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A Little Goes a Long Way: Starling Cycles Murmur V3 Review

Reportage By: John Watson

A Little Goes a Long Way: Starling Cycles Murmur V3 Review

Back in late 2018, I took delivery of a quirky steel full-suspension bike to review from a small framebuilding operation in the UK called Starling Cycles. Over the course of a few months, I rode the shit out of it in Los Angeles, where I was living at the time, and couldn’t get enough of it. As someone who lives metal bikes and loves riding trails, I hadn’t fully migrated to a full suspension chassis because I didn’t like the way the widely-available carbon models rode. The Murmur changed that for me. I reviewed the Murmur in April 2019 and immediately bought a V2 Murmur. 

Now living in Santa Fe, with arguably more technical terrain, I haven’t been able to put down the Starling Cycles Murmur; taking it high into the Sangre Mountains and beyond, this steel full-suspension bike really changed my perspective on the potential ride quality of full-suspension mountain bikes. Late last year, Joe from Starling reached out, saying he had a V3 frame for me to test out, and once again, I’ve been reaching for it nonstop.

Let’s look at my thoughts on the small changes the V3 underwent, leading to large improvements, and a broader perspective on steel full-suspension bikes below…

The Shed of Shred: A Workshop Visit with Starling Cycles

Reportage By: Sam Rice

The Shed of Shred: A Workshop Visit with Starling Cycles

Midlife crises come in all shapes and sizes. For some, a bright red Mustang relieves the itch. For others, some Eat Pray Lovin’ on a beach in Bali is just the ticket. But for Joe McEwan, Founder of Starling Cycles, chucking in his job as a successful aerospace engineer to build steel mountain bikes in a garden shed was just what the doctor ordered.

In this shop visit, we dig into the brand’s origin story, go behind the scenes at their Bristol workshop and learn why their signature single-pivots and retro rear shocks prove that simplicity never goes out of fashion.

Starling Cycles Murmur Stainless x Hope x Bristol Bicycle Restoration

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Starling Cycles Murmur Stainless x Hope x Bristol Bicycle Restoration

We’ve heard John sing the praises of his Starling Murmur over the past three years, and with good reason! Starling really has pushed the zeitgeist of carbon full suspension mountain bikes with their steel bikes, and to commemorate the launch of Starling Murmur Stainless pre-orders, the brand teamed up with Hope and Bristol Bicycle Restorations to cook up something special. Let’s check the press release from Starling out below!

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Beautiful Builds: John’s Starling Murmur 29er

When you think of steel full suspension bikes, you probably think of all the kooky and weird designs that came out in the late 90s that were awkward… to say the least. Yet there is a new wave of modern steel full suspension mountain bikes gaining hold, including the Starling Murmur. In the latest Beautiful Builds video, John showcases his personal Murmur, why he likes it, and what made him want a steel full suspension…

 

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The Starling Cycles Roost Hardtail

Starling’s very first hardtail, the Roost, had to be something special, so the UK MTB framebuilders went all out to make a bike built for pure, undiluted fun. Made to go anywhere and do anything, it’s as suited to back-country epics as it is bike park blasts. A handbuilt, zingy steel frame makes light work of rough and rowdy descents whilst mullet wheels bring that perfect balance of flick-knife and magnum. With room for a 120mm to 160mm fork, you’ve got plenty of options to custom build your own perfect setup. It’s not a spindly XC whippet, it’s not a sickly ‘hardcore ‘hardtail. It’s a ride-wherever, ride-whatever, tough-as-nails stainless do-it-all that’s built to take on whatever you can throw it at. And, of course, it’s built-in beautiful stainless steel for that shiny, rust-free raw style.

When you’re done with the video above, check out more photos of the Roost below and check out the pre-order at Starling Cycles. Pre-orders are open now with frames shipping to customers in early April 2022.

