City Bike Frame Build Kit
Upright, comfortable geometry with mounts for racks, mudguards and lights — hand-built by you from fast-growing bamboo and flax instead of carbon. A bike that turns heads at the rack, soaks up potholes, and carries a sustainability and social story no off-the-shelf frame can match.
1-year kit warranty · 14-day returns on unopened kits · ships in ~2 weeks
Build your own — and help fund a place on our Build to Bond prison programme. Every £1 we generate returns £11.41 of social value.
- No power tools required — just basic hand tools
- Illustrated manual + 15+ hours of step-by-step video
- Lifetime community of 4,000+ builders for support
- Cycle to Work accepted — save through salary sacrifice
What makes it different
No welding, no workshop
Build the whole frame on your kitchen table with basic hand tools — everything else is in the kit.
Everything in the box
Bamboo, the jig, metal fittings, resin, fibre and 15+ hours of step-by-step video — you only add the components.
Every kit funds learning
Your build helps fund accredited skills courses in prisons and schools. You learn a skill — so does someone else.
Built to fit you
| Frame size | Rider height | Inseam |
|---|---|---|
| XS | 148–163 cm | 68–74 cm |
| S | 160–173 cm | 74–80 cm |
| M | 170–183 cm | 78–86 cm |
| L | 180–193 cm | 84–92 cm |
| XL | 190–203 cm | 90–100 cm |
| 2XL | 200 cm + | 98 cm + |
Inseam is the better guide — measure barefoot, floor to crotch. Bands overlap on purpose: if you fall between two, choose the smaller frame.
No sizing gamble: you build your frame to fit you. Use your height and inseam to pick your size.
Your frame's size is set on the jig you build on — so pick the size that matches your fit, then fine-tune with seatpost, stem and saddle. Being between sizes is normal: build the smaller one.
Outside these sizes? Build a custom frameYour build helps fund accredited skills courses — inside prisons and schools.
Complete your build, the easy way.
The kit is the frame. Add a matched component pack — fork, wheels, groupset, finishing kit — and you're ride-ready. Or source parts from any bike shop; your frame fits all major groupsets.
Everything to build the bamboo gravel frame.
Fork, wheels, groupset, bars, saddle and finishing kit.
A complete, one-of-a-kind gravel bike — built by you.
Add the component packPrefer to choose your own parts? Skip the pack — the frame works with any standard groupset, and we'll advise.
What you'll need at home.
Basic hand tools
A hacksaw, files, sandpaper, a measuring tape — no power tools. Everything else is in the kit.
A bit of space
A sturdy table around 1200 × 600 mm and a spot the frame can sit undisturbed while joints cure.
A few weekends
25–35 hours across multiple sessions. No rush — bamboo is forgiving and most mistakes are fixable.
Four stages, across a few weekends.
Set the geometry
Lock upright city geometry on the jig — comfortable, with mounts for racks, mudguards and lights.
Join & wrap
Bond the tubes with epoxy and wrap each joint with carbon-fibre tow.
Cure
Leave it for a full cure — that's where maximum joint strength comes from.
Sand, seal & ride
Sand smooth, seal the bamboo, fit the headset and bottom bracket. Adventure awaits.
The commuter bike that doesn't look like every other commuter bike.
Bamboo's natural vibration damping takes the edge off rough trails — ideal for bikepacking. Frames are compatible with all major groupsets and can be built around Shimano GRX or Rohloff geared hubs.
My daily commuter for 3 years now. Gets so many compliments locked up outside the office.
Urban Cyclist, City commuter build, LondonIn the kit
Heat-treated Moso bamboo tubes (with spares), a full-size frame blueprint, a plywood alignment jig, the CNC metal parts that the steering, cranks and wheels bolt to (head tube, bottom-bracket shell and dropouts), carbon-fibre tow (the reinforcing fibre you wrap each joint with), two-part epoxy resin, and an illustrated manual plus 15+ hours of step-by-step video tutorials.
You'll add
Fork, wheels, groupset, handlebars, saddle and finishing components. Grab a complete component pack from us, or source parts from any bike shop.
You've got this — and we've got you
You can't really ruin it
The glue is slow and adjustable, each joint wrap is additive (more = stronger), and a cured joint simply sands back to shape. The kit even ships with spare bamboo — at no single point is a mistake permanent.
Tools you'll need
- Hacksaw
- Files
- Sandpaper
- Tape measure
- A rounded wood file
- Electrical & masking tape
- A 1200×600mm board
- No power tools needed
You're never on your own
Stuck mid-build? Get help fast through our builder forum, step-by-step YouTube videos, WhatsApp and email. Most of our builders start with zero experience.
Caring for your frame
Seal the bamboo and store it indoors; dry it after wet rides. A frame you built — and understand — is one you can maintain and repair yourself for years.
Warranty, returns & shipping
- 1-year warranty on the kit materials
- Full refund within 14 days on unopened, unused kits
- Ships in ~2 weeks · UK £12 · Europe £25 · USA £45 · rest of world £75
See a frame come together.
The same hand-build every kit follows — start to finish, on camera.
Rated by the builders who made one
It rides great and it's so comfortable — the only problem is everyone who sees it wants to talk about it or have a go.
— Karl, single-speed city build, MedwayTo see the bike the first time and sit on it was euphoria. I was more taken than when I got my new car (sorry, car).
— Tamas, belt-drive city buildBefore you build.
Can I really ride it in the rain every day?
How much maintenance does a bamboo commuter need?
Will it handle hills and city traffic?
Is it strong and secure enough for daily city use?
Can I get it through Cycle to Work?
More for commuters
All frame kits
Watch the build, start to finish
Build film by Julian Goulding · a Bamboo Bicycle Club community build
Every kit ships with 15+ hours of step-by-step video. Here's a taste of what you'll do.