Starling has finally added a hardtail option to its portfolio of rowdy steel bikes.

The new Roost is a hardtail with stainless steel tubing, typically pleasing design details and progressive geometry.

ORA is Starling’s supplier of choice for the Roost, producing the frames in Taiwan, from some of the best stainless steel tubing available.

Read more: the best hardtail bike

A bright shiny mullet

Starling calculated the Roost’s geometry to be run as a mullet, with 140mm of fork travel.

Borrowing a design feature from the brand’s dual-suspension frames, the Roost has a hollow chainstay yoke, which not only looks great but frees up adequate room in the rear triangle.

Rear clearance is good enough for a 27.5×2.8” tyre, even in muddy conditions. 

Slack angles and big brakes

Geometry numbers aren’t crazy long, with a size large Roost measuring at 475m. All three frames sizes are credibly slack, with a 140mm fork setting the head angle at 64-degrees.

The Roost has a 31.6mm seat tube, allowing riders to use many of the current long-stroke dropper posts.

Suppose you plan to send this stainless hardtail down some steep and technical terrain. In that case, the maximum rear brake rotor size is 200mm – which should provide confident deceleration for any riding style.

Cables where you can reach them

Helping riders avoid standards’ anxiety, the Roost’s rear dropout is both boost and non-boost compatible. To aid DIY bike maintenance, all brake and drivetrain cabling is externally routed.

With its striking stainless aesthetic, confident frame angles and ability to run forks up to 160mm, the Roost is true to Starling’s steel bike building values.

Priced at £1220, the Roost is now available for order, with Starling planning customer deliveries in April 2022.