or when things get steep and rooty. It was definitely worth the wait!
Murmur photo review
Travis
Now that I've got a few hundred kilometers on this rig, I wanted to chime in. Man! Believe the hype! I commute 50-60km each day on gnarly fire roads w...More
Now that I've got a few hundred kilometers on this rig, I wanted to chime in. Man! Believe the hype! I commute 50-60km each day on gnarly fire roads with over 1,000m of climbing. The MM is the ideal rig for this terrain. I can super comfortably peddle the steeps in the morning and rip into some singletrack coming home. This bike is perfectly poised on everything I like to ride. Thanks a million to Joe and the Starling team!
Murmur complete bike photo review
Flo
German Version below. I love this bike so much. It is beautiful, simple and rides wonderful. The grip that is provided at the rear end of the bike i...More
German Version below.
I love this bike so much. It is beautiful, simple and rides wonderful. The grip that is provided at the rear end of the bike is unbelievable. The "simplicity" of the linkage combined with the frame material is absorbing everything super comfortable, makes the rear wheel stick to the ground and the travel feels endless. Everything routed externally, almost every screw can be reached without disassembling parts, this bike is super simple, if it needs maintenance. Completely in love!

Schockverliebt. Das Rad ist wunderschön, einfach und fährt sich wunderbar. Der Grip am Heck des Bikes ist unglaublich. Die „Einfachheit“ des Hinterbaus in Kombination mit dem Rahmenmaterial sorgt für super viel Komfort und absorbiert alles, lässt den Hinterbau am Boden kleben und der Federweg fühlt sich endlos an. Alle Leitungen und Züge sind außen verlegt, fast jede Schraube ist ohne das man irgendwelche anderen Teile abbauen muss zu erreichen, das Bike macht es einem echt einfach, wenn es mal repariert werden muss. Einfach in Love mit dem Hobel.
Roost photo review
Jamie E
Big fan of my custom Roost, built with Microshift, Manitou and various other shed-found bits. It's really capable and feels very confidence-inspiring ...More
Big fan of my custom Roost, built with Microshift, Manitou and various other shed-found bits. It's really capable and feels very confidence-inspiring on technical terrain. I really enjoy jumping onto the Roost for trails I'd usually ride on my Murmur, it adds a bit of challenge (but not as much as I thought it would!) and makes for a low-stress, low-maintenance bike. It's going to be great through the winter when I want to keep my full suss tidy.
Murmur complete bike photo review
DR
I love my Murmur - recently refurbished by the team at Starling with 135mm/160mm travel and it rides so well. Use it for everything from local steeps,...More
I love my Murmur - recently refurbished by the team at Starling with 135mm/160mm travel and it rides so well. Use it for everything from local steeps, bike parks to cross country epics. Got a weekend in the Peaks and Golfie later this year for some big days out, the Murmur will be perfect for this. Climbs really well, descends amazingly. Size XL and fits a 750mm bottle in there no problem with the Fox shock.
Swoop photo review
John
From day one I’ve always loved the look of starling cycles frames, Simple design with an old school look. I demo’ed one back in 2019 and love it f...More
From day one I’ve always loved the look of starling cycles frames,
Simple design with an old school look.
I demo’ed one back in 2019 and love it from the get go

Have now been riding the swoop now for 5 years and couldn’t ask for a better trail bike.
STRONG , FAST AND FUN
Murmur photo review
Jamie
Love my Murmur - a crazy capable, versatile and reliable bike.

3 reviews for Murmur

  1. Murmur photo review
    Nathan C
    I’ve worked in bike shops for close to 20 years. I always tried a new bike every year from a variety of brands and was never truly impressed. I’ve bee...More
    I’ve worked in bike shops for close to 20 years. I always tried a new bike every year from a variety of brands and was never truly impressed. I’ve been riding my Starling Murmur now for 5 years and it continues to make me smile. I now get more excited about swapping out suspension or drivetrain components to only enhance the joy this bike brings. I’m hoping it lives longer than I do. It’s a keeper!
    Murmur photo review
    Travis
    Now that I've got a few hundred kilometers on this rig, I wanted to chime in. Man! Believe the hype! I commute 50-60km each day on gnarly fire roads w...More
    Now that I've got a few hundred kilometers on this rig, I wanted to chime in. Man! Believe the hype! I commute 50-60km each day on gnarly fire roads with over 1,000m of climbing. The MM is the ideal rig for this terrain. I can super comfortably peddle the steeps in the morning and rip into some singletrack coming home. This bike is perfectly poised on everything I like to ride. Thanks a million to Joe and the Starling team!
    Murmur photo review
    Jamie
    Love my Murmur - a crazy capable, versatile and reliable bike.
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