Tandemswiss family tandem
Three-person bamboo tandem for the school run. Built at home in Switzerland.
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a grass that rides like steel
Every workshop opens with the same question. This is the material, measured.
01the science
a ride you can feel
Bamboo's fibres turn road buzz into a trace of heat — so less of the rough road ever reaches your hands.
A bamboo frame significantly improved ride comfort over an equivalent aluminium one.
tested, not asserted
the numbers we were given, not the ones we liked
- ultimate tensile
- 84.3MPa
- Comparable to mild steel at a fraction of the weight.
- ultimate flexural
- 70.9MPa
- 3-point bending, 300 mm span.
- ultimate compressive
- 57.7MPa
- The load a seat tube actually sees.
- young's modulus
- 6.4GPa
- A fraction of a metal’s stiffness — the compliance you feel.
Tensile on 180 × 8 × 3 mm specimens. Our own tubing, sent to an independent lab.Published 23 Feb 2023 — full results →
02strength & ride
strong where it counts
Tensile strength comparable to mild steel — tested to BS ISO 22157 at Swansea — with flax-and-carbon joints. It gives over the bumps and stays stiff under power, so it moves with you.
Independent engineers fatigue-modelled a bamboo frame to outlast around 26 times its intended service life.
Tested
watch: bamboo under test
Filmed in the materials lab at Swansea University.
We sent our own bamboo tubes to Swansea University for three-point flexural bending tests to BS ISO 22157. They behaved like a high-performance engineering material — because they are one.
The evidence
the research behind bamboo
We don't just build with bamboo — we study it, and we teach it. A decade of testing, student projects and peer-reviewed research.
The studies.
- Swansea University (2023) — our frame tubing tested to BS ISO 22157:2019: ultimate tensile 84.3 MPa, flexural 70.9 MPa, compressive 57.7 MPa, modulus 6.4 GPa. Full results.
- Thite et al., Vehicle System Dynamics (2013), Oxford Brookes University — peer-reviewed ride-comfort study: a bamboo frame significantly improved comfort over an equivalent aluminium one.
- Arango Fierro et al. (2019) — structural & fatigue analysis: a bamboo frame modelled to outlast around 26× its intended service life.
- Sharma & Harries (2015) · Wegst & Ashby, Philosophical Magazine (2004) — the published property ranges our comparison table cites.
- Amiri et al., Proc. IMechE (2018) — flax-fibre composites, the joint material.
The programmes. University College London — the “Pedal Progress” cargo-bike project, winner of the IMechE Group Project Award · University of Manchester — bamboo-composite materials R&D · London South Bank University — jig-equipped engineering-lab teaching · Coventry University — UK Bamboo Summit keynote · University of Portsmouth — bamboo species study · University of Cumbria — Kate Rawles’ 8,288-mile “Woody”.
The engineering
how bamboo measures up
A frame material comes down to how light it is, how strong for that weight, how it soaks up the road, and whether you can build it yourself. Honest ranges, with sources.
0.7
g/cm³ density
Lighter than carbon, aluminium & steel
26×
fatigue-modelled life
Modelled to outlast its service life (2019 study)
3–5
years to harvest
A tree takes decades
14 yrs
oldest frames still riding
2012 builds, ridden daily
Density · g/cm³ — lower is lighter
| Property | Density (g/cm³) | Tensile strength (MPa) | Stiffness — modulus (GPa) | Vibration damping | Build it yourself? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboo | 0.6–0.9 | 115–370 · ours 84.3 † | 10–35 | High | Yes — jig & hand tools |
| Steel (4130 / 853) | 7.8 | 560–1,400 | 205 | Very low | Brazing / welding |
| Aluminium 6061 | 2.7 | 310 | 69 | Low | Welding |
| Carbon fibre | 1.5 | 600–3,500 † | 120–200 | Moderate | Autoclave — no |
Ranges reflect species, alloy and lay-up — bamboo especially varies with species, culm and moisture, which is exactly why we test to a standard. Our 84.3 MPa is a real culm section tested at Swansea (BS ISO 22157). † Carbon's headline strength is measured along the fibre; a frame tube only ever sees a fraction of it. Sources: Swansea University test data; Sharma & Harries (2015); Wegst & Ashby (2004); MatWeb / ASM.
what we won't claim
steel wins on strength*
And carbon wins on stiffness-to-weight. We publish the figure that lost as well as the one that won — every number above is an independent lab's, not ours.
- where bamboo wins
- Damping. It turns road buzz into heat instead of passing it to your hands.
- and wins again
- Repairability. Repaired with local materials and basic skills — which is why the Kenya and Rwanda programmes teach building, not shipping.
- and the one nobody else can claim
- You can build it. The only one of the four you can cut with a hand saw, in a weekend, with no factory.
Proven with science
We don't ask you to take "bamboo is good" on faith. We test it, we teach it, and we work with universities to understand it better.
why this matters
understanding is the real sustainability*
the greenest material is the one you understand.
* understand what bamboo is, how it grows and how it's joined, and you use it better — you waste less, repair instead of replace, and keep improving. that's why everything we do is teaching.
03accessibility
anyone can build one
No welding, no moulds, no factory — just bamboo, a jig and hand tools. Most builders start with zero experience and finish in two days.
I knew nothing about bikes. Building the whole thing myself, I finally understand how to fix it.
Design versatility
any design. any rider.
You can't shape steel in your kitchen or cut carbon in your garage. Bamboo you cut with a hand saw and join with flax wrapping and bio-resin — so you can build any frame you can draw.
Tandem
adam's cargo bike
Long-tail cargo built in a London flat. "Surprisingly solid, takes quite a load."
Read the build
Aero Road
Graveltim's gravel explorer
First-time builder from the Netherlands. "My hands are itching to build a second."
Read the build
10-Year RiderGood to know
bamboo bike questions, answered
How strong is a bamboo frame?
Comparable to mild steel in tension — about 84 MPa, tested to BS ISO 22157 at Swansea University — while far lighter. Every joint is reinforced with a flax-and-carbon composite, so in our builds the bamboo is the limiting factor, not the joins, and independent engineers have fatigue-modelled bamboo frames well beyond their service life (Arango Fierro et al., 2019).
Does it crack, or mind the rain?
Our tubes are heat-treated, bound in flax and bio-resin at the joints, and sealed with lacquer. Dry after wet rides and store indoors — the same care you'd give any quality frame.
Do I need experience to build one?
No — most of our builders start with none. Workshop frames are completed in 2 days with full expert guidance; home kits include step-by-step instructions and video tutorials.
How long will a bamboo frame last?
Many of our 2012 frames are still ridden daily, 14 years on. Keep it sealed and stored indoors and it goes the distance.
What types of bamboo bicycle can I build?
Any type — road, gravel, mountain, cargo, tandem, balance bike. The geometry is defined by your jig setup, so the design is up to you.
Is bamboo a sustainable material for bicycles?
Yes. It matures in 3–5 years (trees take 20–50), regrows from its root system, and needs no pesticides or irrigation. And because you build the frame yourself, you learn to repair it — so it lasts for years rather than being thrown away.
start your build
build your bamboo bike
Most builders start with zero experience — the manual and video course carry you the whole way.