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Starling Cycles Presents: Fleur TK

Starling Cycles has a new video out, showcasing its team rider, Fleur:

“By day, Fleur is an ambulance driver and student paramedic. If you’ve not seen her racing round Bristol with the blues-and-twos wailing, she might well have patched you up at Dyfi Bike Park. Before training to save lives, she spent over a decade risking her own, racing yachts around the world and getting into more than a few sticky situations on the high seas.

And, of course, she absolute shreds on that pink Swoop of hers. Loose as a goose, not afraid to hit the big jumps and totally in love with scaring the shit out of herself on the high-speed and technical stuff. Perfect for the Starling Cycles crew! We spent the day with Fleur, on the river and on the trails, to get to know her a bit better.”

Starling Cycles Has Stock NOW!

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Starling Cycles Has Stock NOW!

You know that big bike shortage the world is going through right now?  It seems like Starling Cycles didn’t get the memo because they’ve got Starling frames and build kits available to order now. That means all of their Core frames are ready to order – that’s Swoop, Twist, and Murmur in Enduro (long travel) and Trail (short travel) options. Also, all of their Rare frames are ready to order – that’s the Murmur Stainless, Spur, Beady Little Eye, and full custom geo frames.

Starling’s Core bikes are being handbuilt to a 12 week lead time and their Rare bikes to a 16 week lead time. To top off your build, Starling also has a good supply of build kits to create your dream bike – that’s shocks, forks, drivetrains, wheels, cockpits. Pretty much everything you need. So, if you’re hunting for your dream bike, why not consider a beautifully built, brutally fast steel single-pivot?

If you’ve never thrown your leg over a modern steel full suspension, join the cult!

The 170mm Travel, Effigear Box-Equipped High-Pivot Starling Spur 29er

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The 170mm Travel, Effigear Box-Equipped High-Pivot Starling Spur 29er

Packing 170mm of travel, 29″ wheels and the Effigear system, the Spur is the bike for big-terrain enduro racing, double-black bike park laps and hassle-free seasons in the mountains.

The Spur uses a high-pivot, gearbox design to offer an unprecedented ride on a steel chassis. During the design process, Starling worked closely with Effigear to build this steel frame around their 9-speed system, offering a 440% range, making any climb more efficient. Speaking of efficiency, the Effigear system uses a standard trigger shifter, not an annoying grip ship. Having the gearbox at the bottom bracket keeps the bike balanced, nimble, and provides a lower center of gravity. This translates to unprecedented traction, control, and an overall more balanced feel.

The Spur is available to order now from Starling Cycles and is built by hand in Bristol, UK using Reynolds 853 steel heat-treated tubing. There is a 16 week lead time on all orders and frames are available with or without shock and with a variety of components to help build your dream bike.

Specs:
Front triangle and swingarm hand-built in Bristol, UK, using Reynolds 853 heat-treated tubing
170mm travel
Effigear 9spd drivetrain with 440% range, including cranks, shifter and cogs
29″ wheels
2.6″ tyre clearance
Up to 200mm rotor
Designed for single speed 142x12mm rear hubs
Unique Starling dropouts system means rear wheel can be removed without adjusting tension
Seattube reinforcing strut on XL
Integrated seat-clamp
Stainless & numbered dropper port
Starling headtube gusset
Bottle mount in frame on medium & above

Available in Medium, Large, and X-Large. Pricing is £3330.00 for a frame. See more at Starling Cycles.

Starling Cycles Introduce the Stainless (Front Triangle) Murmur 29er

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Starling Cycles Introduce the Stainless (Front Triangle) Murmur 29er

Starling Cycles, the maker of the steel Murmur 29er full suspension, just announced a limited edition Murmur with a stainless steel front triangle, made by Ora in Taiwan. Only available in size Large or XLarge, these limited edition frames can be bought as a frameset (£2330.00) or as a complete build through Starling direct. These bikes offer a completely different ride quality from their carbon fiber counterparts and remain to this day one of my personal favorites on the market. Check out my initial review of the Murmur and my personal Murmur build in the Related articles below…