9 speed concept is really great to be honest. During trail rides i usually do multi shifts with my 12spd, but i guess this 9 spd is enough to have easier shift
Nice! Great loop for gravel. I've got a "floop by gravel bike" video ready to post, but I want to finish the rockhopper series first. So.. stay tuned? (or whatever the real RUclipsrs say) 😆
Question. I have a 2021 rockhopper comp that was already 1X. I wanted the 11x50 so I thought I’d go for the box 2. I didn’t realize that I had a direct mount derailleur hanger. So now I have a derailleur that doesn’t align. The box site says it not compatible and I didn’t catch that. Did your rockhopper have the correct b-link derailleur or did you have to find one?
Thanks for this! I've built a 1x9 system with a 500g 11-46 ali express cluster, a 200g XTR 9 speed mech and the little hanger spacer that came with the cluster. Controlled by a Deore shifter that way lying around. . Works really well. Cost me just under $100 USD and a bit of online hunting and learning. I've since scored a 300g XT 10 speed clutched mech for $50 USD and will get an ali express 360g 11-50 10speed cluster for about $90 USD. Got a Deore 10 speed shifter for $30 USD. Its fun scoping cheap stuff online ... people are basically giving away great gear that is considered too old. Never owned any XTR gear before. I'm a nerd who is enjoying learning this stuff. For anyone else, that box-type deal gets the same result with new, heavier parts. Nice.
Solid video thank you! I do have a question - at the 1:38 mark you mention the option of only changing the chain ring to a 1x narrow wide. Can you please direct us to a part #? Thank you!!!
Great series of videos and thank you for you insight. I have one question about the compatibility of the Box Components cassette. I have a 2021 Rockhopper Sport and it says the factory rear hub is a Formula SP 2125. Is that not going to work with the Box cassette? I didn't hear you mention anything about swapping your hub.
Hello, Thanks for these videos. They’re really helpful and informative. I have a question for you. I have a 2018 Rockhopper and am looking to upgrade the fork. In your opinion would a 120mm fork pair well?
I'm thinking of turning my old Fuji fitness bike into something a bit more gravel friendly. It currently has a 2X Shimano Sora drivetrain. I want to go with Box Prime 2. But what of the crankset? The Fuji currently has the stock Shimano Sora, 50/34T. Any recommendations on what to switch to that will work nicely with the Box 2 Prime 9? Thanks!
Thanks very much for this objective review! Box Components may not have achieved Nervana, but they have produced functional options for the common man. I believe refinements will come, and I support them all the way.
Awesome! I have a 1x12 deore and getting the shifting indexed perfectly is a challenge. If I fall and the derailleur gets hit even slightly the shifting goes all out of whack and needs to be adjusted. Feels like more gears is not always better especially on a MTB you intend to throw around. 12 speeds is really nice when it works though
Agreed. I've got GX Eagle on my other bike and it's pretty finicky. There's a larger margin for error on the 9 speed for sure. So far I can't say I miss 12 speeds. Indeed '9 is fine'
@@TheBikeSauce my hanger is straight. I checked it multiple times. Im not the only one who cant get this drivetrain to shift well. The box two derailleur is just bad. Even got the box one shifter thinking it would make a difference.
As a 1x11 speed flat bar gravel rider I have to say that I'd rather have chosen 9 speed for the single reason that there's less shifting required for rapid gradient changes. Especially important as you can't just drop to the small chainring. In fact, I'd say the super cheap Box 4 8 speed setup would be a real contender for me too....
Nice. Love hearing how different everyone’s tastes and preferences are. Just trying out the box prime 9 now on the budget rockhopper build. Great system so far.
I just saw your build for Specialized Rockhopper and I like your build more than anyone else! I just got mine ordered yesterday and I can’t wait to pick it up! Also as far as the upgrades, can you leave a link to where you got all your parts from?
Welcome to Prime 9, it seems you got the Box two Hybrid groupset I have gotten the box one hybrid groupset, and it shifts like a dream. Yeah I went from 3x8 to 1x9 with race face parts plus oval chainring to lend me a hand on uphills, and slowly upgraded my bike slowly a lastly gone tubeless.
Just upgraded my girlfriend’s Rockhopper Sport with a Box Two drivetrain with a 52mm chainline crankset and the 52mm chainline seems to be a tad too wide. How is this bike doing with the 56.5mm chainline on the Deore crankset? Do you notice any expedited chain or cassette wear so far?
Thank you for this. I have a 2004 rockhopper comp that was converted to a single speed for when I was in New York. I want to get it back to MTB status and think this is great value.
I wonder if this 11-50 cassette can be paired with a triple 44/32/22 crank? With a setup like this you'll get a 3x9 drivetrain with an insane 909% gear range...
