Are Bamboo Bikes Actually Any Good?

When you think of materials for bike frames, bamboo is not one that would immediately come to mind, but as a popular construction material throughout history and one of the most sustainable plants on planet earth, maybe we should be thinking differently? Si meets with Emily Chappell, the creator of this amazing bamboo bike, to hear why your next bike should be made from bamboo!

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[alanwells]

I built a bamboo bike back in 2015. It's still going strong and up until a recent job change I did my 30mile commute on it every day. Been hit by cars, potholes and generally misstreated as a commuter bike often is when winter hits but it's brilliant!

[rupertnorris]

The bobbly bit as Simon referred to is the 'leaf nodal ring' in plant talk, if anyone is remotely interested 😜

[samgibbs]

I built my bamboo single speed with the Bamboo Bicycle Club a few years ago. Mostly used for commuting, but it has now done about 12, 000 KM and is still going strong

[bengt_axle]

Looks like the ideal material for kids' bikes. LIght, strong, and since rider weight will be low, it is stiff enough. I think it would be a great product if they could make kits that just required assembling the wheels and saddle and sold in a box. The problem with many toddler bikes is that they are made of gas pipe steel an are too heavy.

[tvsmed]

The incomparable E. Chappell who got me into cycling 6 years ago via her fantastic blog and adventures. Her books and speeches are also peerless. Chapeu.

[frontyflipmiller]

I made my own bamboo single speed and I love it. Definitely agree that it is not the frame of choice for introverts, I get a lot of questions about it and stares but I think that they look beautiful and they do ride really well. You do also get a lot of sentimental value to it too, while I also really love my main aluminium gravel bike, it doesn't quite feel as special to me as my own homemade frame.

If you're thinking of making one for yourself, they look even more beautiful in single speed, no cables and perfect chain line.

[chrisburn]

Had a bamboo road bike that I built as a review for a magazine feature back in 2016. It's great, been touring across the country and ridden in horrid weather and the editor who was a gorilla rode it in a sportive event. The only thing that's gone wrong is the steel bottom bracket insert came unbonded, easily fixed by cutting some slots in it for the epoxy to grab onto and shoving back in. It had pretty budget stuff on it as I got it ready quickly but it was lovely to ride, exactly as they say here. I will say though, you ain't going to put it on the compost at end-of-life, as the West System marine epoxy is horrid stuff. Maybe greener glues will be available in future?

[pkpmoa]

Love this SOOOO much! I first heard about bamboo bikes around a decade ago, as more of a one-off or novelty, but I always thought they were a fantastic idea, especially for getting a bike with the compliance and road-dampening characteristics without totally braking the bank. But the part that really gets me (being someone who is 6'3" with a 32" inseam) is the customizability of being able to build it to fit YOU!!! What a Fan-Freakin-Tastic concept! I truly think I might look into doing this for my next gravel frame!

[tallulahbeaverhausen]

I tried one of these, once : I"m still bamboozled by it !

[gerworks]

I'm making bamboo bikes since 2007, to resolve the flex "problems" I fixed using laminated wood+carbon fiber on chain stays and vacuum bag for the junctions. Hand-layup joints with vinyl tape compression it is not enough for get a good resin and carbon fiber ratio on composite laminate, works but not the best results.

[CS-znsg]

Completed a 1000mi trip on my bamboo bike a few months ago, it was dreamy! I’ll attest to everything said here. Not the lightest or aero but I was so much stronger on my light road bike when I got home 🚴🏻‍♀️

[igoots]

Bamboo bikes are great, until you meet a pack of hungry pandas.

[Kimberly_Sparkles]

Realizing that Simon just looks like he’s riding a small bike he stole from Deceptive Dan.

[j.erickson]

This bike is beautiful !. Congratulations to Emily. Great job.

[backpacker]

Only Si would worry about his drag coefficient whilst cycling at 5 mph with his arm extended to take a selfie video. LOL

[frazergoodwin]

Had a fantastic experience riding a bamboo hire bike around Manila on a guided tour by "Bambike" who make and repair the bikes for hire or sale plus organize the guided tours of the old town... Brilliant.

[cmb]

Nice to see Ashton Court, miss the Festivals from back in the day!

[g.d.]

1. Any bike is a good bike ... and 2. IKEA should start selling them.

[Biking]

I'm not sure if they're any good but I've seen a couple of bamboo bikes here in Thailand where I live. Bamboo is everywhere and they even make scaffolding and ladders out of it!

[mmmbass]

How about Italian-made kids bikes - you could brand them as “Bambooni” 😃