Openframe.cc

Modular bamboo bike frames — open source

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Welcome to OpenFrame.cc

Goal in one line: develop a modular bicycle frame built from bamboo veneer tubes and 3D-printed PA12-CF lugs, and validate its possibilities through systematic design, testing, and iteration. OpenFrame is not a finished product.
It’s an ongoing engineering experiment: documenting CAD decisions, material behaviour, print parameters, testing methods, failures, and refinements. Every version is logged transparently, from early prototypes to more structured test data. (Note: this is an experimental prototype and must not be used outdoors or in traffic.)

Start Here

  • Vision — why bamboo and printed lugs, the value of modularity, and how open-source development fits into this project.
    → Vision
  • Devlog — chronological progress: prototypes, print tuning, geometry adjustments, and lessons learned.
    → Latest posts
  • Materials & Methods — PA12-CF behaviour, Moso veneer tubes, bonding, reinforcement ideas, early test results.
    → (post coming soon)

What’s Being Built

  • Modular frame concept: bamboo veneer tubes (25/30/40 mm) paired with custom-printed lugs for the BB, head tube, seat cluster, and dropouts.
  • CAD: Autodesk Inventor with parametric geometric controls for size and configuration adjustments.
  • Printing: 0.6 mm hardened nozzle, high-temp chambered PA12-CF workflow, scarf seams, and tuned cooling for functional strength.
  • Short-term targets: alignment, stiffness, repairability, and controlled testing of the first rideable prototype.
  • Long-term direction: evaluate reinforcement strategies, fatigue behaviour, and the viability of an indoor-trainer-specific variant.

Latest Highlights

Follow Along

This project evolves openly.
Expect continuous updates as each prototype, test, and redesign brings the bamboo–PA12-CF concept closer to a dependable, well-understood frame system. Let’s see how far it can go — with proper engineering, data, and iteration guiding every step.