Latest news, build reviews, product releases and tips from the Club

Gravel Frame by Jonathan

by James Marr on November 10, 2022

I'd probably read up more on the process first, as this would have sped up the build significantly, and also made it clearer what impacts the finish of the bike. I'd have probably spent way less time finishing the frame if I'd been more careful wrapping the flax for my lugs!

Gravel Bike by Sebastian

by James Marr on November 10, 2022

The easiest part of the build would be shaping the ends of the bamboo. It took a lot of time as I only had 80 grit sandpaper, but it was easy.

Gravel Bike by Eric

by James Marr on August 10, 2022

What made you decide to build a bamboo bike?

I am restoring and rebuilding bikes for roughly 10 years and I was seeking for a new challenge. I found multiple kits for building bamboo bikes and the BambooBicycleClub looked the most professional to me.

Did you enjoy building the bicycle from scratch and would you recommend the experience?

Yes, for sure! I would recommend building a bamboo bike from scratch, I really enjoyed working with bamboo and in my case carbon fiber. I am very proud about the result and would build another one at some point in the future. I also created a video about my build experience which is available here: https://youtu.be/VgkxLUE-HTY

What did you find most difficult about your bike build?

I didn’t expect bamboo to be such a “hard” material so there was more sanding and filing necessary than expected. I thought the alignment of the rear triangle was the toughest part because it didn’t fit properly in the end. I think the problem was that there are different parts to put into the jig and which in the end hold the gravel rear tire. I would recommend fixing the jig so the actual parts are use and the rear triangle is perfect in place while building the bike.

What was the easiest part of the build?

In general, I have the feeling that no step was particularly tough or easy. The steps were quite comparable in difficulty. Tacking the triangles was one of the steps which I felt rather easy. Wrapping the joints needed some exercise to get used to work with epoxy but you get used to it.

How would you describe the ride of your finished bike?

It feels perfect, dampening like a carbon bike and also stiff and it feels very safe.

What would you improve about the build experience or your finished bike?

I would improve the alignment of the rear triangle by using the actual adapters for the gravel tire within the jig so the alignment is always perfect. Beside that, there could be instructions about the internal cable routing. I added it myself with the help of James and the finished bike looks very clean. I would also like to buy the adapter for the disk brakes together with the kit. On my finished bike I wouldn’t change a thing because I think it is perfect.

Gravel Bike by Joe

by James Marr on May 06, 2022

I’m an amateur woodworker and have been dreaming about building a wood bike frame for many years. After researching bamboo’s characteristics and relative weight ease to work with, I decided to use it as the medium for my first scratch-made frame build.

Custom Gravel Bike by Georg.

by James Marr on February 25, 2022

I thought about building a bamboo bike since some years but found no time before ending my sporty career in paralympic sports (cycling and snowboarding)

Custom Gravel Bike by Joesph

by James Marr on February 01, 2022

Putting the frame together was surprisingly straight forward, though i'm well aware that a lot of work has gone on in the background to ensure that the length and angles are right for each builder.