{"id":2241255,"date":"2026-11-06T10:42:00","date_gmt":"2026-11-06T07:42:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2241255"},"modified":"2026-11-06T10:42:00","modified_gmt":"2026-11-06T07:42:00","slug":"forbidden-druid-vs-starling-murmur-short-travel-trail-bikes-round-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2241255","title":{"rendered":"Forbidden Druid vs. Starling Murmur: Short-travel trail bikes, round 1"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Line up the Forbidden Druid and Starling Murmur geometry tables, and you\u2019d have a hard time telling them apart. In a size large, both bikes have a 65\u00b0 head angle, their reach numbers are 5mm apart, and their wheelbases differ by just 1mm. Look at the frames themselves, though, and it\u2019s hard to imagine two trail bikes with less in common.<\/p>\n

The Druid is a carbon high-pivot bike with an idler pulley and a four-bar linkage. The Murmur is a steel single pivot with, as Starling notes, \u201cjust two bearings to maintain.\u201d Both are 29ers with a 150mm fork and around 130mm of rear travel, and both come from small brands that have built cult-like followings by doing things their own way.<\/p>\n

Starling currently sells the Murmur as a frame only, so for this matchup we\u2019re comparing it with the Druid framekit rather than a complete build. The Murmur can be set up with 120, 135, 150, or 165mm of rear travel, but we\u2019re focusing on the 135mm configuration, which lines up most closely with the Druid.<\/p>\n

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\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
<\/th>\nForbidden Druid V2 framekit<\/th>\nStarling Murmur frame (135mm)<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Suspension travel (F\/R)<\/td>\n150\/130mm<\/td>\n150\/135mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frame<\/td>\nCarbon<\/td>\nSteel (Reynolds 853 front triangle, chromoly rear)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Suspension design<\/td>\nHigh pivot, inverted four-bar<\/td>\nSingle pivot<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Shock<\/td>\nRockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate (included)<\/td>\nNot included<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Wheel size<\/td>\n29\u2033 or mixed<\/td>\n29\u2033 (mixed with alternate swingarm)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Geometry* (size large frame)<\/td>\nHTA: 65\u00b0
STA: 77\u00b0
Reach: 480mm
Chainstay: 452mm<\/td>\n		HTA: 65\u00b0
STA: 78\u00b0
Reach: 485mm
Chainstay: 455mm<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Sizes<\/td>\nS1\u2013S4<\/td>\nS\u2013XXL<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Frame weight<\/td>\n3.3kg (7.3lb), S2 without shock<\/td>\n3.6kg+ (7.9lb) without shock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Price<\/td>\n$3,999<\/td>\n\u20ac2,996 (about $3,367) with Fox Float shock<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>
*Druid size S3. Murmur size L with a 150mm fork.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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Suspension: High pivot vs. single pivot<\/h2>\n

Forbidden\u2019s Trifecta suspension uses a high main pivot and an idler pulley to give the rear wheel a rearward axle path. The original Druid was a single pivot like the Murmur, but the V2 moved to an inverted four-bar layout, and it now ships with an 18-tooth steel idler.<\/p>\n

Idler drag is a trade-off with high-pivot bikes, and it was the main concern for Singletracks contributor Juan Francisco Garza Elenes when he tested the Druid V2<\/a> in 2023. Even so, he \u201cwas surprised to find a minimal noticeable resistance,\u201d and said the rear end \u201ctracked the ground really well, even under hard braking.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Murmur takes the opposite approach. \u201cOur single-pivot suspension design eliminates complexity,\u201d Starling says. An adjustable shock mount lets riders choose between 120, 135, 150, and 165mm of rear travel, though each setting requires a different shock. In the 135mm configuration, the Murmur runs a 210x55mm shock.<\/p>\n

When Gerow reviewed the Murmur<\/a> for Singletracks in 2021, he noted that \u201clike most single-pivot platforms, the rear suspension is highly dependent on and sensitive to the tune and setup of the shock.\u201d Even so, he found that it \u201coffers a similar amount of braking traction to some far more complex linkage systems.\u201d That review covered an earlier version of the frame, set up with 140mm of rear travel, before Starling launched its current V3 design, which added UDH compatibility among other changes.<\/p>\n

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Nearly identical geometry, at least in size large<\/h2>\n

Looking at the geometry for size large frames, the two bikes are remarkably close. The Druid S3 has a 480mm reach, 637mm stack, and 1,259mm wheelbase. The Murmur L comes in at 485mm reach, 629mm stack, and 1,260mm wheelbase. Bottom bracket drop is 35mm on the Druid and 34mm on the Murmur, and the Murmur\u2019s effective seat angle is a degree steeper at 78\u00b0.<\/p>\n

However, differences show up across the size range. Forbidden scales the chainstay lengths with each frame size, from 423mm on the S1 to 466mm on the S4, and calls it \u201cthe industry\u2019s only truly proportional geometry.\u201d Starling went the other way recently<\/a>, moving every Murmur to the same 455mm chainstay length, up from 445mm on earlier frames.<\/p>\n

The Murmur is offered in six sizes, including a Medium Plus, covering riders from 5\u20192\u2033 to over 6\u20196\u2033. The Druid comes in four sizes for riders between 5\u20192\u2033 and 6\u20196\u2033.<\/p>\n

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Frame features<\/h2>\n

The Druid framekit includes a RockShox Super Deluxe Ultimate shock, and Forbidden lists the frame weight at 3.3kg (7.3lb) for a size S2 without the shock. Forbidden says even the smallest Druid fits a full-size 26oz water bottle, and the frame sticks to a threaded bottom bracket and is UDH-compatible. Riders can run it as a full 29er or mixed wheel.<\/p>\n

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The Murmur\u2019s base price doesn\u2019t include a shock. Starling offers a Fox Float DPS Performance (\u20ac330, about $370) or an \u00d6hlins TTX22M.2 coil (\u20ac1,014, about $1,100) as add-ons for the 135mm setup. The frame uses a replaceable SRAM UDH and comes with an aluminum seatpost insert to prevent stuck posts. Swapping the swingarm and rear wheel turns it into a mullet.<\/p>\n

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Murmur front triangles are made from Reynolds 853 steel in Europe while the rear triangles are made from Chromoly in Taiwan. A few Murmur sizes \u2014 small, medium-plus, and extra-extra large \u2014 are made in the UK. The Druid is available in four frame sizes from small to extra-large. Murmur frames include a \u201c7-year warranty\/crash replacement service,\u201d while the Druid offers a lifetime warranty that covers \u201cdefects in workmanship and materials.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Murmur features fully external cable routing for ease of maintenance and installation. The Druid uses internal routing but keeps things pretty fairly simple with top-tube routing for the rear brake hose and derailleur cable. \u201cYou won\u2019t find any questionable trends here,\u201d Forbidden writes on their website, continuing, \u201clooking at you headset cable routing.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The bottom line<\/h2>\n

This matchup comes down to how you want a short-travel bike to get the job done. The Druid uses its high pivot and idler to ride bigger than its 130mm and offers a mixed-wheel option without the need for a new swingarm. The Murmur offers the feel of steel, a suspension system with only two bearings to worry about, and the option to change travel down the road.<\/p>\n

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\nWhich short-travel trail bike is the better choice? *<\/span><\/legend>\n