The blueprint of the Murmur is writ large on this frame despite the addition of the gearbox.

Joe fits one of these plates to every ride and they look stunning.

The Spur has the option to change the shock position, a first for Joe.

The cable routing for a stealth dropper was supposed to go through the stainless steel plaque on the downtube, but wasn't needed thanks to the Magura Vyron spec. It's something Joe is working on for all future Starling bikes.

A singlespeed hub from Project 321 is all that's needed on the rear wheel.

Trigger shifting is a big plus on the Effigear. Joe's Spur runs with a Sram GX shifter. A custom headcap finishes off the build. #steelisreal is a community of British bike builders that hold an annual demo day for their ferrous bikes.

Another week, another Starling with an intriguing drivetrain system. This time, Joe McEwan has built up a new bike for a long term customer with an Effigear gearbox. Named after the talon on the back on a starling's leg, meet the Spur.Effigear are a French company and Joe has fitted this new Spur with their 9 speed box. The box mates with the swingarm in a manner that means there's no chain growth. This, combined with a lack of derailleur and cassette on the rear wheel, apparently make for a super supple rear end. Another big advantage of the Effigear is that it can be fitted with a trigger shifter, unlike the Pinion which is gripshift only.Joe has fitted the gearbox with a brute of a bike; like a Murmur on steroids, this is a 170mm 29er. The customer Joe made this for is a sizable gent so this bike has a reach of 520mm and 450mm stays. Basically, when the Spur gets trucking, it's going to take a lot of stopping.Joe currently isn't planning on building anymore of these bikes but he has all the jigs and could make one up if a customer really wanted. Expect a frameset to cost around £2,000 if you're interested.