Former US Ski Team member Marty Odlin started Bamboo Bike Studio (BBS) in 2008 with a group of friends. Today, the brand has gained considerable following, teaching bicycle enthusiasts to build their own bamboo bikes in a workshop setting.
In the month of November, BBS will be rolling through Boulder and Denver as part of the Celebrate American Bike Making Tour. For those who might be interested, we've posted the official press release below.
AMERICA: The Celebrate American Bike Making Tour will be visiting cities across the US to celebrate the art,science and community of bike making. Offering workshops in bamboo bike making and steel bike refurbishment, the tour appeals to bike-makers, cycling aficionados, do-it-yourselfers, sustainability junkies, garage tinkerers, and creative craftspeople.
The mode of transportation is a 26-foot box truck- a fully operational mobile Bike Studio, complete with workbenches, tools, bike components, bike-ready jigs and an on board powder coating unit.
After overwhelming successes in its Brooklyn and San Francisco locations, Bamboo Bike Studio is spreading its love of bamboo bike-building to everywhere in between. The tour is a response to the encouragement of interested parties around the US to visit their respective cities, as well as the desire to nurture the faith in a larger community of builders.
The finished product.
Bamboo Bike Studio is a renowned DIY bamboo bike building company that offers bike making courses on bicycle design and mechanics, with an unparalleled accessibility for novice and experienced builders alike. In as little as two days, BBS participants are able to build from scratch and ride away on their very own, custom bamboo bicycle. Featured in media coverage the world over, including the New York Times, CNN, NPR and more, the Bamboo Bike Studio is at the forefront of an innovative and engaging design culture, with one of the most affordable, quality, custom bicycles available. The Bamboo Bike Studio has taught more than 300 people, from nearly every walk of life, how to build their own bicycle from scratch. Bamboo Bike Studio has also set up and trained workers in the first mass-production bamboo bike factory located in Kumasi, Ghana, and worked with numerous high school and community groups on bike building projects.
Along the route the Society for Useful Arts will visit sites of US manufacturing, large and small, in order to both observe and show appreciation for the American manufacturing sector.
The useful arts include the skills and trades that ultimately evolved into technical engineering at the dawn of the Industrial Revolution. Less technical and more practical than engineering, the Useful Artisan is engaged with innovation, nature, community and celebrating the heritage and culture of craftsmanship inherited from the American pioneer spirit- where the most valuable commodities are good ideas and willing hands.
Partnering with community bike organizations and co-ops—as well as other hands-on advocacy initiatives we will begin to build a larger network of people also interested in blurring the line between producer and consumer.
Join us on the route, to build your own bike, or checkout the offerings of our friends and allies.
Although subject to change, here is the tentative list of cities and dates. Please contact us with inquiries at bamboobikestudio.com.
Boulder Stop 1: November 3-6 — 3085 Bluff St
Denver Stop: November 10-13 — Red Point Metal Works
Boulder Stop 2: November 17-20 — Satellite Board Shop
Workshop offerings:
Bamboo Bike Frame Build — $632
Bamboo Coaster Bike Build — $700
Bamboo Single Speed Build — $948
Bamboo Fixed Gear Build — $972
Bamboo 7-Speed Build — $1350
Bamboo 20-Speed Build — $2100
The tour will also be making stops in Maker Faire, Queens, NYC, Alys Beach, Florida , Minneapolis, MN, Seattle, WA and Portland, OR.
