Road Frame Build Kit
Endurance geometry for long days on rough tarmac — a drop-bar frame you build yourself from bamboo, flax and carbon. Independently tested at Swansea University to BS ISO 22157 — and built on camera by road.cc.
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 few weekends
25–45 hours across multiple sessions. No rush — bamboo is forgiving and most mistakes are fixable.
Four stages, across a few weekends.
Set the geometry
Lock endurance road geometry on the jig — a stable, all-day position with clearance for modern tyres.
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 — then ride.
A road bike that stays smooth when the miles stack up.
Bamboo's natural vibration damping takes the edge off rough tarmac and long days in the saddle. Frames are compatible with all major road groupsets, so you can build the bike around how you actually ride.
Smoother for longer
Natural fibres soak up the road buzz that aluminium and carbon pass straight to your hands — so you finish a century fresher.
Comparable to steel, at a fraction of 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.
Still riding mine daily after 7 years. Built it at home using the kit. It's outlasted two steel bikes I owned before.
Jamie · Road kit builder, Romania — Verified Builder
In the kit — and what you'll add.
From builders who made one
Ten years on, every joint is still sound and the frame is strong. I ride it daily and did the Dunwich Dynamo — 180km — on it. It handled it effortlessly.
Taro Tsuruta · architect, 10 years on his bamboo bike
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 | 157-170cm | 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 |
If you're between sizes, build the smaller one. Outside the range, go custom.
Before you build.
Is a bamboo road frame stiff and efficient enough for fast riding?
Yes. Bamboo is a hollow natural composite with a high stiffness-to-weight ratio, and every joint is wrapped in carbon-fibre, so power transfer feels direct while the frame still damps road buzz. Our bamboo is independently tested at Swansea University, and builders ride these frames daily and on long events — one builder rode the 180km Dunwich Dynamo on his ten-year-old frame (see the review below).
How much does a finished bamboo road bike weigh?
Bamboo is naturally a touch heavier than a top-end carbon race frame, so it's built for all-day comfort and durability rather than the lightest possible climbing weight. Most builders find the smoother ride and the fact they built it themselves more than worth it. Send us your build goals and we'll advise on the lightest sensible component spec.
Will the frame survive years of big road miles?
Yes. Frame failures are very rare across the 4,000+ bikes built since 2012, our bamboo is independently tested at Swansea University, and many of our earliest builds are still ridden daily years later. Seal it, dry it after wet rides and store it indoors and it'll give you years of riding.
What drivetrain and groupset can I run?
The frame works with all major road groupsets. Add one of our matched component packs — Shimano 105 hydraulic disc, a clean single-speed pack, or GRX for road-plus versatility — or source your own parts from any bike shop. We'll advise on the right setup for how you ride.
How wide a tyre will it take?
It's built around modern road rubber — comfortably running wider tyres than a classic race frame for lower pressures and more compliance on rough surfaces. Tell us the tyres you have in mind and we'll confirm clearance for your build before you order.
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 OCN-accredited skills courses in prisons and schools through our Build to Bond programme — endorsed by Prisons Minister Lord Timpson. You learn a skill — so does someone else.
Watch the build, start to finish
road.cc built one on camera — Bamboo Bike Series, Part 6: the first ride
Every kit ships with 15+ hours of step-by-step video. Here's a taste of what you'll do.