Jim's Bamboo Gravel Bike: A Hand-Tool Build for a 6'5" Rider

Jim wanted a gravel bike to replace his old steel road bike. He looked at steel and carbon frames, then remembered our bamboo kits. He built this one at home from our Gravel Bike Frame Kit, which has flax-wrapped joints, using hand tools over a couple of months of weekends. He is 6'5", so he changed a few things along the way. It is now his touring bike. Here it is in his own words.

The build at a glance

• Kit: Gravel Bike Frame Kit – Bamboo (wrapped joints: flax fibre and two-part epoxy)
• Size: extra-large plan, seat tube extended for a 6'5" rider
• Tools: hand tools only: a Stanley knife, a saw and files
• Time: a couple of months, working one or two days at weekends
• Build: Shimano GRX 1x groupset, Hunt wheels, tubeless gravel tyres, carbon fork
• Used for: gravel riding and loaded touring

Why build a bamboo gravel bike instead of buying one?

"I was looking to replace my old steel road bike with a gravel bike. I looked at steel and carbon frames, but I remembered seeing your bamboo kits in the past. I liked the relatively low cost, the DIY aspect and the overall cool factor of building my own bamboo bike."

How did the build go?

"The build took much longer than the instructions said. I used hand tools (a Stanley knife, a saw and files) for cutting and mitring the tubes, which took a long time. I was also pretty meticulous about getting the mitres right. And I stripped the bamboo down to the wood grain, which took time. I could only work one or two days at weekends, so it took a couple of months overall."

Did you change anything from the standard spec?

"I sort of re-engineered the bottom bracket area. I wanted my rear tyre clearance, and I also wanted to stop the cranks hitting the outsides of the chainstays. I'm tall (6'5"). I followed the extra-large plan for the main tube dimensions, but I extended the seat tube a few inches above the top tube. That gives the seat post extra support at my seat height."

How does a bamboo gravel bike ride?

"It rides super smoothly. I'm new to low-pressure tubeless tyres, so that could be most of it, but I think the frame absorbs vibrations really well. It's stable and I don't notice the frame flexing. I've ridden it loaded for touring with no problems."

What do people say when you turn up on it?

"Surprisingly, lots of people don't even notice until it's pointed out. Some people think it's a fake bamboo wrap over a standard frame. Others already know about bamboo bikes and recognise it right away. But once they see it, it's always a conversation starter."

Build your own bamboo gravel bike

Jim built his frame from our Gravel Bike Frame Kit – Bamboo. It comes with the bamboo tubes, dropouts, head tube, bottom bracket, flax, resin and glue, plus step-by-step instructions. We estimate 25–45 hours of build time, and you don't need any experience. If you'd rather bond the tubes into pre-formed aluminium lugs, there's the lugged version too. Thanks, Jim, for sharing your build. If you've built one of our kits, email us your photos. We'd love to feature your bike next.