After ten years in the business, Starling Cycles has become a stalwart of the British steel frame scene as it hand-brazes its delightfully simple frames from its HQ in Bristol. However, after months of deliberating how to grow the brand, owner Joe McEwan has decided to move manufacturing away from the UK.
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At first, that statement doesn’t sound all that good, but for Starling, it’s the next chapter in its story. The brand started life in Joe’s shed and has since developed into a small team of builders, putting together top-notch steel frames now on the outskirts of Bristol.
Now, Joe wants to make it easier for customers to buy a Starling bike while keeping the business independent and able to trade for another 10 years. To do so, the front triangles of the 29in Murmur and mixed-wheel Twist will be made by hand by the folk at Fort Frames in the Czech Republic. Those triangles will be made of Reynolds 853 tubing while the rear triangles will still be made in Taiwan by ORA.
However, not all of Starling’s manufacturing will be done abroad. The brand’s RARE frames, so those are the Beady Little Eye, Swoop, and Sturn, will still be made in Bristol.
Starling’s plan to move some of its manufacturing abroad means good things. The brand will now be able to hold stock, drastically reducing its lead times, and it’ll allow Starling to build a dealer network around the world. That means that potential customers can see a Starling bike first-hand at a local shop, book demo rides, and arrange custom builds.
All of Starling’s design, testing, and ‘business stuff’ will still happen in Bristol, as well as assembly and frame prep, and the brand will still run its repair and refurb services from its HQ. With that, the folk behind the brand will spend more time developing, prototyping, and building its more lairy products.
