HOW TO ASSEMBLE YOUR BIKE
Every Whyte bike comes pre-assembled in the box so all you’ll need to do is to put the bar and stem onto the fork steerer, insert the front wheel, and add your pedals. Then you can set-up your new bike to your liking.
We’ve created two guides: one quick-start guide which covers the top-line steps; and a more in-depth and detailed step-by-step guide, which covers all the details to get your bike ready to ride. Do keep hold of your box, in case you need to return the bike to us.
TOOLS FOR THE JOB
- Snips/scissors/knife to remove packaging
- Grease
- Lube
- Torque wrench
- Track pump
- Shock pump
- Tape measure
- A workstand makes it all easier if you have one
Know what you’re doing? Here are the key steps you’ll need to follow:
Step 1:
Read these instructions and watch the video so everything’s clear.
Step 2:
Open the box by turning the plastic box lock discs on either side and remove.
Step 3:
Lift the lid off and then carefully remove and unpack your bike.
Step 4:
Carefully remove all packaging from your bike.
Step 5:
Turn your forks the right way and install the stem and bar onto the fork steerer.
Step 6:
Smear a little grease to your bolt-through axle then install your front wheel, insert the bolt-through axle (or quick release) and tighten.
Step 7:
Fine-tune the stem and bar position; then tighten the headset pre-load bolt and finally tighten the stem clamp bolts.
Step 8:
Add grease on the threads and install your pedals.
Step 9:
Ensure your seat posts is greased (or has carbon paste if in a carbon frame) and set your seat height.
Step 10:
Check your tyres pressures + fine tune your bike's set up to your liking. Lube the chain.
Step 11:
Final safety checks before you can saddle up and enjoy!
Our easy to follow, step-by-step walkthrough with detailed guidance to get you ready to ride:
STEP 1: READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS
More haste, less speed: don’t hurry on and open your box like it’s your birthday – take a breath, read through these instructions, watch the video, and make sure you’ve got everything clear and to hand before you get started.
STEP 2: Undo The Box’s Disc Locks
At the bottom of your box on either side are some plastic discs. These lock into the cardboard box to keep everything snug and closed. Simply turn them anti-clockwise until they disengage and then pull them out and keep them somewhere safe with your empty bike box so it can be used again for storage, travel or for sending your bike back to us in in the rare instance you may you need to.
STEP 3: Lift The Lid
With the disc locks removed, you can lift the entire of the box’s top section upwards in one piece, sliding it upward and then off to reveal your bike. Put this top section carefully to one side.
STEP 4: Remove Packaging
Lift your bike from the box and take off any protective packaging surrounding it. Be careful when snipping off zip-ties and tape not to scratch the frame.
Reuse and recycle everything you can – but remember to keep all the main boxes and protective covers for your bike with your empty bike box as they’ll come in handy should you ever need to re-pack it and send it back to us.
Step 5: Unpack The Front Wheel
Also remove your front wheel – taking off the plastic disc brake protector on one side of the hub, and the hub axle protector on the other size – and put it to the side for now.
Step 6: Face Your Fork Forwards
Next, make sure your fork is the right way around: if your bike has a suspension fork, in most cases the fork brace should be on the front of the fork facing forward and the disc brake calliper should on the rear of the fork facing backwards. If your bike has a rigid fork, the disc brake calliper should be facing backwards. If in doubt, ensure your brake calliper is on the rear of the fork.
Step 7: Install The Bar & Stem
Using an Allen key, gently undo the stem top cap bolt, remove the step and bolt and set to one side. Then take your stem and bar (already pre-assembled with all controls and cables/hoses) and slide the stem onto the fork’s steerer.
Depending on your preference, you may want to use the stem spacers to run the stem lower or higher on the steerer (just slide the spacers on top or below the stem, as you want, when installing).
Step 8: Line Up The Stem & Tighten
Making sure the stem is in-line with the where the front wheel will be, replace the stem cap and headset preload bolt, line the stem up roughly with the front of the bike and use an Allen key to tighten the headset pre-load bolt up to pre-load the headset and remove any play (but not so tight that the bars don’t turn smoothly and easily). Then tighten up each of the stem clamp bolts to the recommend torque setting (usually around 5Nm) to ensure the stem is secure on the fork’s steerer.
Step 9: Install The Front Wheel
Remove the disc brake pad spacer from the disc brake calliper (used to prevent the calliper pistons from being activated accidentally). With the pad spacer removed, make sure you don’t squeeze the front brake lever until you’ve installed the front wheel.
Depending on what fork you have, the front wheel might be secured using a traditional 9mm quick release (QR) lever or a 15mm bolt-through axle and the steps you need to take will vary a little:
Step 9a: Install Your QR
Find your 9mm QR lever in your accessories box (a smaller box within your main bike box). Unscrew the nut from one end, slide it and the spring off, and then slide the QR shaft through the axle opening in your hub from one side to the other. Then replace the spring and then the nut onto the axle end.
Step 9b: Slide Your Wheel In
Next line up the wheel with the drop outs – remembering to also line up the disc rotor with the slot on the calliper – and then slide into position; it’s easier to do this with the bike on the ground rather than in a work stand as it makes it easier to get the wheel to sit snugly and centrally in the drop-outs.
Step 9c: Tighten QR Lever Pre-Load
With the QR lever in the open position (most QR levers are marked ‘CLOSED’ or ‘OPEN’ on either side of them for clarity), hold the nut and turn the lever clockwise a few turns. Then close the QR lever by pushing it into the closed position.
