Gravel Lugged Frame Build Kit
Our step-up gravel kit swaps free-hand carbon wrapping for pre-formed aluminium lugs the bamboo simply bonds into — cleaner joints, more repeatable geometry and a more refined finish. Same adventure-ready gravel geometry, built to the most precise, durable standard we make.
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
15–25 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 gravel geometry on the jig — wider clearance and a slacker head angle than road.
Join & wrap
Bond the tubes into the pre-formed lugs and leave to cure — no free-hand fibre wrapping needed.
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 lugged gravel frame, built right the first time.
Bamboo's natural vibration damping takes the edge off rough trails and long days in the saddle. Frames are built for adventure — gravel, touring and bikepacking — so you can build the bike around how you actually ride.
Smoother for longer
Natural fibres soak up the trail buzz that aluminium and carbon pass straight to your hands — so you finish a big day fresher.
Steel strength, a tenth the weight
Tensile strength comparable to mild steel at a fraction of the weight, with every joint bonded into a pre-formed aluminium lug. Independently flex-tested at Swansea University.
Built by you, fixable by you
No mines or smelters — just bamboo, a jig and hand tools. Because each tube bonds into its own lug, a damaged tube can be replaced at the joint.
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.
The lugged construction made it so much more approachable. I was nervous but the result is rock solid.
Gravel Lugged builder, Home kit 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.
As lively as my titanium frame and as comfortable as my steel one — a real joy to ride. I always end up extending my rides.
Lylian · home-build gravel
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 | 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 does "lugged" mean, and how is it different from the standard gravel kit?
Instead of free-wrapping every joint with carbon-fibre tow, the bamboo tubes bond into pre-formed aluminium lugs — sockets that hold each tube at a fixed angle. You get cleaner, more precise joints, more repeatable geometry and a more refined finish. It's the premium step up from the standard carbon-wrapped gravel kit.
Is the lugged kit easier or harder to build?
Easier, and faster. The lugs locate the tubes for you and there's far less wrapping, so the build is 15–25 hours versus 25–40 for the standard gravel kit — with just one overnight cure. It's our most beginner-friendly route into a full gravel frame.
Is a lugged frame as strong as the wrapped one?
Very strong for its weight. Bamboo is a light, hollow natural composite and every joint bonds into a pre-formed aluminium lug, 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.
Can I still repair it down the line?
Lugged construction is the more repairable option: because each tube bonds into its own lug socket, a damaged tube can be replaced at the joint rather than rebuilding a hand-wrapped union from scratch — handy if you tour or bikepack hard.
Do I need power tools?
No. Just basic hand tools — a hacksaw, files, sandpaper, a measuring tape and a work surface around 1200 × 600 mm. The lugs, bamboo, epoxy, jig and 15+ hours of video tutorials are all in the kit.
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.