Inside Middleburn: From Aerospace, to MTB
Touring the British bike industry, the common thread is aerospace - an industry that has a turnover of 20 billion pounds in the UK and employs a quarter of a million people. It's an industry that holds engineers in high regard and has historically done a good job in taking kids straight from school and training them up as apprentices. It's no surprise then, that aerospace has spawned a number of MTB companies in the UK - it's a story you'll hear from Hope in Lancashire, and from Middleburn in Hampshire, where we visit today.
![Middleburn really came to the fore in the 90 s with their anodized cranks]()
“Middleburn started making bike parts in 1991,” says Matthew Starey, the manager at Middleburn. “Prior to that it was part of a much bigger company that did a lot of aerospace and Formula One - a lot of high-end. Orders kept getting bumped, so we split the two companies, the other company got bought out and moved away, and that left us with our own machines.” The first product was the RS1 crank - the current RS8 version can trace a direct heritage back to that time. Middleburn's small factory is located on an unassuming industrial estate in the south of England, not far from the mountain biking honey pots of the Surrey Hills or Swinley Forest. “We do a lot of testing locally where it's really gritty,” says Starey. “It's terrible for your drivetrain but it's fantastic for testing.”
![Matthew Starey left and Davin Palmer right]()
Starey works closely with the business's owner Davin Palmer, a hands-on engineer who clearly feels passionately about the importance of making things at home, and creating jobs off the back of manufacturing. “We've got an apprentice here, and at my son's business, his best engineer is one of our old apprentices,” he says proudly.
Middleburn's drivetrain components have always been its calling card. The hardcoat chainrings, being a popular aftermarket purchase and the cranks, a lustworthy upgrade that dates from the RS1 days when the anodizing fad was at its garish peak, to the current RS8 X-type. When we visited, Starey had good selection of prototypes on show in varying degrees of readiness.
![Made in the UK since 1991]()
Chances are that if you're a UK rider, you've worn out one or two chainrings in your time riding mountain bikes: wet, grinding mud is the enemy of a long lasting drivetrain, and for a long time Middleburn has been known for its aftermarket replacement rings that last better than the originals in the kind of conditions we ride in.
![A prototype thick thin ring - production versions will be coming to the market soon]()
“We've probably done millions of middle rings,” says Starey. “Definitely, hundreds of thousands. We saw the single-ring trend coming pretty early, but we're actually seeing people going back to two rings now because of the versatility.”
That's not stopped them working on a single ring thick-thin option which should be out soon. “That one's been on there quite a few months and it's been smashed to pieces,” says Starey. “It's been faultless, so we will be doing thick-thin rings.” And when asked about potential licensing issues, he said: “It's something that has been done before, so we'll see what happens on that one.”
![Middleburn makes chainrings of all shapes and sizes with more to come]()
While we had a guided tour of the facility we spotted an interesting looking ring with every other tooth missing. Apparently it was inspired by an old track design: “It may well work as well as a thick-thin” says Starey. Later he puts it on and realizes that, while the design might work on a track bike with a perfectly straight chainline, on a mountain bike, those missing teeth actually do an important job retaining the chain. “I didn't think the industry was ready for that yet anyway,” he says. “It's like you had to have Octalink before you had Hollowtech II.”
![There was an idea when we visited that a ring like this might work - rather than thick thin how about just thick blank. It turns out it doesn t work - that thin tooth does an important job of keeping the chain on when you re using a geared bike]()
Much of Middleburn's reputation for making products that last comes from its use of a ceramic coating on its rings. “We moved to 7075 alloys a long time ago. They're a lot more expensive but they're so much harder wearing. Also, most people who use our stuff use the Hardcoat finish which is a ceramic coating which lasts about four times longer than an anodized finish.
![Machined spiders ready to roll]()
Middleburn has had hubs in its range for years, but ceased production of its legacy designs fairly recently. New versions are on their way though: “We should have prototypes, if not production done by Easter,” says Starey. “The first ones will be 15mm front and 142mm rear. We've done lots of hubs in the past, right back to non-disc MTB hubs in the early nineties which were very successful.”
