Can you build a bike frame in an afternoon? | Return of the bamboo bike

Can you build a bike frame in an afternoon? | Return of the bamboo bike

Back in 2018, Dave decided that he was going to make a bike himself... in his shed... using sticks and glue. Ever hopeful of some quality clips for You've Been Framed, we decided to video his experience.

The process involved quite a bit of precision and a lot of measuring. There was plenty of work to be done using intricate tools that require a deft touch. These are all things that Dave is known for.

The bike would be built with the aim of being tested at the height of competition – the local category 2/3 circuit race in the pouring rain. Would the frame be lined up well enough? Would the bottom bracket fall off with the first turn of the pedals?

Unfortunately for the comedy value, but fortunately for Dave's health, the bike worked. And now the Bamboo Bicycle Club have come up with a slightly simpler build kit. This one includes ready-made carbon lugs to reduce your time spent with the hemp.

It's also a more complete frameset, with places to put a front mech, bottle cages, a rear mech and there's even internal routing to take advantage of the hollow nature of bamboo. The question is: will the new kit make the build easier for Dave?

Time to kick back and find out with the first in the series.

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