A method of forming a tubular frame, e.g., a bicycle frame (10), from two substantially symmetrical frame-halves (12, 14) utilizes a plurality of interconnected half-tubular elements. Each half-tubular element has an exterior surface (18), an interior surface (16), and longitudinal edges (20) that extend between the exterior and interior surfaces in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the half-tubular element. The surfaces of the longitudinal edges are shaped such that corresponding edges of corresponding elements in the left and right half-frames may easily be interengaged, and adjusted along the respective longitudinal axes of the half-tubular elements that are being joined. The longitudinal edge of one of the elements may include a radial step or parallel steps (26, 46) extending in opposite directions to thereby form a groove into which a step of the corresponding longitudinal edge of the corresponding element on the half-frame may be inserted. Further reinforcement in the stay area of the bicycle frame may be provided, either in the form of a reinforcement arch (80) positioned within the tubular legs of the stays, or in the form of a one-piece, unitary inner stay element (110) positioned between the outer stay elements that are part of the frame-halves.