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Swoop

Frame

27.5″wheels
Super fun, super shreddy, full 27.5″.
120/135/150/160mm
Starling Swoop 1x1
Starling Cycles EXT Vecta Shock offer
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 2
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 1
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 3
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 4
starling frame badge near bottom bracket
shock linkage and top tube of bike frame
Ohlins fork attached to twist frame
starling headtube badge and top tube and down tube
rear triangle linking close up to front triangle
Starling Swoop 1x1
Starling Cycles EXT Vecta Shock offer
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 2
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 1
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 3
Starling Cycles Pumpkin Colour 4
starling frame badge near bottom bracket
shock linkage and top tube of bike frame
Ohlins fork attached to twist frame
starling headtube badge and top tube and down tube
rear triangle linking close up to front triangle

RARE SPECIES: Starling Cycles Swoop frame

27 aint dead! Our full-27.5″ steel shredder. UK-made with 120/135/150/160mm rear travel in Reynolds 853 steel.

Base price is for frame only, without shock.

Available in any of our custom paint colours, order and we’ll contact you to confirm. Refer to our Frame Paint Guide for options.
Orders are OPEN. RARE frames are now handmade to order, in our UK workshop. 12 week lead time.

£2,567.00

Choose your frame

Ohlins RXF36 M.2 Air TTX18 Fork
1 × Ohlins RXF36 M.2 Air TTX18 Fork
£1,100.00
Ohlins TTX22M.2 Coil Rear Shock
1 × Ohlins TTX22M.2 Coil Rear Shock
£745.00
BikeYoke Dropper Seat Post
1 × BikeYoke Dropper Seat Post
Clear
£275.00
Hope Headset
1 × Hope Headset
Clear
£90.00
Hope Seatclamp
1 × 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.

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RARE SPECIES
Starling Cycles Swoop

The Starling Cycles Swoop is our full-27.5”, fun-seeking, corner-slashing, do-it-all single pivot.

It has 27.5” wheels, a whole heap of travel options and our award-winning, bullshit-busting, handmade steel frame that’s made with Reynolds 853.

The Swoop is part of our RARE collection – these are now handmade to order in our UK workshop, with a 12-week lead time. Orders are open.

For custom paint options, you can choose from any of the colours shown here on our Custom Paint guide. Choose “Custom” and we’ll contact you to confirm your choice.

 

Review

The Radavist
“Fast downhills are a breeze. The bike goes where you want it to with ease and feels confident… This bike is the most comfortable I’ve ridden.”

Review

NSMB
“It’s an absolute blast to get loose with. I honestly haven’t had this much fun on a bike in a while.”

Review

MTB Mag
“The feeling that steel gives on the descent is something difficult to describe, but it is truly beautiful. It is something special and different from any other material. “

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.
  • 27.5″ wheels.
  • 120/135/150/160mm 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.
  • UDH derailleur hanger.
  • Up to 200mm rotor.
  • Fits standard tapered forks.
  • Boost rear axle spacing (fits non-boost with spacer).
  • Stainless & numbered dropper port.
  • Starling headtube gusset.
  • Bottle mount in frame on medium & above.
  • Bottle mount under downtube on small frames.
  • 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

SmallMediumLargeExtra Large
Wheel size27.5″27.5″27.5″27.5″
Rider size range5’2″ – 5’7″
157cm – 170cm		5’6″ – 5’10”
167cm – 177cm		5’9 – 6’1″
175cm – 185cm		6’1 – 6’4″
185cm – 193cm
A.Reach425mm450mm485mm515
B.Stack602mm611mm611mm619mm
C.Head Angle63.6°63.6°63.6°63.6°
D.Seat Tube Length375mm410mm440mm480
E.Head Tube Length110mm120mm120mm120mm
F.Fork Length170mm170mm170mm170mm
G.Chainstay435mm435mm435mm435mm
H.Wheelbase1193mm1223mm1258mm1288mm
I.BB Drop12mm12mm12mm12mm
J.Seat Angle76.6°76.6°76.6°76.6°
K.Effective Top Tube564mm591mm626mm656mm
Max Seat Post Insertion230mm265mm295mm340mm

