Since my longtime friend Rich introduced me to single speed MTB around 1999 or 2000, I’ve been hooked on them. Rich had an Orange with a dent in the top tube and the beautiful segmented Orange fork. As one of the fastest people I know, single speed did not hold him back and I wanted some of that. Many bikes have come and gone over the years but when Starling introduced the beady little eye, I immediately coveted one.
A full suspension single speed is pretty niche I’d agree, and not for everyone. However, to me this is a dream bike. 853 steel, 90m rear travel, landy green and beautiful. After selling a few bikes and a large proportion of my parts bin, finally one was on order.
While waiting for the 16 week build time, the other parts for the build were sourced as I had a strict budget, and idea of the outcome. The Rock Shox Pike fork, Rock Shox shock, USE bars, PNW dropper lever (sooo smooth) Maxxis forecaster front tyre, OneUp seatpost and Raceface cranks (a nod to the budget) were all secondhand to keep the costs down.
Wheels were built by myself using Stans Arch Mk4 rims, a rear Olsen single speed 142mm hub, OneUp front hub and Sapim spokes.
I couldn’t be happier with the build and how it came together. Yes the brown Ergon grips are a bit much but they cost £15 (probably as they were brown) and will be replaced with black ones when they wear out.
The frame is a large with 29er wheels. Here are some more pictures of the bike:
