The workshop was a surprise birthday present from my mum and dad. I love cycling and my bicycle was really old and I wanted a new one. I was going to get one as a birthday present and had been looking for ages for the right bicycle but never really got round to buying one. After receiving the gift, I was very excited to build the bike.

I think that building the bicycle from scratch really showed me the connections between the various components and the how it all came together. It's an experience I would definitely recommend for anyone. Designing my own bike really allowed me to understand the mechanisms of the bicycle and create my own unique design.

Fitting the components like the brakes, gears and chain was something new for me. Gluing the bamboo frame together was a tricky task and took some precision to align the frame so it would stick together well and accurately. The whole process was new but very interesting.

The easiest part was probably spraying the carbon lugs and lacquering the bamboo frame. While it wasn't something I'm great at doing, it was fairly simple to complete.

Riding my new bicycle feels so different to my old one. The ride is a lot smoother and faster. The weight of the bike means it's easy to carry around and ride almost anywhere I want too. It's great to ride on roads/cycle lanes as you can accelerate quickly without having to pedal too much.

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 very useful addition to the course.