Step 9d: Close The Lever
You’re aiming to ensure the lever is tight enough that it won’t open by itself (or vibrate open when you’re riding) but not so tight that it’s really hard to open again. If it’s too tight, flip it to open and back off the nut a few turns and re-try. If it’s too loose, flip it to open and then tighten the nut a few turns before re-trying. Remember also to close it with the lever facing upwards as it’s less likely to catch on anything as you ride. Spin the wheel to make sure that it is cantered in the frame and clears the brake pads; then squeeze the brake lever and make sure that the brakes are operating correctly.
Step 9E: INSTALL THE WHEEL
Find your 15mm bolt-through axle in your accessories box. Then line up the wheel with the drop outs – remembering to also line up the disc rotor with the slot on the calliper – and then slide the wheel into position; it’s easier to do this with the bike on the ground rather than in a work stand as it makes it easier to get the wheel to sit snugly and centrally in the drop-outs.
Step 9F: Slide In The Thru-Axle
Now, apply a thin smear of grease along the bolt-through thru-axle and slide in the axle from one side of the fork drop out, through the hub and into the threaded side of the fork drop-out. Once the axle resists being pushed, it’s time to screw it into its final position.
Step 9G: Turn To Tighten
Depending on which through-axle your bike has, you may need to use an Allen key; alternatively, some have a built-in lever on the axle which makes this a tool-free process. Either way, tighten the axle to be a little more than finger tight by turning it clockwise to ensure it can’t come undone as you ride.
Step 10: Pedals Ready?
Before you fit your pedals, add a dab of grease to each of the pedal's threads to prevent them seizing over time. Pedals are left and right specific and it’s important that you fit the right pedal to the right-hand side of the bike (the chainset side – the ‘right’ hand side when you’re sat on the bike), and the left pedal to the left-hand side of the bike (the non-chainset side – the left hand side when you’re sat on the bike). Left hand pedals have an opposite thread (an anti-clockwise thread) and right-hand pedals have a clockwise thread – this is to stop the pedal unwinding as you ride. Many – but not all – pedals are marked ‘L’ or ‘R’ to make it easy to know which is which.
Step 11: Install Left Hand Pedal
With the correct pedal for the correct side of the bike, gently thread the pedal into the crank by hand (doing it this way to begin with minimises the risk of cross-threading if you’ve accidently picked up the wrong pedal). Once the pedal is hand tight, use an 8mm Allen key (or a 15mm pedal spanner, if your pedal doesn’t have an Allen key recess on its axle), to tighten it up snugly. Just remember to not overdo it.
Step 12: Install Right Hand Pedal
Repeat for the other pedal – remembering that the left-hand pedals has an opposite thread, so tightens anti-clockwise, and the right-hand pedal has a standard thread and tightens clockwise.
Step 13: Set Saddle Height
Depending on what bike you have, you may have a traditional fixed height seatpost, or a ‘dropper post’ – which allows you to adjust the seat height automatically up and down as you ride at the touch of a button – and the steps you need to take will vary a little for each: When fitting, ensure your seatpost has grease on the portion that is within the frame to prevent it seizing into your aluminium frame over time; use carbon paste when installing a seatpost into a carbon frame.
Step 13a: Loosen Seat Clamp
To set the height of a fixed seatpost, simply loosen the seat clamp bolt with either an Allen key or undo the quick release clamp (using the same action as if you were using a wheel quick release).
Step 13b: Adjust Seat Height
Once loose, adjust the seat up or down to your required height – remember to ensure that the minimum seatpost insertion length isn’t exceeded; this is usually marked clearly on each seatpost. To hold the seatpost gently as you find the right height, you may want to gently tighten the seatclamp so it doesn’t fall down when you let go of it, but is still easy to lift up or down without scratching the post. A good starting point is for your saddle to be at roughly hip height when you’re standing next to it.
Step 13C: Tighten Seat Clamp
Once in the right place, tighten up the seatclamp bolt/tighten and close the quick release seatclamp.
Step 13d: Check Pedal Height
Next, check your seat height by sitting on the bike with one pedal at its lowest point (at 6 o’clock). With your heal on the pedal, your leg should be straight. You may want to adjust a little for personal preference. Also ensure that the saddle is pointing forwards and isn’t rotated off to one side. If you need to further adjustments, simply repeat the process until the seat is at your preferred height.
Step 13E: Setting A Dropper Post Seat Height
If your bike comes fitted with a dropper post, you still need to follow the above steps to find your ideal full height but it’s important that when raising or lowering the dropper post that you also feed the dropper post remote cable (that runs from the dropper post lever on the handlebars) into the frame as you raise the seatpost itself. This is to prevent the post being permanently activated due to the inner cable being pulled too tight (i.e. it will drop to its lowest height).
Step 14: Check Tyre Pressures
Pump up your tyres to your preferred pressures (remember to stay within the maximum pressure limit noted on each tyre’s sidewall (noted in both PSI and BAR)). For mountain biking, 30psi is a good starting point.
Step 15: Set Up Your Suspension
Set up your suspension according to your manufacturer's guidelines.
Step 16: Safety Checks, Fine-Tuning & Test Ride
Before you go and ride your new bike, remember to check the brakes are working properly, everything’s set up as you like it (saddle height, the angle of your brake levers, shifter placement, suspension set-up, and more) and nothing is loose.
It’s always worth going around the bike with a torque wrench to make sure everything’s correctly tightened. But once you’re done, it’s time to lube the chain and then take it for a test ride to check everything’s working correctly as and to your liking.
Once everything’s done, it’s time to get out and ride. Enjoy!
GOT ANY QUESTIONS?
If you have any other questions, have look through our Support FAQs or call us our rider support number 0330 0883334 or email us and we’ll get you sorted.