Starling from the UK builds beautiful steel frames: From down-country bikes to powerful enduro bikes. Always in an unmistakable style. The little Starling bird is always somewhere on the frame.
Now Starling has come up with a rather niche MTB that is more of an enthusiast and fanboy thing than anything else: a steel singlespeed full suspension bike with partly XC-compatible suspension travel of 90 mm at the rear and 110 to 140 mm at the front. If that's too crazy for you, you can move on to the next article:
The Starling Beady Little Eye is the freakiest and fastest beast in the Starling squad
The Starling Beady Little Eye quickly outlined: A single rear sprocket, comparatively little suspension travel, a slim steel frame and a lot of lo-fi technology - in other words, no electronic components, which we would hardly have expected from the British anyway. And anyone who has been following the frame manufacturer for a while will already be familiar with the bike from days gone by. It's back in the Starling programme, so to speak, with a few updates, but beware: only for a short time, says Starling. It is only available to order this month.
The Starling "Beady Little Eye" is a full-suspension single-speed mountain bike. Starling wants to appeal to ultra-distance cyclists, bikepackers, XC racers, dirt jumpers, park rats and adult BMX riders. We add: And mechanics, because there will only be the frame kit with and without a Rockshox shock. The rest can be customised at home on the couch.
The Starling Beady in detail
The single-speed MTB has 90 mm rear suspension travel and consists of a frame made in the UK from Reynolds steel tubes. It is available for 27.5", 29" or mullet wheels and is recommended for forks with 110 mm to 140 mm travel.
What makes the Starling Beady Little Eye so special and perhaps gives it its name is that the rear triangle rotates around the bottom bracket - this means that the chain does not come under tension when the suspension is compressed, which in turn allows for the simple single-speed configuration. And: It can be ridden without sag, which should create a hardtail-like riding experience, with a super low centre of gravity and stable cornering. This is also ensured by the slack 65° steering angle and the 77° angle on the seat tube.
The Starling single-speed bike should therefore ride like a hardtail that transfers power to the pedals without loss - as is usual with a single-speed bike. When jumping or landing, however, the suspension keeps your back free and provides an extra portion of comfort. This could make your eyes glaze over.
It's a strange bike for strange riders. Riders who don't care about gears. Riders who love the feel of steel and a bike that is brutally simple, maintenance-free and insanely fast. - Starling Cycles (translated)
The new Starling Beady Little Eye gets a whole host of upgrades to bring it up to date with Starling's V3 Fully frame. It now has the beautiful curved head tube stiffeners, the "anti-flair head tube" and the "anti-seize seat tube". Starling also wants to have improved the dropper post integration and has therefore switched to a classic seat clamp.
In addition, the Starling Beady now has a redesigned bottom bracket solution, which is intended to increase the compatibility of the cranks and extend the service life of the bearings. True to Starling's motto, the bikes can be used and repaired for as long as possible. Here, too, the eyes of sustainability are shining.
Facts & figures about the Starling Beady Little Eye
- Full-suspension single-speed mountain bike
- Wheels: 27.5", 29" or Mullet
- Spring travel: Rear: 90 mm // Front: 100-140 mm
- Frame: Handmade in Bristol, UK, from Reynolds 853 tubing
- Uses tensioners on the dropouts and hinges on the bottom bracket to ensure a constant chain length and enable singlespeed riding.
- Features a new bottom bracket solution designed by Starling that increases bearing life and crank compatibility.
- Only available as frame or as frame + shock absorber
- Price:
- Beady frame: £2,456 (approx. 2952 euros)
- Beady frame + Rockshox Deluxe Ultimate RCT: £2,781 (approx. 3342 euros) - Only available to order until 31 October 2024
Marc Strucken
Editor
