Balance Bike Flax Kit with Resins
Our most sustainable and most affordable balance bike: bamboo tubes joined with natural flax fibre and resin — no metal lugs, no carbon, no plastic shop bike. It's the same first bike a parent builds for their own child on our prison programme, so the one you make at home helps fund a place for a family to be reunited.
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.
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 weekend or two
10–15 hours over a weekend or two. No rush — bamboo is forgiving and most mistakes are fixable.
Four stages, across a few weekends.
Set the geometry
Set the little-rider geometry on the jig — low and stable, with plant-based flax joints.
Join & wrap
Wrap each joint with natural flax-fibre tow and resin, then leave to cure — no metal lugs, fully natural.
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 first bike made of plants, not plastic.
Bamboo's natural vibration damping makes for a smooth, forgiving first ride, and the frame is light for little legs. Joined with plant-based flax fibre and resin — no metal lugs, no carbon — it's the most sustainable build we make.
Plants, not plastic
Bamboo joined with natural flax fibre and resin — 100% natural materials, no metal lugs and no carbon. Our most sustainable build.
Steel strength, a tenth the weight
Tensile strength comparable to mild steel at a fraction of the weight. Our bamboo is independently 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.
Light for little legs
Bamboo is naturally light and the balance frame is small, so it's made to be manageable for a toddler learning to ride.
The flax finish is gorgeous — every time I look at it I smile. And I built it myself.
Balance Flax Builder, Home kit build
In the kit — and what you'll add.
Rated by the builders who made one
The bike was the first thing I ever made with my own hands. When my daughter rode it on a family visit, I felt like a dad again.
a Build to Bond programme participant
Built to fit your child
Fit depends on your child's inside-leg measurement more than age — send us their height and inside leg and we'll confirm it suits them.
| 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.
What age and size is this for?
Designed for children roughly aged 2–5, as a balance (pedal-free) first bike. Fit depends on your child's inside-leg measurement more than age — send us their height and inside leg and we'll confirm it suits them.
Is it light enough for a toddler to handle?
Bamboo is naturally light and the balance frame is small, so it's made to be manageable for little legs. We don't want to publish a weight we haven't measured — we'll share the exact finished weight on request.
Why choose flax over the lugged balance bike?
Two reasons: it's greener and cheaper. The flax kit joins the bamboo with natural plant fibre and resin instead of metal or 3D-printed lugs — so it's 100% natural materials (bamboo and flax, no carbon), the most sustainable build we make, and our most affordable. The lugged version uses metal/printed lug joints, which some builders prefer for the look and a slightly more guided build. Both make the same pedal-free first bike.
How hard is the build, and how long does it take?
It's our simplest kit — around 10–15 hours, comfortably spread over a weekend or two. No power tools: just basic hand tools (hacksaw, files, sandpaper, tape) and a work surface. You bond the bamboo tubes with epoxy and wrap each joint in flax fibre. Most builders start with zero experience, and our community of 4,000+ can help if you get stuck.
Is it safe and strong enough for a child?
Very strong for its weight. Bamboo is a light, hollow natural composite and every joint is bound with natural flax fibre and resin, 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.
More first bikes
Component finishing pack
Wheels, tyres, saddle and finishing parts to complete your balance bike.
Lugged balance bike
The same pedal-free first bike, joined with metal or printed lugs.
The Build to Bond story
How a balance bike built inside helps reunite a parent with their child.
What makes it different
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, resin, flax 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.