City Bike Frame Build Kit
Upright, comfortable geometry with mounts for racks, mudguards and lights — hand-built by you from fast-growing bamboo and flax instead of carbon. A bike that turns heads at the rack, soaks up potholes, and carries a sustainability and social story no off-the-shelf frame can match.
Klarna and Shop Pay at checkout · Cycle to Work accepted
Not sure it's for you? Book a free 10-minute call
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
everything but the parts you already own.
One box: graded bamboo, the metalwork, the fibre and resin, the jig, the plan and the course. Fork, wheels and groupset are yours to choose.
- 1 heat-treated Moso bamboo tubespre-shaped, with spares
- 2 CNC head tube, bottom-bracket shell and modular dropouts
- 3 flax fibre and two-part epoxy resinfor the joints
- 4 plywood alignment jig and 1:1 frame plan
- 5 illustrated manual + 15 hours of videoand the builder community
Spares included. If anything in the box is not right, we replace it.
will it take my parts?
The numbers you need to check a part you already own. The kit is the frame — fork, wheels and groupset are yours to choose.
- tyre clearance
- 32 mm with mudguards and rack
- head tube
- 44 mm 1″ · 1 1/8″ · 1 1/4″ · 1.5″ tapered
- dropouts
- Modular QR · singlespeed · hub gear · 12 mm thru
- brakes
- Disc direct and post mount
- bottom bracket
- BSA 68 mm eccentric option for singlespeed
- seatpost
- 27.2 mm seat insert
- mounts
- Bottle, rack + mudguard M5 inserts · dropout rack mounts
- build time
- 25–35 hrs across a few weekends
no customs bill at the door
| Destination | Shipping | Duty & tax |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | £12 | Included |
| Europe | £25 | Paid by us |
| USA & Canada | £45 | Paid by us |
| Rest of world | £75 | Paid by us |
The price at checkout is the price the kit costs you. We pay the import duty and tax before it ships, so the courier has nothing to collect when it arrives.
Sydney, Large kit: £375 kit + £75 shipping = £450 total, and nothing further on delivery.
Packed by hand and shipped twice a week, tracked all the way. Kits have reached 45 countries.
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 frameyour build helps fund accredited skills courses — inside prisons and schools.
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.
Everything to build the bamboo city frame.
Bars, wheels, drivetrain and finishing kit, chosen for your build.
A complete, one-of-a-kind city 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.
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), flax fibre (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.
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.
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
See a frame come together.
The same hand-build every kit follows — start to finish, on camera.
Going to the workshop was hands-down one of the best things I have ever done.
Stuart Heritage · The Guardian
rated by the builders who made one
My daily commuter for 3 years now. Gets so many compliments locked up outside the office.
Urban Cyclist, City commuter build, LondonIt rides great and it's so comfortable — the only problem is everyone who sees it wants to talk about it or have a go.
Karl · single-speed city build, MedwayTo see the bike the first time and sit on it was euphoria. I was more taken than when I got my new car (sorry, car).
Tamas · belt-drive city buildbefore you build.
Can I really ride it in the rain every day?
Yes. Finished frames are sealed with a weatherproof epoxy lacquer. Dry your bike after wet rides and store it indoors, and it'll give you years of riding — many of our earliest builds are still ridden daily.
How much maintenance does a bamboo commuter need?
Very little. Build it single-speed and there's almost nothing to service — no derailleur to adjust. Keep the chain clean, dry the frame after wet rides, and inspect the joints once a year. That's it.
Will it handle hills and city traffic?
The frame is single-speed or hub-gear ready, so you can spec gearing to suit your route and hills. The upright geometry gives you excellent visibility in traffic, and it fits standard racks, mudguards and lights.
Is it strong and secure enough for daily city use?
Can I get it through Cycle to Work?
Yes. Our frame kits are eligible for standard Cycle to Work schemes — UK employees typically save 25–39% through salary sacrifice. We accept Cyclescheme, Cycle Solutions, Evans and Halfords.