![Middleburn s hubs these are actually the old style hubs but new ones are on the way]()
Also on display were new bottom bracket cups, a product that should be available soon. “We've got a manual mill so we can test things without having to do a full run,” says Starey, showing us round the workshop. “At the moment, we're making bottom bracket parts for a new bottom bracket that will be out very shortly – we're just making some dust shields. We're running a 25mm inside-diameter bearing because then we can run a really good labyrinth seal.”
![Prototyping and manufacture are all done in house]()
While we're in the machine shop we see the mill machining away at a new ring we're asked not to shoot. “We run all the chainrings and bits through this main mill,” says Starey.” We have a machinist who runs this full time, working between this and the lathe where we do all the ramping on the rings. Then it goes off to the anodizers, then it's back here to be engraved and pinned.”
![Middleburn s cranks have to be polished in stages to stop them getting too hot - heat will bring the material s grain structure to the surface and result in a permanently discoloured product]()
Anodizing takes place in the north of England near Manchester, while polished items like the cranks are finished just down the road in Portsmouth. Even polishing is a process that's more complex than you might imagine: “It's such hard alloy, that when you polish it, it heats up. As it heats up," says Starey. "It starts bringing all the granular structure to the surface, so you start getting marks and streaking. So you have to keep the temperature down: do a bit, put it down, do a bit, put it down.”
![Manufacturing and quality control are all done in house]()
“We try to sell through independent bike shops because the product does take some understanding. We distribute quite a lot to Germany and the US, and exporting is growing again. The typical Middleburn customer is someone who puts the hours in on their bike and wears stuff out. They go to Wales and ride proper trails, and they ride quite hard,” says Starey. “We get a lot of repeat customers, and they're buying product because they know it's going to last.”
www.middleburn.co.uk
Middleburn's RS1 crankset is simple by modern standards, but it launched the brand in 1991.
“Middleburn started making bike parts in 1991,” says Matthew Starey, the manager at Middleburn. “Prior to that it was part of a much bigger company that did a lot of aerospace and Formula One - a lot of high-end. Orders kept getting bumped, so we split the two companies, the other company got bought out and moved away, and that left us with our own machines.” The first product was the RS1 crank - the current RS8 version can trace a direct heritage back to that time. Middleburn's small factory is located on an unassuming industrial estate in the south of England, not far from the mountain biking honey pots of the Surrey Hills or Swinley Forest. “We do a lot of testing locally where it's really gritty,” says Starey. “It's terrible for your drivetrain but it's fantastic for testing.”
Middleburn's point men: Matthew Starey (left) manages the factory, alongside owner and engineer Davin Palmer (right).
 | The typical Middleburn customer is someone who puts the hours in on their bike and wears stuff out. They go to Wales and ride proper trails, and they ride quite hard. We get a lot of repeat customers, and they're buying product because they know it's going to last. - Matthew Starey |
Starey works closely with the business's owner Davin Palmer, a hands-on engineer who clearly feels passionately about the importance of making things at home, and creating jobs off the back of manufacturing. “We've got an apprentice here, and at my son's business, his best engineer is one of our old apprentices,” he says proudly.
Middleburn's drivetrain components have always been its calling card. The hardcoat chainrings, being a popular aftermarket purchase and the cranks, a lustworthy upgrade that dates from the RS1 days when the anodizing fad was at its garish peak, to the current RS8 X-type. When we visited, Starey had good selection of prototypes on show in varying degrees of readiness.
Made in the UK, since 1991. Middleburn's chainrings traditionally outlast all others in the UK's mud and grime.
Chances are that if you're a UK rider, you've worn out one or two chainrings in your time riding mountain bikes: wet, grinding mud is the enemy of a long lasting drivetrain, and for a long time Middleburn has been known for its aftermarket replacement rings that last better than the originals in the kind of conditions we ride in.
Prototype thick/thin ring - production versions will be coming to the market soon.
“We've probably done millions of middle rings,” says Starey. “Definitely, hundreds of thousands. We saw the single-ring trend coming pretty early, but we're actually seeing people going back to two rings now because of the versatility.”
That's not stopped them working on a single ring thick-thin option which should be out soon. “That one's been on there quite a few months and it's been smashed to pieces,” says Starey. “It's been faultless, so we will be doing thick-thin rings.” And when asked about potential licensing issues, he said: “It's something that has been done before, so we'll see what happens on that one.”