Technical

Travel 120/135/150/160mm
Shock 210 x 50mm shock for 120mm rear travel
210 x 55mm shock for 135mm rear travel
230 x 60mm shock for 150mm rear travel
230 x 65mm shock for 160mm rear travel
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
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
Murmur photo review
Josh H
My Murmur. It’s been ridden. And ridden some more. I’ve ridden a lot of different bikes over the years and by far its the best trail/down country w...More
My Murmur.
It’s been ridden. And ridden some more.
I’ve ridden a lot of different bikes over the years and by far its the best trail/down country what ever you want to call it that I’ve ever had the pleasure to ride.
Just completed a full strip down and clean ready for another day out on the trails.
Thank you Starling Cycles.
Mega Murmur photo review
Josh H
My Murmur. It’s been ridden. And ridden some more. I’ve ridden a lot of different bikes over the years and by far it the best trail/down country wh...More
My Murmur.
It’s been ridden. And ridden some more.
I’ve ridden a lot of different bikes over the years and by far it the best trail/down country what ever you want to call it that I’ve ever had the pleasure to ride.
Just completed a full strip down and clean ready for another day out on the trails.
Thank you Starling Cycles.
Mega Twist photo review
Marcello
I finally got to try out “seriously” my new bike. A full day in Finale Ligure on technical trails with loose rocks, roots, and jumps, and a second, ea...More
I finally got to try out “seriously” my new bike. A full day in Finale Ligure on technical trails with loose rocks, roots, and jumps, and a second, easier day in the woods of Piemonte, on the border with France.
The mega twist is spectacular, surprisingly pedalable uphill, ready for any route, it eats up all the obstacles it encounters: the real limit is the driver's capabilities…WONDERFUL
Murmur photo review
Timeo
Incredible bike! I got a murmur from 2021, didn’t knew exactly what to expect from it as I never rode any single pivot or steel bikes... After a f...More
Incredible bike!

I got a murmur from 2021, didn’t knew exactly what to expect from it as I never rode any single pivot or steel bikes...
After a few changes like putting a 230x65mm EXT storia, upgrading the fork for a 170mm fork with a Vorsprung Smashpot inside and putting a 27.5 rear wheel I can tell it is the coolest bike I ever rode! Really suitable for my style of riding and my expectations!
It’s also perfect for maintenance, no worries, just send it!
The bike is a weapon of choice for riding whatever trails from alpine adventures to steep freeride trails without being compromised when you go to the local bike park ;)

Starling is making bikes that are working exactly how they should and that are mechanic friendly ;)

Thanks guys!
Mega Twist photo review
Boyd
I feel sorry for the people that haven’t had the opportunity to ride one of these bikes. It’s like watching people drink Carling while you’ve got a Gu...More
I feel sorry for the people that haven’t had the opportunity to ride one of these bikes. It’s like watching people drink Carling while you’ve got a Guinness.

This bike does not care what you want to ride, it goes up like an xc bike, goes down like a big rig. The only limitation to this machine is the person piloting it.

Stop looking at the reviews now, just buy one, it will make you a better rider
Murmur photo review
Morgan
I'm about a month in to owning my murmur. So far it's fulfilled roles as an adventure bike, pub cruiser and enduro rig. I love it. Definitely a do it ...More
I'm about a month in to owning my murmur. So far it's fulfilled roles as an adventure bike, pub cruiser and enduro rig. I love it. Definitely a do it all, no nonsense bike. I've setup in enduro mode for 150 mm rear travel. I might never change from this but it's cool to have the option with the adjustable shock mounts if I ever do get the urge. The bike rides beautifully, looks great and is easy to work. Really looking forward to spending more time enjoying my Murmur
Mini Murmur photo review
Ollie C
I’ve always loved a short-travel bike. I enjoy the direct feel, fast acceleration, and being more in touch with the terrain than on longer-travel bike...More
I’ve always loved a short-travel bike. I enjoy the direct feel, fast acceleration, and being more in touch with the terrain than on longer-travel bikes, which also means you have to be a bit more focused with line choice. Too often though, short-travel bikes feel out of their depth on the descents, with geometry designed for tamer XC trails — not my Mini Murmur.

My local trails are a combination of fast, flowy XC and steep, techy, normally muddy and loose terrain. My Starling feels fast and efficient on XC trails and for big days out in the hills, but then takes on a totally different persona when you point it down something steep and technical — crazy capable, stable, and most importantly, fun. If you are ever lucky enough to have go on one of these I guarantee you'll rail turns faster than any bike you've ever ridden. If you want an XC bike you can ride down, around and over anything, this is the bike.

