Road Bike by Jack
The experience was great. I enjoyed every moment of the workshop. James was an excellent teacher. The finished bike is exactly the result I expected. A manual for fitting the components yourself would be a...
Gravel Bike by Mark
What made you decide to build a bamboo bike?
I was looking at traditional frame building courses and came across Bamboo bikes so I then started to do my research and " The Bamboo Bicycle Club" kept appearing. After reading many articles this sounded like an excellent way to build a bespoke frame and learn some new skills.
Did you enjoy building the bicycle from scratch and would you recommend the experience?
It was a great experience with many highs and also few lows. So long as you are prepared for the build not to got totally smoothly then you will enjoy the experience. It was great to have James on hand to guide and provide peace of mind that what you were doing was ok. The final finish of the frame took a lot of effort to sand and smooth the joints but in the end it was worth the time.
What did you find most difficult about your bike build?
I had an issue with the rear triangle going out of shape meaning the wheel would not fit but this was resolved with a trip to see James although i could have done the work at home once i understood how easy it was to realign the rear triangle. The other hard part was actually getting the gear and brake hoses through the internal routing.
What was the easiest part of the build?
Painting the joints and applying the clear cote
How would you describe the ride of your finished bike?
After one ride feels great with a smooth ride. My only concern is the amount of flex in the bottom bracket which is causing the drive side crank to touch the chain stay.
What would you improve about the build experience or your finished bike?*
I would take more time to create the joints and wrap the joints.
