Rodeo Labs New Bike Day assembly instructions
IF AT ANY POINT YOU ARE NOT CONFIDENT IN THE ASSEMBLY, DO NOT PROCEED. PLEASE TAKE TO A LOCAL BIKE SHOP, SEE OUR FAQÂ OR EMAIL US AT: let-er-buck@rodeo-labs.com
Tools Needed to Assemble this Bike…
- Rodeo Labs Clever Lever 3 way hex tool (Provided)
- 4mm and 5mm Allen Wrench (Not Provided)
- Occasionally, T25 Torx Wrench (Not Provided)
- Centerlock Lockring Tool (Not Provided)
- Scissors or Cutting Pliers (Not Provided)
- 12mm Allen Wrench (TD4 Only/Provided)
- Recommended: Torque Wrench (Not Provided)
If you do not have these, acquiring a basic bike multi tool with the listed wrench sizes is highly recommended. A bike shop can help you attach the centerlock rotor; tightening the rotor by hand is NOT enough for safe braking. Most brake lockrings have the same notch pattern as Shimano bottom brackets, and some others use a cassette lockring tool, so you may already have the necessary tool.
When You Open The Box…
You will notice the bars aren’t attached, the fork is at an odd angle, the front wheel is off, the rear derailleur may have been removed, and the front rotor, axle and the derailleur battery are nowhere to be seen. Those items can be found in the Parts Box, as well as:
- 10mm multi tool adapter for Traildonkey Derailleur Hangers
- Extra frame routing guides/plugs
- Rodeo Labs Clever Lever 3 way hex tool
- 6mm to 12mm Adapter Tool for Slider Bolts (TD4 only)
- Spare front derailleur mount if a 1x setup was ordered
Unboxing…
Unboxing First check for shipping damage and report immediately, do not assemble if damaged. Next, separate your parts box and any accessories from void-fill surrounding the box. Then carefully lift the bike from the box. Note that the handlebars and front wheel will likely be ziptied to toptube. Clip the zipties attaching the front wheel and handlebars to the top frame. In certain situations your seatpost and saddle, bottle cages or other accessories may also be attached to frame. All of our bikes utilize assembly paste and grease on certain contact surfaces— don’t wipe this off.
To remove packing material, insert the seattube into the frame, tighten to the spec listed on the collar and clamp your repair stand to the seat tube. Never clamp to the frame. If you don’t have a stand, you can carefully hang your new bike from the saddle (after both the saddle and seattube have been securely installed) and remove the packing material, but we highly recommend using a stand for the assembly process.
Cardboard is used to protect carbon fiber parts and custom painted elements of the bike. It’s been taped with heavy duty packing tape that will need to be carefully cut. Blades will damage Cerakote, tires and carbon fiber, so be very careful when cutting tape. Styrofoam wrapping is mostly attached with masking tape and can be ripped by hand, but sometimes thicker styrofoam pieces are ziptied in place. Clip these with sharp cutting pliers.
Attach Handlebars…
Most of our bikes ship with the bars attached to the stem. You will have to be familiar with headset preload adjustments to properly install the stem back onto the fork. If you need assistance with this, please visit your local bike shop or watch a simple tutorial like this Park Tool video.
To install the stem/handlebar combo, first unscrew the top cap. At this point, the fork will be free to drop, so firmly support the fork under the crown. First clip the ziptie secured to the steerer tube, then remove the top-cap and as many spacers as your fit requires. Continue supporting the fork with one hand while you slide the stem onto the steerer tube, and replace the top cap and spacers with the other hand. Slide the stem down snug, preload the compression plug, and tighten the pinch bolts.
With some configurations, the bars will have been removed from the stem. You can simply remove the faceplate of the stem and attach your bars taking care to follow torque specifications, and your stem’s recommended tightening order.
Rear Derailleur…
UDH derailleurs will be shipped installed, but hanger-mounted RDs will need to be installed onto the hanger with a 5mm allen wrench. We adjust the derailleur prior to boxing, so it should be good to go (if it is acting up, please see our Derailleur Adjustment Help page). For Di2 builds, feed any slack in the wire back into the frame. If you need assistance, please visit a bike shop, or watch a simple tutorial like this Park Tool video. If you have an electric derailleur, the battery will be removed and placed in the Parts Box.
Front Wheel…
Find the front wheel brake rotor in your parts box. You’ll be able to unscrew the lockring by hand, but after you slide on your rotor you will need a lock-ring tool to safely tighten to 40Nm.
Before inserting the wheel, remove the plastic brake caliper block and locate your axle and axle tool from the Parts Box. Push the front wheel into the dropouts, ensuring the rotor inserts into the front brake caliper. Slide the axle in from the brake side and tighten with the axle tool.
You can leave this tool in either the front or rear axle for conveniently removing the wheels, or removing bottle caps when you’re thirsty post-ride.
Pre-ride…
If you want to adjust your wheel position, the Flaanimal allows this by loosening the slider bolts and using the set screws to tune the wheel to a new spot. Always torque slider bolts to 14Nm. For TD4 rear wheel position adjustment, please see the TD4 Owners Manual.
It is recommended to do an overall bolt check, push in any frame plugs that may have wiggled out, ensure the shifting is working properly, ensure the brakes feel solid, do a final alignment of the handlebars and stem, and adjust the saddle height, angle, and fore/aft. Install your preferred pedals, air up the tires, slap on a helmet, and you are ready to ride!
Serial Number…
- The serial number is located on the bottom bracket as a sticker or stamped into the shell.
- Record the serial number in a safe place for future reference.