MTB FRAME BUILD KIT
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.
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.
- 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 you'll need at home.
Whether you want to build a bike, run a programme, or back the mission — there's a door for you.
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
30–45 hours across multiple sessions. No rush — bamboo is forgiving and most mistakes are fixable.
Four stages, across a few weekends.
Whether you want to build a bike, run a programme, or back the mission — there's a door for you.
Set the geometry
Lock 29er trail geometry on the jig — slacker, confident and disc-ready, with bigger-diameter tubes.
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.
A hardtail that soaks up the trail, not your wallet.
Bamboo's natural damping kills the trail chatter that aluminium and carbon pass straight to your hands and feet. Frames are built around 29er geometry with disc mounts, so you can spec the bike around how you actually ride.
Soaks up the trail
Natural fibres damp the roots-and-rocks chatter that alloy frames hammer straight into your hands — so you ride rough terrain fresher and in more control.
Steel strength, a tenth the weight
Tensile strength comparable to mild steel at a fraction of the weight, with every joint reinforced in carbon-fibre. Independently flex-tested at Swansea University.
Built by you, fixable by you
No mines or smelters — just bamboo, a jig and hand tools. A frame you understand is one you can maintain and repair for years.
Greener by far
Bamboo regrows in 3–5 years — a rapidly renewable grass, grown not mined. Combined with flax and bio-composites, a real alternative to carbon.
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, UK
In the kit — and what you'll add.
Whether you want to build a bike, run a programme, or back the mission — there's a door for you.
Rated by the builders who made one
Whether you want to build a bike, run a programme, or back the mission — there's a door for you.
The 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 Hills
Built to fit you
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.
| Measurement | Small | Medium | Large | XL |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rider height | 160-170cm | 168-178cm | 178-187cm | 185-193cm |
| Seat tube (C-C) | 48cm | 52cm | 56cm | 58cm |
| Top tube (effective) | 52cm | 54cm | 56cm | 58cm |
| Head tube | 12cm | 14cm | 17cm | 19cm |
| Stack | 54cm | 56cm | 58cm | 60cm |
| Reach | 37cm | 38cm | 39cm | 40cm |
Being between sizes is normal: build the smaller one. Outside these sizes? Build a custom frame.
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.
More for trail riders
Gravel Frame Build Kit
Adventure-ready geometry for gravel, touring and bikepacking.
MTB 650B Component Pack
A matched component pack to finish your trail build on punchy 27.5" wheels.
Custom Frame Kit
Built to your exact measurements — request a quote.
What makes it different
Whether you want to build a bike, run a programme, or back the mission — there's a door for you.
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.
Watch the build, start to finish
Build film · 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.