The Starling Cycles Big Bird is a handmade full-suspension mountain bike from the Bristol, UK-based builder that uses the new 32-inch wheel size in a mullet-style setup. Find all the details on their latest release here…

The new Starling Cycles Big Bird is a hand-built steel mullet frame with a 32” front wheel and 29” rear wheel. Featuring 120mm of front and rear travel, the Big Bird is built in-house at Starling in Bristol, UK. As far as Starling’s own thoughts on the 32” trend, a few at the brand have mixed feelings. In Joe McEwan’s words: “It’s really fun to ride. But in my opinion, 32” doesn’t make mountain biking more fun, more affordable, or more accessible to more people. In the short term, people with money can gain an advantage (if there is one), but this is lost if everyone is forced to change wheel size and we end up back where we started. It potentially devalues the perfectly good wheel sizes that came before it.”

  • Starling Cycles Big Bird
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird
Starling Cycles Big Bird
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird

Regarding its design, Starling started with Murmur as the base and adapted the front end for the larger wheel. The axle of a 32” wheel is approximately 40mm higher than a 29er, so the headtube went up to accommodate that. They also reduced the reach to account for the higher front end—a standard large Murmur has 485mm, while the Big Bird has 470mm. Some might ask, “But why no 32-inch rear wheel?” Starling says that this was part engineering and part rider preference. It was more straightforward to build, and the brand didn’t want to reinvent its swingarm. Plus, the crew really likes mixed-wheels, and keeping the rear end as playful as possible felt like a good move.

Starling Cycles Big Bird Geometry

Size LG XL
Effective TT Length 613 648
Reach 470 500
Wheelbase 1249 1279
CS Length 445 445
Effective ST Angle 78 78
ST Length 440 480
HT Angle 65 65
HT Length 110 120
Fork Length (travel) 130 130
BB Drop 69 69
Stack 677 686
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird
  • Starling Cycles Big Bird

Available in just two sizes, large and XL, the Big Bird is offered as both a frameset and in complete builds. Orders are now open and will close on March 31st. The frames have a 12-week production lead time. The frame is £2,456 ($3,324 USD) without shock. Complete builds are specced with an Intend Samurai 32” 130mm fork that can be tuned down to 120mm, an Intend Hover Rear Shock, and a carbon 32”/29” wheelset (Nextie 30mm rims, Hope Pro5 hubs) with Maxxis Aspens. Starling has also made a great introductory video on the Big Bird. Check it out below:

For more on the Starling Cycles Big Bird, visit StarlingCycles.com.

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