Anyone build a Bamboo MTB?

I’m mulling over the idea of building a bamboo 29er hardtail with a kit from http://bamboobicycleclub.org for XC/trail riding. Has anyone else done this?

Not yet, but I want to.

Let us know how you get on!

I had a wooden bike.
It had wooden frame, wooden wheels, even a wooden drivetrain! I didn’t ride it though…. It wooden go.

Coat got already……

Someone on the fb fatbike group has one from the folk in the link…
Bamboo fatbike, probably a niche of one…. Looks nice though

There was a long and interesting thread a few years back from a guy building one. Seemed a lot of work, and I’m not sure the bike ended up where he wanted it to be aesthetically but it was interesting nonetheless

That dude on here the other day whose partner left it in front of a radiator and it cracked….
Him.

Edit: voila

I built a CX bike last year with a kit from the Bamboo Bicycle Club. Very happy with how it turned out, and James and the guys were great throughout the build. Mail me with any questions.

Couple of my friends built some and rode them.
https://www.brookes.ac.uk/business-and-employers/new-technologies/bamboo-bike/
We laughed at them a lot but they did seem to work well.

Check out the FB page for this weekend’s Gravel Dash (which BTW was great) – a guy doing the 50/50 rode one fully laden with bivvy Kit…….

Totally on the wall. I want to have a 29er hardtail for the winter, built up over the summer on the cheap. I was originally looking for a used Cotic Solaris -1 (new solaris, but not solarismax) but they’re not exactly growing on trees and then I saw the bamboo bike thing, which sounds like it could be a fun way to build the frame and cost about the same. But could also be a month of utter faff and I could mess it up. Torn!

The scariest bit was applying the epoxy wrap but actually that was dead easy in the end, just a bit time critical. Everything else you can take as long as you like making it as good as you want it. You won’t know if it all works until it comes out of the jig, but it will.

That dude on here the other day whose partner left it in front of a radiator and it cracked….

That story put me right off the idea, £180 for a kit, hours of labour to put it together, 4 rides then it gets written off because his partner left it propped against a radiator. Seems to be completely impractical 🙁

always struck me as a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

Saw the guys a the design museum building one with the aspiration that people in mud huts could build their own. Can’t see it ever happening.

Hi Ross,

We’ve already spoke over email and I just saw this thread. The chap mentioned who did the Gravel Dash is Rob who built a fat bike with BBC and I think helps out down there now. I did a Chilterns ride with him last year and we are looking to do another bamboo club ride on the South Downs later in the year…so get going and join us! I can put you in touch if you want. According to Strava I’ve got ~650miles on mine so far without any issues

Robs Fat bike:

My 27.5+:

nice work gecko76. Usually they look completely gash but that’s nice

effeboy – Member
nice work gecko76. Usually they look completely gash but that’s nice

second that looks great

I looked at locally made ones last year

http://www.bamboobikemaker.com/

https://www.facebook.com/khingbamboobike/

I keep looking at a kit, got plenty of space to build it at work but the wife doesn’t approve with my track record of breaking things….

https://www.bamboobee.net/

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/237371522/biy-bamboo-bike-frame-kit

Thanks guys. It rides really nicely too. Very stable and, dare I say it, planted. If I’m honest it’s a bit heavier than I was hoping for but no worries about strength and plenty quick enough.

franksinatra – Member
always struck me as a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist.

Depends how you define the problem. This was the only way I was going to build my own frame without learning to weld. Built on a fairly limited budget so upgraded components in due course will help the weight but in the meantime it’s absolutely my favourite bike. Having said that, I’ve never ridden a carbon frame, but if you still want convincing check out Craig Calfee[/url] who knows all about both.

Mind, he was talking recently about boring out branches of Douglas Fir which apparently have an even better strength to weight ratio.

I have always thought a sandwich type construction would make a super frame.

Foam core then layer of carbon. Wood then another carbon layer.