Assembly Guide

We are very pleased to welcome you to the Pastel Bicycles club of owners. It's great that you have decided to buy a gravel bike from us.

Now there are only a few last steps left before you can take your WHTIF out for your first spin.

 Of course, we would prefer to deliver our Pastel WHTIF fully assembled. However, as this way your bike would be at risk of damage during delivery, we have no choice but to partially disassemble it for protection.

Our goal is to make the last steps as easy as possible for you. Basically, there are three main assembly steps: inserting the front wheel, mounting the handlebars and attaching the saddle.

We will explain these steps in detail below.

  

  • Delivery condition & scope of delivery

 

Please check the Gravel bike immediately after unpacking for possible delivery damage. Of course we pack the bike carefully but you never know what can happen during transport. Please contact us immediately if you discover anything.

 

The delivery consists of three parts, as you can see in the pictures below:

    • The bike with mounted rear wheel, loose front wheel and handlebars tied together in one package
    • The saddle including seat post
    • A bag with accessories

 

 

 

  • Final Assembly

  1. Detachment of the front wheel
     The front wheel is firmly attached to the frame with cable ties so that no damage occurs during transport. In the first step, carefully cut the cable ties, preferably with a small side cutter. If you don't have any, you can of course use a good pair of scissors or, if necessary, a knife (be careful not to damage the rim or tire.


  2. Detachment and assembly of the handlebars
 The handlebar is also attached to the frame with cable ties. Loosen them as described above.
 
To mount the handlebars, it is helpful to fix the bike without risking damage to the paintwork (leaning against the wall is not recommended). The shipping box can be used for this purpose. Place the bike with the rear wheel in the shipping box with the fork outside the box so that the short side wall of the box is clamped between the frame and the fork. Now you have both hands free to take care of the handlebars.
 
    • Turn the stem forwards and loosen the four bolts of the handlebar clamp
    • Apply some assembly paste to the inside of the handlebar clamp
    • Mount the handlebars in the centre of the stem and tighten the bolts of the handlebar clamp moderately at first so that the handlebars are held firmly
    • The fine adjustment is done later when both tyres are mounted.
 

 

  1. Pre-assembly of the saddle
Unpack the saddle + seat post and carefully insert the seat post into the frame while the bike is still firmly in the shipping box. Lightly tighten the bolt so that the saddle holds. The final adjustment of the height as well as the tightening of the fastening screw is done after mounting the front wheel.

 

 

  1. Mounting the front wheel
    • Remove the bicycle from the bicycle box
    • Remove the front wheel axle with an Allen key (hexagon socket)
    • Remove the red plastic protection between the front brake pads of the brake caliper
    • Place the front wheel in the fork. Make sure that the brake disc is on the same side as the brake caliper. Insert the brake disc between the two brake pads. The best position to do the mounting yourself is to step over the crossbar of the bike (bike between your legs) holding the handlebar or stem with one hand and place the wheel with the second hand
    • Attach the front wheel to the axle. To do this, push it all the way through until the thread engages and tighten it with the torque wrench (5-6Nm).

 

  1. Fine adjustment of stem and handlebars
Now place the bike on both tires so that the fine adjustment of the stem and handlebars can be made.
Starting with the stem, it is important to set it centered. The top tube of the frame should be in line with the front tire. Once this setting has been found, the two bolts of the stem (stem clamp) can be finally fixed with the torque spanner max. 5NM.
 
Using correct torque values is important: under torquing and bolts can come loose, while over torquing can damage the components (especially carbon ones). 

The inclination of the handlebars is a matter of taste - however, as a baseline we recommend to set them horizontally. Try to adjust the handlebars so that they point horizontally forwards until the gearshift grips start.

When you have found the right position, tighten the four bolts of the stem cap with the torque spanner to a maximum of 4 NM.

 

  1. Fine adjustment Saddle

 

Saddle height:
There are various methods for determining the recommended saddle height. One of the most common is the "heel method":
Sit on the saddle and place the pedal on one side at the lowest point. Now place your heel on the pedal and you will know the ideal saddle height when your knee is pushed through. If you do not reach the pedal with your heel then the saddle should be lowered and vice versa, if the knee is bent then the saddle should be raised.
If you prefer a mathematical approach, you can also multiply your stride length by the number 0.885 to get the saddle height. This is measured from the centre of the bottom bracket to the top of the saddle.
Tighten the seat post to 5 NM after final adjustment.
 
Saddle angle:
It is recommended to adjust the saddle angle horizontally. This can be adjusted using the two bolts that attach the saddle to the seat post.
 
Saddle offset (horizontal saddle adjustment):
The adjustment of the saddle offset is relevant for achieving optimum power transmission.
To set the recommended saddle offset, it is important that the foot is correctly positioned on the pedal. The ball of the foot should be exactly above the pedal axle. In the next step, set the pedal to three o'clock. In this position, a perpendicular should pass through the pedal axle under the kneecap on the shinbone. If the perpendicular falls in front of the pedal axle, the saddle must move backwards. If the perpendicular falls behind the pedal axle, the saddle must move forward.

 

The above adjustment aids are general recommendations. Of course, the most important thing is to feel comfortable and, above all, not to have any pain, e.g. in the knee. It is therefore recommended to have the perfect adjustment carried out by an expert in a so-called bike fitting.


With everything set you are ready to ride. Please consider a short shakeout ride with a multitool where you can doublecheck that everything is working as  expected and do final adjustments to your saddle and handlebar positions and ensure that everything was set up correctly.

Happy pedaling!