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WORKSHOPS

Build a bicycle with the help of a expert

Join our expert-led sessions in London, Amersfoort, and Toulouse and craft a bike that's uniquely yours while learning the art of sustainable bicycle building.

Build Your Own Bamboo Bike

Founded in 2012 by design engineer James Marr, Bamboo Bicycle Club has grown from a personal hobby into a worldwide initiative. Our workshops merge environmental awareness with hands-on technical skills, enabling participants to build their own eco-friendly bamboo bicycles. The building process starts with selecting bamboo, known for its strength and sustainability, and includes using precision-cut metal inserts and bio-composites to ensure durability and aesthetic appeal.

We conduct specialized workshops in London, Amersfoort with Tim van Woudenberg, and Toulouse under Guillaume Denneulin, embracing the unique cycling cultures of each location. Additionally, Bamboo Bicycle Club engages in team-building for corporations, educational projects for schools, and global research collaborations. Participants leave our workshops not only with a custom bike but also with a deeper understanding of sustainable craftsmanship and bicycle engineering. Join us for a transformative experience in sustainable transportation.

WORKSHOP OPTIONS

1 DAY WORKSHOP

1 DAY WORKSHOP

What's included:

  • Size and component selection pre-workshop.
  • Use of fabricated lugs for Gravel or Road-style frames.
  • Selecting and shaping bamboo.
  • Use of composites.
  • All materials and tools included.

*An additional day is required for fitting wheels, etc., which can be booked or completed at home.

Workshop £695.00 / 795 euros

2 DAY WORKSHOP

2 DAY WORKSHOP

What's Included:

  • Size and component selection pre-workshop.
  • Custom frame design based on your measurements.
  • Selecting and shaping bamboo.
  • Mitring bamboo.
  • Use of flax composite to join the bamboo.
  • All materials and tools included.

*An additional day is required for fitting wheels, etc., which can be booked or completed at home.

Workshop: £795.00 / 895 euros.

Book a workshop

Testimonials

What people thought of the workshop

A brilliant workshop. Has all the equipment you need to build a bamboo bike frame and to assemble a complete bike. The people running the place have loads of experience and are glad to help when you swing by. They are generous in lending their workshop and knowledge.
I went for the weekend workshop of building a frame and I can't remember the last time I had so much fun.
They are also keen to improve their processes and they have a genuine interested in the environment, which is reflected in the materials they use and their general attitude.
Highly recommend going here!

Dario

Custom Frame

My expericence at Bamboo Bicycle Club Amersfoort:

I've travelled to Bamboo Bicycle Club Amersfoort to build my first bike frame from bamboo, I plan to do a tour through Europe on it.

This workshop was a very beautiful time for me. To put it in Tim's, our workshop leader's words: "It's not easy, but it will all add up to the end result".
Yes, it definitely wasn't easy at a few points, but in the end it all it has all worked out - the Bamboo canes fit and the connections are rigid.

I can't wait for the day I can ride on it. But first, it will take two more weeks for the connections to harden thoroughly and afterwards I need to do finishing work to protect it from weather and dirt. Hence, it will probably take at least another three weeks.
This is not the first test in patience during the build of my own bike. However, I'm sure that the time and energy that flows into it is well-invested and will pay off on all the tours I'll do on it.

If you decide that you'd love to build your own frame I can only recommend to do this workshop!
Tim has put all his efforts into making it as comfortable and nice as possible. Not only the workshop itself, he has helped me out with everything around it - searching a hotel in Amersfoort, lending me a bike or giving advice about components to fit on the bike.
It was very valuable to have this helping hand and being inspired by his love for bamboo.

More pictures - Instagram: @nino_chudoba

Nino

Ameersfoort

A memorable and very satisfying experience, to build your very own bamboo bicycle frame. The weekend is hands on and hard work, for an office boy such as i, but all the more rewarding for it. James is supportive and ensures you achieve the desired outcome. It is early days but the bike , which took another 2 days to complete, is running well and I look forward to many years of bamboo riding. Pic below, with the displaced aluminium frame in the pannier.

N Brown

An awesome weekend building the bamboo bike frame and great hosts of a fun part of London. 2000+ miles later the frame is going strong and as comfortable and individual as ever.

Anthony

Great fun and seriously rewarding to walk away with your own handmade bike frame. A friend and I did the weekend workshop which was very relaxed but completely hands-on under James's friendly and supportive tuition. I built the rest of the bike at home and James was extremely helpful, always responding to my requests for help and advice and giving me the confidence to finish the entire build by myself. This despite never having tackled anything more complex than flat-packed furniture in the past. I finished my first century ride on the bike last week and it was a great feeling. The bike was so comfortable and I am looking forward now to a North-South epic cycle in the summer. 100% recommend this to anyone.

Andrew Cullen

I built my road bike at a workshop in 2015, been riding it pretty much every day since. Certainly one of the best ways to spend a weekend and as a bonus you come away with new skills and a unique, beautiful, functional bicycle. Get involved and join the club!
Update* it’s 2023 and I’m still cycling this bike most days. The components wear out faster than the frame

William Thomas

I took part in the 4 day workshop offered by the Bamboo Bicycle Club. I found the whole experience to be very worthwhile and thoroughly enjoyed it. The workshop covers all of the information required to build a bike frame from scratch, choose how to finish it, and how to install all of the components. My goal was to ride the bike away at the end of the 4th day, and I was able to do just that.
The workshop itself is clean and well equipped with all of the tools and materials you need to build the bike. James (who ran the course) was on hand the entire time to talk us through each stage and to offer advice or answer questions when needed. His advice and knowledge was invaluable in helping through those moments that a novice bike builder like myself may find daunting (even right from the start with picking out what bamboo to use!).
I felt welcomed and at home throughout the workshop. Refreshments were available (even a beer or two at the end of a busy day).
I love the bike and am so pleased I went on the course. I'm planning the next build!
I would recommend the course to anyone. Not only did I get a bike frame and a good experience out of the workshop, but I also learned a huge amount about how bikes go together and are adjusted. For me that made the whole course very good value for money.

James Suckling

What people build

Paul's Gravel Frame Build

Paul's Gravel Frame Build

The unique journey of a retired engineer who channeled his lifelong passion for cycling into building a bamboo bicycle from scratch. In this engaging interview, he shares his motivations, the challenges and joys of the...
City Bike by Bridget

City Bike by Bridget

I felt the whittling was quite hard when I got tired at the end of the day, also gluing the parts together needed a lot of skill, fortunately James was there to help me.
Gravel Frame Build by Jon

Gravel Frame Build by Jon

Inspired by the success of a previous bamboo road bike, the decision to build an off-road, gravel bamboo bike was driven by a desire for uniqueness and improved features like larger wheels and a better...
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