Working with Natural Fibres and Resins
Workshop Wednesdays, Series 01, Episode 03
Bio composites - Working with Natural Fibres and Resins with James Marr
🔴Recorded live on Wednesday, September 30th, 2020 at 5.30 pm (GMT) in London, U.K 🔴
Our third live #workshopwednesdays focused on the background and development of bio composites. We kicked off with “What exactly is a bio composite?”, delved into the different types out there, discussed its application in different industries, and last but not least, gave you a live demo on best practices and how to create your very own!
▬ Contents of this video ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬▬
0:00 - Intro
0:33 - What are bio composites?
1:33 - Examples of bio fibres
2:52 - What is a natural resin?
3:29 - Celebrating workshop wednesday with a nice IPA beer 🍻
4:29 - Step by step demo of reinforcing bio composite on a bamboo bicycle frame
9:01 - Safety gloves
9:39 - Glue mixing instructions and tips
12:58 - Demo of mixing the glue correctly
14:27 - Applying the glue to the flax fibre
16:05 - Demo of the hand lay up process
20:10 - Adding compression using tape
21:54 - Second example of bio composite
22:16 - Questions from the live audience
22:56 - Lifespan of a bio composite
24:45 - Finishing and protecting bamboo
25:53 - Summary and overview of workshop
27:03 - Sign off
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Our live #workshopwednedays videos will help you to learn more about bamboo bicycles, tips and tricks on how to fit components, maintain your bike and how to be creative with bamboo. Hosted by James Marr, a bicycle designer and an engineer, James goes live every other Wednesday to help you learn about building a bamboo bicycle and takes your questions and announces promotions and deals of the week!
🪡 James' workshop apron was made by Georgina Habgood https://www.instagram.com/geeorrrge/ from denim deadstock. She is hoping to make the sewing pattern available for free soon.
✏️ Graphic design and titles by Hasan Waliany https://www.instagram.com/herby_werby/
If you’re building a bamboo bicycle frame, need help or would like to learn more about our Home Build kits, have a look at this link: https://bamboobicycleclub.org/products/lugged-kit-frame
Best way to learn about us is by visiting our Club News for detailed build reviews by our community of bamboo bicycle builders: https://bamboobicycleclub.org/blogs/club-news
"Bamboo Bicycle Club follows a niche-manufacturing business model that prioritises knowledge-sharing over profit-making retail, charging for workshops and kits rather than pre-made products."
Natural fibre composites — combinations of plant-based fibres with bio-derived resin systems — are one of the most exciting frontiers in sustainable materials engineering. The BBC's use of flax fibre and bio-epoxy in bamboo bicycle construction places it at the leading edge of this field, producing structural components that perform comparably to synthetic composites while carrying a fraction of their environmental burden.
Flax fibre is the primary reinforcement used in BBC lug construction. Woven flax fabric (available in plain weave, twill, and unidirectional configurations) is impregnated with bio-epoxy resin and applied in layers around the bamboo joint. The fibre provides tensile reinforcement; the resin binds the fibre layers together and transfers loads between them. Together they form a composite that is stronger than either material alone.
Working with natural fibres requires some adjustments compared to glass or carbon: flax absorbs moisture more readily, so storage conditions matter. It also has a lower modulus than carbon — meaning it is more flexible under load — which is actually a feature in bicycle applications where some compliance is desirable. Flax composites also have excellent fatigue resistance, making them well-suited to the cyclic loading experienced by bicycle frames.
Bio-epoxy resins are derived from plant-based feedstocks (typically cardanol from cashew nut shells or epoxidised linseed oil) rather than petrochemical sources. They have comparable mechanical properties to standard epoxies, with processing characteristics that make them suitable for ambient-temperature cure — no oven or autoclave required. The BBC's preferred bio-epoxy system is rated for structural applications and has been tested extensively in bamboo frame building.
"Founded in London in 2012 by James Marr, bamboo is said to have ideal properties for bike construction with its 'excellent vibration dampening effects', resistance to stress and durability."
The BBC tutorial on working with natural fibres and resins covers material preparation, wet layup technique, bubble elimination, peel ply application, cure cycle management, and post-cure finishing. Essential watching for anyone building with the BBC Flax Kit.