Cyclists are being given the unique opportunity to build bikes using golden bamboo and take part in a mass-participation ride at the Eden Project in Cornwall.
Eden is teaming up with the Bamboo Bicycle Club to create a workshop in the shadow of the world-famous Biomes where riders can design and make their own bikes from canes grown at the project.
The bamboo bike build is set to take place from May 4-6 in advance of the third annual Eden Classic sportive on Sunday May 7.
Cornwall is famous for its exotic varieties of bamboo and Eden has some striking examples outside and inside the Rainforest and Mediterranean Biomes.
Bamboo Bicycle Club is a London-based social enterprise that has been running for four years. Its team of experts teaches people to build their very own custom bicycle frame using bamboo and the bikes are used for regular commutes, racing, off-roading and travelling around the world.
Participants will learn how to build their own bicycle frame onsite, beginning with the initial bamboo selection and cutting, right through to fitting the wheels.
They will also have free admission to the Eden Project and the Eden Classic, which takes hundreds of riders on a choice of three routes from Eden to the stunning Cornish coast and countryside.
More about the Eden Classic here: http://www.edenproject.com/visit/whats-on/eden-classic-sportive-cycling-event
A three-day frame build under the guidance of Bamboo Bicycle Club co-founder James Marr and his team includes full instruction in how to design and build a lightweight and durable frame from a plant considered to be the most versatile on earth.
James said: “We’re doing something that hasn’t been done before – inviting cyclists to choose bamboo canes from a growing clump, harvest them and build a bike to their own design and fit. Then they have the exciting prospect of taking part in a great challenge ride on their brand-new bamboo bikes.”
Gordon Seabright, Managing Director of the Eden Project, said: “Working with James and his team, we are helping to tell the story of this amazingly versatile and sustainable plant. A peloton of bamboo bicycles in our big cycling event the Eden Classic would be a fine sight to see.”
The frame build costs £650, plus VAT, and in an additional one-day workshop the Bamboo Bicycle Club team will teach riders how to fit the rest of the bike, either through recycling components (wheels, handlebars etc) from an old bike or fitting new ones.
The club can advise on what to buy or can source the components. A place to stay is included in the cost, with riders being offered basic, self-catering farmhouse accommodation within walking distance of the workshop.
To take part in the bamboo bike build, e-mail – [email protected]
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The Eden Project is a global garden where people can discover how plants have shaped the world and how they can change the future. Visitors can experience th...
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