Test: Box One groupset - David against Goliath

Box Components enters the ring as David against not just one Goliath, but two! It takes a lot of courage to take on the two big "S" (Shimano & SRAM) with a new groupset. We put the challenger through its paces and naturally don't want to withhold our findings from you.

Gong to Round 1: Box One - Get on the bike

Fitting the 1x11 drivetrain went without a hitch. The 11-46 cassette fits Shimano and also Sram 11-speed drivetrains, the changer is bolted to the derailleur hanger as usual and can also be used with cassettes from Shimano, SRAM, e*thirteen etc. (max. 46 teeth). The shift lever is attached to the handlebars using a one-piece clamp, which is why the grips and possibly the brake lever must be removed beforehand in order to be able to slide the clamp onto the handlebars. To position the lever horizontally, there are two positions available, which are around ten millimetres apart. The positioning of the (XT) brake lever and shifter is sufficient, but could be a little more variable.

Due to the slightly different design of the Box One changer, we also had to replace the cable housing of the shift cable, which was around 30 millimetres too short. Incidentally, a video on the Box Components website shows the correct setting of the changer, but the procedure is no different from that of other manufacturers.

Round 2: Box One - off the kickstand and into the trail action

The first gear changes take a little getting used to, which is mainly due to the Box Components' own push-push gearshift. One and the same lever is used for upshifting and downshifting. Shifting into the lower gears is done as usual, you push the lever forward with your thumb and that's it. Shifting into the higher gears is also done with the thumb, but you push the lever inwards, i.e. towards the stem. This maneuver works without any problems and the actual shifting process on the cassette works really well - even under high loads. On rough terrain and in stressful situations, however, we often found that we couldn't find the right gear straight away when shifting into the smaller sprockets because the gearshift wasn't pushed in at the right angle. Otherwise, as already mentioned, the gear changes work very quickly and precisely.

According to the manufacturer, up to four sprockets can be skipped simultaneously when downshifting. Although this is correct, it is somewhat impractical due to the very long lever travel required for this. Two gears at once are easy, depending on the lever position and the mobility of the thumb even three, but this was always sufficient.
The gradation of the cassette with the sprocket sizes 11/ 13/ 15/ 18/ 21/ 24/ 28/ 32/ 36/ 40/ 46 is very harmonious, and we never had the feeling that we were missing a gear between two gears when shifting - well done!

To prevent the chain from jumping off, Box Components has fitted the derailleur with a cam clutch. Unfortunately, this doesn't seem to be fully developed yet, as the chain hit the chainstays audibly.

The test phase was a little too short to make any clear statements regarding the wear of the components. Only the coating of the sprockets gelled a little, otherwise no unusual wear was noticeable.

Round 3: The final tally

The Box Components One drivetrain performed very well and impressed us with its smooth gear changes, unique look, good workmanship and exotic status. A few points were deducted for the chattering chain and the less than perfect push-push shifter. As the groupset is priced above a Shimano XT groupset, we see the groupset as a well-functioning niche product for individualists - in this case, David and Goliath leave the ring in a draw.

www.trailsupply.ch
www.boxcomponents.com