Balance Bike Lugged Kit
A bamboo balance bike light enough for little legs, simple enough to build over a weekend, and personal enough to keep forever. It's the same 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
8–12 hours — a weekend project. No rush — bamboo is forgiving and most mistakes are fixable.
Four stages, across a weekend.
Set the geometry
Set the little-rider geometry on the jig — low and stable for small legs, feet flat on the ground.
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.
The keepsake first bike you build together.
Bamboo is naturally light, so it's made to be manageable for little legs, and every joint is reinforced with carbon-fibre. The keepsake first bike you build together — light enough for a toddler, strong enough to hand down.
Light for little legs
Bamboo is naturally light and the balance frame is small, so it's made to be manageable for a toddler to lift, steer and glide on.
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.
Built this with my daughter for her 3rd birthday. The look on her face when she realized we made it together was priceless.
Proud Parent · Balance bike builder, London
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
Will it fit your child?
The right fit depends on your child's inside-leg measurement more than their age. Send us their height and inside leg and we'll confirm it suits them.
| Detail | This bike | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age guide | Roughly 2–5 years | 52cm | 56cm | 58cm |
| Bike type | Balance (pedal-free) first bike | 52cm | 56cm | 58cm |
| Fit guide | Sized by inside-leg, not age | 52cm | 56cm | 58cm |
Not sure? Send us your child's height and inside-leg measurement and we'll confirm the fit before you order.
Before you build.
What age and size is this for?
Designed for children roughly aged 2–5, as a balance (pedal-free) first bike. The right 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 no pedals?
Balance bikes teach the hard part first — balancing and steering — without pedals or stabilisers. Children glide with their feet, then move straight to a pedal bike, usually skipping stabilisers altogether.
How hard is the build, and how long does it take?
It's our simplest kit — fewer parts than an adult frame and around 8–12 hours, comfortably a weekend. No power tools: just basic hand tools (hacksaw, files, sandpaper, tape) and a work surface. Most builders start with zero experience, and our community 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 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.
More from the maker shop
Component finishing pack
Wheels, saddle and finishing parts to complete your balance-bike build.
Frame kits for grown-ups
Road, gravel and more — the same build, scaled up for adult riders.
The Build to Bond story
How a parent inside builds a first bike for their own child — and how your kit helps.
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, 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.