Custom Frame Kit
A bamboo frame designed around you — any geometry, any discipline. You don't need to know frame design: we work through your measurements and riding style with you 1:1, then you build it.
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
25–45 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 your own geometry on the jig — built to the measurements we work out together.
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.
Your geometry, your discipline, built by your hands.
Bamboo's natural vibration damping takes the edge off rough roads and long days in the saddle. Frames are compatible with all major groupsets, so you can build the bike around exactly how you ride — at any geometry, in any discipline.
Designed around you
Send your height and inside-leg measurement and tell us how you want to ride — we work out the tube angles, lengths and fit with you, 1:1, before anything ships.
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.
Any discipline you choose
Road, gravel, MTB or city — we work with you on the frame type and the geometry that suits it, from a fast road position to an upright commuter.
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.
I wanted something nobody else had. Now I ride a bike that's completely mine — geometry, shape, everything.
Custom kit builder, Bespoke geometry build
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.
I went from knowing nothing about bicycles to having built one. Two years on, I still burst with pride riding something I made myself.
Louise · home-build road bike
Made to your measurements
A custom frame isn't built to a size chart — it's built to you. These typical bands are a starting point; we work out your exact geometry together before anything ships.
| 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 |
Outside these bands, or between sizes? That's exactly what a custom build is for — we design around your body and riding style.
Before you build.
Do I need to know anything about frame geometry?
No. This is the whole point of the custom kit — you don't design it alone. Send us your height and inside-leg measurement and tell us how you want to ride, and we work out the tube angles, lengths and fit with you, 1:1, before anything ships. You bring the body and the riding style; we bring the geometry.
How does the custom process actually work?
First we talk through your measurements, your chosen discipline and how the bike should feel. We design the geometry together and agree it with you. Only then do we prepare and ship your kit — bamboo tubes, a jig set up for your unique geometry, metal inserts, carbon-fibre tow and epoxy — plus the full video tutorials. You build it at home with direct support throughout.
Which disciplines can I choose?
Any of them — road, gravel, MTB or city. We'll work with you on the frame type and the geometry that suits it, whether that's a fast road position, a stable gravel/touring setup, a slacker trail bike or an upright city commuter.
What measurements do I need to send?
To start, your height and inside-leg measurement, plus a sense of your current bike and how you'd like this one to feel. From there we'll guide you on anything else we need. No special tools or fitting knowledge required on your side.
How long does it take, and why does it cost more than a stock kit?
A custom build takes longer than a fixed-spec kit because you're designing the geometry from scratch with us first, and the build itself runs longer (more design and prep time up front). The price reflects the bespoke 1:1 design work and a jig set up specifically for your geometry — you're paying for the consultation and the made-to-measure fit, not just the materials. Lead time depends on the design stage; we confirm it with you when we scope your build.
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.