Side note, but of utmost importance to me: I’m up there with the world’s laziest bike owners. Do not underestimate the joy of servicing your bike’s back end with a simple two press-fit bearing swap — less time in the workshop, more time to ride.
Murmur photo review
Anders B B
I’ve been riding my Starling Murmur for about three years and I have nothing but great things to say about it and smiles on face post ride. As a part ...More
I’ve been riding my Starling Murmur for about three years and I have nothing but great things to say about it and smiles on face post ride. As a part owner in a full suspension bike company that uses a “fancy” suspension design I’d have a hard time telling someone they need anything but what Starling offers.
Murmur photo review
Embry R
Love this new Murmur! I've been through a lot of carbon bikes & wanted something different - something unique, fun & special. This is it. ea...More
Love this new Murmur!
I've been through a lot of carbon bikes & wanted something different - something unique, fun & special. This is it. easy to build up, Simple to fall in love with & mint on the trail. The Murmur is a great, versatile platform to customize - I'm looking forward to many more miles!
Murmur photo review
Martin
Murmur, my second Starling. The previous one, a Swoop from the beginnings in the Shed, i rode for almost nine years. What a great ride! Agile, fast a...More
Murmur, my second Starling.
The previous one, a Swoop from the beginnings in the Shed, i rode for almost nine years. What a great ride! Agile, fast and very comfy bike. Lot of fun and memories.
This one comes from the Trade-in and Upgrade programm.
While the first bike was like a fighter jet, this one is fuckin' spaceship!! 👍🤣
Soo much better...
Cheers, Joe and Starling team! ✌️
Beady Little Eye photo review
John W
I have just built up my V2 Beady Little Eye with old components (a well used Rockshox Deluxe shock & Pike fork). Wow. What a fun, fun bike! All...More
I have just built up my V2 Beady Little Eye with old components (a well used Rockshox Deluxe shock & Pike fork).

Wow. What a fun, fun bike! All of the stiff, snappy response of a hardtail but with enough rear compliance to soak up the worst of rooty, rocky crud. Running minimal sag encourages proactive riding, pushing into compressions forcefully and popping hard off crests to engage the rear suspension. Flicking the damping from fast (downhill) to slow (climbing) seems to be the cheat code for having your cake and eat it: descending fun and climbing efficiency. I'm sure that the lightweight rear end, devoid of cassette and derailleur help the back tyre track the ground more effectively than a heavy geared bike.

This bike makes me feel like the hardtail hero that I'm not! It addresses the limitations of a hardtail with very little compromise.

Thanks Joe, James and all at Starling for making such a game-changing design and the top customer service.
Beady Little Eye photo review
John W
My first Starling and my first full-suspension bike, so I'm not the most knowlegable reviewer. A superbly involving bike - carbon and aluminium bikes ...More
My first Starling and my first full-suspension bike, so I'm not the most knowlegable reviewer. A superbly involving bike - carbon and aluminium bikes feel dead in comparison. I'm told it's the first customer bike so has had a good innings. The photo was taken above Molini on an epic 5-day holiday. The Murmur received more admiring comments that all of the other carbon bikes in the group put together!
Beady Little Eye photo review
Tom
Love my Beady! I've built mine for days on the south downs, and long distance rides. It climbs like a hardtail, but the rear is so compliant on the bu...More
Love my Beady! I've built mine for days on the south downs, and long distance rides. It climbs like a hardtail, but the rear is so compliant on the bumpy stuff.
Such a confidence inspiring ride, it wants to go fast. (We won't mention my 2nd ride crash where I've fractured some ribs due to a speed vs skill ratio that wasn't in my favour!). Looking forward to a summer on this thing once I'm healed up!
Mini Murmur photo review
Mathieu
All of 2024 I was looking at different short travel fullies to replace my hardcore hardtail, which was simply too much of a bike for the trails I ride...More
All of 2024 I was looking at different short travel fullies to replace my hardcore hardtail, which was simply too much of a bike for the trails I ride the most. I considered getting a Santa Cruz Tall Boy, Norco Optic and the Dawley T16. Then the Mini Murmur dropped and it was pretty much a no brainer. Starling's reputation, combined with the ability to still run other suspension platforms on a beautiful steel frame sealed the deal.

I built mine up mostly with parts from my old bike. Had to tweak the fit with a longer stem and rolled my handlebars forward to get more weight on the front. After some tweaks to suspension, this thing is dialed. I have never been riding this much. I just love how zippy, fun and capable it is. It really feels like the perfect bike for my needs and taste. Great work guys!
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.
Murmur photo review
Alessandro
Very funny bike, eats the trails!!!
I really love it
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!
1 2

3 reviews for Swoop

  1. 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.
    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
    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
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