expedition8,288 miles down the andes
Kate Rawles built hers with us, then rode the length of South America.
read the story
MTB frame kit
MTB Frame Build Kit
Beginner-friendly · no experience needed~30–45 hrs · a few weekends
Bigger bamboo tubes, tighter tolerances and disc-ready 29er geometry — built by hand to take roots, rocks and drops. Bamboo's natural damping kills trail chatter the way an alloy frame never will, and the joints are stronger than the tubes.
£385
In stock — ships ~twice a week from our London workshop, fully tracked.
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.
Build with a buddy — buy a second kit and save 15% on both. Better builds, better stories.
- 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
Find your fit
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.
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 frame.
Outside these sizes? Build a custom frameframe geometry
| Rider height | 160-170cm / 168-178cm / 178-187cm / 185-193cm (S/M/L/XL) |
|---|---|
| Seat tube (C-C) | 48cm / 52cm / 56cm / 58cm (S/M/L/XL) |
| Top tube (effective) | 52cm / 54cm / 56cm / 58cm (S/M/L/XL) |
| Head tube | 12cm / 14cm / 17cm / 19cm (S/M/L/XL) |
| Stack | 54cm / 56cm / 58cm / 60cm (S/M/L/XL) |
| Reach | 37cm / 38cm / 39cm / 40cm (S/M/L/XL) |
Every kit does more
See our impact
your build helps fund accredited skills courses — inside prisons and schools.
You build
a 29er frame
Profits fund
accredited skills courses
A life changes
skills · confidence · futures
What it costs to actually ride
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.
Frame kit
£385
Everything to build the bamboo mountain bike frame.
Component pack
Priced by build
Bars, wheels, drivetrain and finishing kit, chosen for your build.
Ride-ready, all in
From £810
A complete, one-of-a-kind mountain 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.
Before you order
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.
Wheel size
29er frame · 650B/27.5" pack option
Geometry
Hardtail trail / XC, disc mounts
Build time
30–45 hrs
Strength
High strength-to-weight
spec — BS ISO 22157:2019 · tensile 84.3 MPa · Swansea University
What's in the box
in 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.
Build with confidence
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.
After the build
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
Watch the build
See a frame come together.
The same hand-build every kit follows — start to finish, on camera.
Cycling record holder Kate Strong in bamboo bike ride challenge.
BBC News · 2023
Builder reviews
rated by the builders who made one
Rides lovely. Build quality is better than I expected for a home-built frame. Taking it on proper trails now.
SingleTrack World Member · MTB builder, UKThe bike keeps taking everything I throw at it — drops, jumps, steep technical trails, long days in the saddle. It's pure joy.
Mark · bamboo 29er, two years in the Surrey Hills3,500+
frames built at home
BBC records · since 2012
Swansea
University tested
independent testing
2012
building since — early builds still ridden
BBC records
~2×/wk
shipped from London
full tracking
Common questions
before you build.
Can a bamboo frame really handle proper trail riding?
Yes. Bamboo's natural damping is a real advantage on rough terrain, and the bonded joints are reinforced with carbon-fibre. Riders hit singletrack, roots and drops on BBC hardtails regularly. Our bamboo is independently tested at Swansea University, and frame failures are very rare across the 4,000+ bikes built since 2012.
Is it stiff enough to climb and put power down?
The MTB kit uses bigger-diameter bamboo tubes and tighter tolerances than our road and gravel kits, built for off-road loads. Builders report it climbs well and descends confidently — 'the 29er geometry is spot on.'
Will it survive impacts and rough terrain?
Very strong for its weight. Bamboo is a light, hollow natural composite and every joint is reinforced with carbon-fibre, giving a high strength-to-weight ratio. Our bamboo is independently tested at Swansea University. Builders ride these frames daily and tour continents — with proper care they last for years.
What wheel size and brakes does it take?
It's built around 29er geometry with disc-brake mounts and a BSA 68mm bottom bracket. Our MTB component pack is specced for 650B/27.5" if you prefer the smaller, punchier wheel — your call.
How long does the MTB frame take to build?
About 30–45 hours over a few weekends — a little longer than our road and gravel kits because the tubes are larger and the off-road tolerances are tighter. No power tools needed: just basic hand tools and a work surface.
Keep building
more kits to build
All frame kitsBuilt from this kit
what people have done with theirs.
Frames built at kitchen tables and in our workshop, then ridden hard.
-
expedition
-
expedition
london to singapore, 22,000km
Two doctors, two self-built frames, one continent-crossing ride.
read the story
-
ten yearsten years of daily riding
A first-time builder’s frame, still in service a decade later.
read the story
-
build film
a full frame build, filmed
Gravel Cyclist takes a kit from tubes to finished frame, on camera.
read the story
-
what you get
what is actually in the box
Every part of a build kit, unpacked — the video people watch before they buy.
read the story
-
full build
a whole frame, start to finish
The complete home-kit build in one film, so you know what you are taking on.
read the story