Middleburn makes chainrings of all shapes and sizes, with more to come.
While we had a guided tour of the facility we spotted an interesting looking ring with every other tooth missing. Apparently it was inspired by an old track design: “It may well work as well as a thick-thin” says Starey. Later he puts it on and realizes that, while the design might work on a track bike with a perfectly straight chainline, on a mountain bike, those missing teeth actually do an important job retaining the chain. “I didn't think the industry was ready for that yet anyway,” he says. “It's like you had to have Octalink before you had Hollowtech II.”
There was an idea when we visited that a ring like this might work - rather than thick-thin, how about just "thick-blank." It turns out it doesn't work - that thin tooth does an important job of keeping the chain on when you're using a geared bike.
Much of Middleburn's reputation for making products that last comes from its use of a ceramic coating on its rings. “We moved to 7075 alloys a long time ago. They're a lot more expensive but they're so much harder wearing. Also, most people who use our stuff use the Hardcoat finish which is a ceramic coating which lasts about four times longer than an anodized finish.
From the start, Middleburn chainrings and crank spiders have been replaceable - which gives its customers the versatility to choose single or multiple ring drivetrains.
Middleburn has had hubs in its range for years, but ceased production of its legacy designs fairly recently. New versions are on their way though: “We should have prototypes, if not production done by Easter,” says Starey. “The first ones will be 15mm front and 142mm rear. We've done lots of hubs in the past, right back to non-disc MTB hubs in the early nineties which were very successful.”
Middleburn's hubs: these are actually the old style hubs, but new ones are on the way.
Also on display were new bottom bracket cups, a product that should be available soon. “We've got a manual mill so we can test things without having to do a full run,” says Starey, showing us round the workshop. “At the moment, we're making bottom bracket parts for a new bottom bracket that will be out very shortly – we're just making some dust shields. We're running a 25mm inside-diameter bearing because then we can run a really good labyrinth seal.”
Manufacturing on the left, prototyping on the right.
While we're in the machine shop we see the mill machining away at a new ring we're asked not to shoot. “We run all the chainrings and bits through this main mill,” says Starey.” We have a machinist who runs this full time, working between this and the lathe where we do all the ramping on the rings. Then it goes off to the anodizers, then it's back here to be engraved and pinned.”
Middleburn's cranks have to be polished in stages to stop them getting too hot. Heat will bring the material's grain structure to the surface and result in a permanently discoloured product..
Anodizing takes place in the north of England near Manchester, while polished items like the cranks are finished just down the road in Portsmouth. Even polishing is a process that's more complex than you might imagine: “It's such hard alloy, that when you polish it, it heats up. As it heats up," says Starey. "It starts bringing all the granular structure to the surface, so you start getting marks and streaking. So you have to keep the temperature down: do a bit, put it down, do a bit, put it down.”
Manufacturing and quality control are all done in-house.
“We try to sell through independent bike shops because the product does take some understanding. We distribute quite a lot to Germany and the US, and exporting is growing again. The typical Middleburn customer is someone who puts the hours in on their bike and wears stuff out. They go to Wales and ride proper trails, and they ride quite hard,” says Starey. “We get a lot of repeat customers, and they're buying product because they know it's going to last.”
www.middleburn.co.uk
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Going from my shakey memory of a trade talk at pace cycles 20 some years ago. I may be wrong I haven't googled either. I remember Henry having a Germanic accent.
Anyone got the facts??
I dont understand why my comment has turned into a little thread about British companies that are now foreign owned...... how the f*ck is that related in any way to what i said? all three companies are British owned and manufacture predominantly in Britain. So how does mini being owned by BMW have anything to do with that?
Nevermind those coorporates are all multinational these days, if your`e good in what you`re doing it doesnt matter from where you belong.
I know the latest RS8 is an evolution, but i am under the impression that they still advertise it as an XC/trail-oriented crank.
Ah the days
I was riding with guys who went through 2-3 ISIS BB every month!
the cause? trying to 'package' a large diameter crank axle and bearings inside the limited diameter of the english ISO BB shell, meant very thin bearings = no resistance to impact loads common to mountain biking
no surprise the industry dropped ISIS like a lead shot, and moved to the external bearing crankset