The only frame material you can build yourself, by hand, in a weekend
Bamboo grows on every continent except Europe and Antarctica — nearly 1,600 species. No factories, foundries or billion-dollar supply chains. Anyone can build their own bamboo frame in two days.
Comparable to steel at a fraction of the weight
A natural composite: parallel cellulose fibres in a lignin matrix, the same structural principle as carbon fibre — evolved over millions of years. Gram for gram it holds its own against steel and even carbon fibre — an exceptional strength-to-weight ratio.
Woody turned out to be the most reliable bike I've ever owned. Hardly any mechanical problems on the whole journey, and a smooth, shock-absorbing ride.
Kate Rawles — 8,288 miles, Colombia to Patagonia, on a BBC-built bamboo frame
A ride you can feel
Natural fibres damp vibration better than bare metal. In peer-reviewed testing at Oxford Brookes University, a bamboo frame significantly improved ride comfort over an aluminium one — less road buzz on long days in the saddle.
Having had it now for about 7 years and ridden it hard — the ride is much smoother than my Cooper. I've ridden over about half of Crete with it.
Jamie — London workshop builder, 7-year review
Anyone can build one
To make a bamboo bicycle frame you need bamboo, a jig, hand tools and two days. That's it. We teach complete beginners — most with no prior experience at all — to build their own frame.
I knew nothing about bike maintenance. I thought that if I could be involved in the whole process of putting it together, I'd have a better idea of how to tackle any inevitable breakages. It reminded me how satisfying it is to build something from scratch.
Soraya — 4-day London workshop, road bamboo bike build
Grown, not mined
Bamboo reaches structural maturity in 3–5 years where trees take 20–50; it regrows from its own root system with no replanting, pesticides or irrigation, locking up carbon as it grows.
The bike was the first thing I ever made with my own hands. When my daughter rode it on family visit day, I felt like a dad again.
— A Build to Bond makerWatch: bamboo under test
Filmed in the materials lab at Swansea University.
We sent our actual 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.
We don't ask you to take "bamboo is good" on faith. Independent universities and peer-reviewed journals have measured what a bamboo frame actually does.
How bamboo measures up
A frame lives or dies on four numbers: weight, strength for that weight, damping, and cost to the planet. Honest ranges, with sources.
Density · g/cm³ — lower is lighter
| Property | Density (g/cm³) | Tensile strength (MPa) | Stiffness — modulus (GPa) | Vibration damping | Embodied carbon (kg CO₂e/kg) | Build it yourself? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bamboo | 0.6–0.9 | 115–370 | 10–35 | High | Net-negative | Yes — jig & hand tools |
| Steel (4130 / 853) | 7.8 | 560–1,400 | 205 | Very low | 0.8–2.8 | Brazing / welding |
| Aluminium 6061 | 2.7 | 310 | 69 | Low | ~5.4 | Welding |
| Carbon fibre | 1.5 | 600–3,500 † | 120–200 | Moderate | 24–35 | Autoclave — no |
Ranges reflect species, alloy and lay-up — bamboo especially varies with species, culm and moisture. † Carbon's headline strength is measured along the fibre; a frame tube only ever sees a fraction of it. Sources: Sánchez Vivas (bamboo.org), ScienceDirect, MatWeb/ASM, Reynolds Technology, ICE embodied-carbon database.
Carbon is lighter and stiffer. Bamboo answers on damping, fatigue-tolerance and embodied carbon — and it's the only one of the four you can build at home with hand tools.
Any design. Any rider.
You can't shape steel in your kitchen or cut carbon fibre in your garage. Bamboo you can cut with a hand saw, shape with a file and join with wrapping and epoxy. Design any frame you can draw.
TandemThree-person bamboo tandem for the school run. Built at home in Switzerland from our kit.
CargoLong-tail cargo built in a London flat. "Surprisingly solid, takes quite a bit of load."
Aero RoadCustom aero profile with foam inserts and internal cabling. Third BBC build.
GravelFirst-time builder from the Netherlands. "My hands are itching to build a second."
10-Year RiderArchitect built for an Alzheimer's charity ride. Still his daily bamboo bike after a decade.
Bamboo bike questions, answered
Does a bamboo bicycle frame crack or split?
Properly treated and sealed bamboo is very stable. Our tubes are heat-treated to remove moisture and sealed with epoxy resin. Store indoors and avoid prolonged exposure to extreme wet conditions.
Can I ride a bamboo bike in the rain?
Yes. Finished frames are fully sealed with epoxy resin. Dry your bike after wet rides and store it indoors — the same care you'd give any quality frame.
How strong is a bamboo frame?
Bamboo has a superb strength-to-weight ratio — gram for gram it rivals metal while being far lighter. In absolute terms its tensile strength is comparable to mild steel rather than high-strength steel, and it doesn't need to be stronger: every joint is reinforced with a flax-and-carbon composite, and independent engineers have load-tested and fatigue-modelled bamboo frames to well beyond their service life (Arango Fierro et al., 2019). Bamboo's properties can be measured to a recognised international standard, BS ISO 22157.
What about the joints?
The carbon-and-epoxy lugs are engineered so the joint is never the weak point — in our builds the bamboo itself is the limiting factor, not the joins. The method has been refined over 13 years and 4,000+ builds.
How long will a bamboo frame last?
Built to last. Many of our 2012 frames are still ridden daily — 13 years on — and across 4,000+ builds, frame failures are rare. Keep it sealed and stored indoors and it will go the distance.
Do I need experience to build one?
No — most of our builders start with no prior experience. Workshop frames are completed in 2 days with full expert guidance; home kits include step-by-step instructions and video tutorials.
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. Bamboo is a rapidly renewable grass — 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.