Justin Built a Gravel Frame at Home — and Was Still Riding It Four Years On

Justin set out to improve his framebuilding without taking up welding — so he built a gravel bike from one of our home build kits. He took his time, and the frame he made in 2016 was still going strong when we caught up with him four years later.

What he did

Justin built a gravel frame from a gravel home build kit, working at his own pace over about five months. He is honest that it was "occasionally scary" — that is normal — but he found the process forgiving and the frame easy to modify as his ideas changed.

What happened

The frame Justin built in 2016 was still in regular use when we checked in with him in 2020 — a genuine four-year-old, home-built bamboo bike, ridden hard and going strong. That longevity is the real story here.

In his words

"A really satisfying, occasionally scary experience, but I wasn't in any hurry and the whole process took about five months, which I was happy with."

"The build process is very forgiving and the frame is very amenable to modification. The result is a bike that is a pleasure to own and ride."

Asked how the finished bike rides, Justin's answer was one word: "Planted."

Why it matters

A home build kit isn't a shortcut or a compromise. Justin had no welding background, took his time, and came away with a gravel bike he was still riding years later — and the confidence to keep modifying it himself. That is exactly what Bamboo Bicycle Club exists for: not selling a finished bike, but teaching people to build one they can trust and adapt. Since 2012, more than 4,000 people in 36 countries have done the same.

Links

• Gravel home build kit: https://bamboobicycleclub.org/products/gravel-frame-build-kit
• Justin's original build interview: https://bamboobicycleclub.org/blogs/club-news/justins-gravel-bamboo-bike-build
• Four-year catch-up (canonical): https://bamboobicycleclub.org/blogs/club-news/justin-built-a-bamboo-gravelbike-with-us-4-years-ago-we-catch-up-to-find-out-all-about-his-build