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Twist

Frame

29″ / 27.5″wheels
Hard-hitting Trail and Enduro Mullet Frame
135mm
Steel is Teal 1x1
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 4
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 1
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 2
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 3
Starling Murmur Light Grey Render
Haf Land Blue Twist 13
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 13
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 17
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 16
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 15
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 12
Haf Land Blue Twist 14
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 14
Haf Land Blue Twist 12
Starling Murmur headtube Light Grey Render
Starling Murmur downtube Light Grey Render
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 red 10
Steel is Teal 1x1
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 4
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 1
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 2
Starling Cycles Cosmic Purple 3
Starling Murmur Light Grey Render
Haf Land Blue Twist 13
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 13
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 17
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 16
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 15
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 12
Haf Land Blue Twist 14
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 steel is teal 14
Haf Land Blue Twist 12
Starling Murmur headtube Light Grey Render
Starling Murmur downtube Light Grey Render
Starling Cycles Frame Detail 1x1 red 10

Starling Cycles Twist frame

Our award winning, do it all, steel shredder with mullet wheels (27.5” rear, 29” front). Handmade with 135mm rear travel in Reynolds 853 steel. Base price is for frame only, without shock.
CORE: Sizes M, L, XL. EU made, 3-5 days lead time where in stock.
RARE: Sizes S, M+, XXL. UK made to order, 8-12 week lead time.

Price range: £2,222.00 through £2,567.00

Choose your frame

Add upgrades

Ohlins TTX22M.2 Coil Rear Shock
Ohlins TTX22M.2 Coil Rear Shock
£745.00
Hope Headset
Hope Headset
Clear
£90.00
Hope Seatclamp
Hope Seatclamp
Clear
£22.00

USA Tariff guarantee

No surprises at the border. We guarantee you’ll never pay more than you have to, and refund the difference if it is more.

Euro payments

What you see is what you pay. Euro countries will see their bill in euros with all duties pre-calculated. No surprises at the border.

Cycle Scheme + Klarna

Make payment easy. We work with all major Cycle Scheme providers and offer Paypal in 3 and Klarna at checkout.

Add extras

Related products

Super versatile, mid-travel mullet. Does it all.

Starling’s mid-travel, mullet wheeled and bullshit-free steel mountain bike.

The Twist is our tough-as-nails, corner-slashing, do-it-all single-pivot.

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

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.

Mullet wheels and 135mm not quite right? Mix and match rear shocks and forks, and choose 120mm, 135mm, 150mm, or 165mm rear travel for your perfect setup. Switch swingarms and rear wheels to go full 29″. Switch between air and coil. The bike you build now can transform into something totally different later on.

Review

NSMB
“The Twist is a very simple but well thought out tool that does its job deceptively well. It is an absolute blast to get loose with; I honestly haven’t had this much fun on a bike in a long while. It “feels” really good. “

Review

Bike Radar
“It’s an eager climber that’ll more than happily spin up just about any incline comfortably. On natural, technical terrain its smooth, forgiving feel and supple rear suspension help to keep it glued to tricky lines with confidence.”

Review

Singletrack
“If you want a bike for hammering the heck out of a couple of square kilometres of woodland, the Twist is the one. With the added benefit of being a blast on the occasional obligatory daytrip to some McTrailCentre or other, where it is also a freaking riot.”

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.
  • Adjustable shock mount also allows 120, 150mm and 165mm travel (new shock required).
  • Front triangle hand-built in the EU using Reynolds 853 steel tubing.
  • Rear triangle hand-built using heat-treated Chromoly.
  • Sizes S, M+ and XXL handmade at Starling in the UK to order.
  • 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.

  • Designed, tested, assembled and shipped from Bristol, UK.

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 SizeSmallMediumMediumPlusLargeX Large
Shock210×55210×55210×55210×55210×55
Rear Travel135135135135135
Max Rear Tyre2.8″2.8″2.8″2.8″2.8″
Fork Length150mm150150150150
Rider Size Range5’6″ – 5’9″5’6″ – 5’9″5’9″ – 5’11”5’11” – 6’1″6’1 – 6’4″
167cm – 177cm167cm – 175cm175cm – 180cm180cm – 185cm185cm – 193cm
Reach425450465485515
Stack629629629629638
Head Angle65.065.065.065.065.0
Seat Tube Length375410430440480
Head Tube Length110110110110120
Chainstay435435435435435
Wheelbase11951218123712501288
BB drop34/1534/1534/1534/1534/15
Eff. Seat Angle78.078.078.078.078.0
Eff. Top Tube*557596611628663
Max Post Insertion250280300310340
Standover #820824832839843
* Effective ST Angle measured at 750mm from BB Centre.
# Standover measured at top tube mid point.
$ Relative to rear 29″ axle/27.5″ rear axle

Technical

Travel 135mm
Shock 210x55mm
Headset Top ZS44/28.6
Headset Bottom EC44/40
Seat Tube 31.6mm
BB 73mm Threaded
Seat Clamp M/L/XL 36.4mm S/M+/XXL: 34.9mm
Chain Device Integrated 28T-34T
Bash Mount ISCG05
Rear Axle 148x12mm Boost
Max Tyre 27.5 x 2.8″
Brake Mount Post Mount 180mm
Max Disc 203mm
Front Shock Hardware 30x8mm
Rear Shock Hardware 35x8mm
Main Pivot Bearings 6902 2RS
Derailleur Hanger Replaceable SRAM UDH T-Type Compatible

 

Tech Journal

Reviews

1 2
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.
1 2

2 reviews for Twist

  1. Twist photo review
    Jake D
    Having put over 4000km's on this thing I can safely say it climbs and descends with absolutely no fuss! It's so playful on the descents and brings me ...More
    Having put over 4000km's on this thing I can safely say it climbs and descends with absolutely no fuss! It's so playful on the descents and brings me so much joy that I got rid of my other bikes (including an e-bike) because this things just ticks all the boxes!
    Twist photo review
    Dominic G
    Had my Twist for a bit over three years now. Still loving how it performs. How quiet it is. How easy it is to work on. Ride it 3-5 times a week and it...More
    Had my Twist for a bit over three years now. Still loving how it performs. How quiet it is. How easy it is to work on. Ride it 3-5 times a week and it always makes me smile. No idea why just feels right.
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