Looking for some advice, I'm looking go upgrade to a 1x drivetrain on my rockhopper sport. Will any groupset fit or do I need to look for a specific spec? I don't know much about bike parts 😅
Hey Ben. This is a really loaded question, but for your bike, you’d want a cassette that will fit a shimano HG free hub (anything 8-11sp shimano cassette will work). You need a derailleur to satisfy both the max cog size as well as the overall drivetrain capacity. You will also need a new crankset with a single narrow-wide chainring (I believe the stock 2x cranks have riveted chainrings). It’s also a good idea to get a chain spec’d for the number of cogs on your cassette
Awesome upgrades. I have a 2019 Specialized Rockhopper 9 Speed. I'm going to replace the entire drivetrain with Shimano M7100 SLX 1 X 12 Speed group set I'm have a question. Since the rear hub is a 9 Speed. The Shimano SLX is Micro Spline Freehub. How can I convert the 9 Speed to Micro Spline Freehub body to fit the new 10 x 51 cassette? I hope you can be of assistance. Thanks you in advance.
That’s a bit tough. you’ll need a new hub, and unless the rim is really high end, it’ll probably be cheaper to buy a new wheelset. I’d go with a solid 11 speed system that you can mount on your existing freehub body. You’ll still get massive range and for mtb you’ll probably not notice the lack of smaller increments between gears
I have the exact same bike, if I was to replace it with a 1x10 or 1x11 would I need to replace the rear hub to be able to fit the 10 or 11 ring casette? Thanks
Hey there so my wife has the Specialized rockhopper comp 1x 2020.I wanted to upgrade the Drivechain to Sram Gx. Is that possible? I'm hearing that I might need to replace the back wheel
That bike comes with a Microshift drivetrain and the cassette mounts to a shimano HG freehub body. Sram GX eagle uses a 12 speed cassette mounted to a different freehub body called the XD driver. Unfortunately, they aren’t compatible and replacing the hub or rear wheel is the only option if you want GX
@@TheBikeSauce Thank you so much for your help. I absolutely love your videos, especially your upgrading videos. Thank you once again. Have Blessed & Safe Day
Great video, thanks for sharing. I've spent the last couple of days exploring my options and am totally confused, if you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it. The SHIMANO DEORE FC-M5100-1 is stated only for 1x10/11-speed but I was wondering if can I use it on my current setup? It's a 3x8 on a stock Cube Aim from 2020. I'd like to swap it out and make it a 1x on a budget. Your help would be much appreciated!
If your plan is to just swap cranks from a 3 ring setup to a 1 ring setup, you may not be happy since you'll lose substantial gear range, as the stock cassette isn't as wide ranging as a 1x setup (since it can rely on the front chainrings for range). You can do it however, and you don't even need new cranks most likely. Just look into a 'narrow-wide' chainring with the proper mounting and, if your current cranks allow, remove the 3 rings, and replace with the single narrow-wide ring.
@@TheBikeSauce Thanks for the quick answer, unfortunately the crankset I currently have is the tourney FC-TX801 and since it's mostly integrated I'll have to swap out the crankset, so I thought why not upgrade to a hollowtech II. I don't mind losing the range since I mostly do city commutes with little incline, I was mainly concerned and was wondering why is the above mentioned crankset only compatible with only 10x and 11x and after seeing you made it work with 9x I thought to myself why not 8x. Why does shimano even mention this compatibility on their websites, couldn't find an answer anywhere. Thanks again for the time
Yea it’s confusing for sure. It has to do with the outer dimension of the chain. Inner dimension is pretty standard, so the chainring itself doesn’t need to be specific to a gear number (8,9,10,11) speed. I do believe some 12 speed chains may use a different inner diameter however
@@TheBikeSauce Thanks for the answer. I enjoy this presentation that keeps updated my understanding SRAM products. But my main goal is to keep the drivetrain margins between 0 and 45/55 kmh pedaling. More versatility. More precision. Still don't find the answers.
Here in Europe Shimano offers a 1x11 Deore upgrade kit: shifter, derailler, chain and cassette for only EUR 179,- for 11-42 or EUR 199,- for 11-51 I assume they noticed the oncoming competition from MicroShift and Box Components and had to do something... :)
9 speed concept is really great to be honest. During trail rides i usually do multi shifts with my 12spd, but i guess this 9 spd is enough to have easier shift
I rode my gravel bike for the first time on that trail today! Can't wait for more gravel content. Good informative channel👍
Nice! Great loop for gravel. I've got a "floop by gravel bike" video ready to post, but I want to finish the rockhopper series first. So.. stay tuned? (or whatever the real RUclipsrs say) 😆
@@TheBikeSauce For sure can't wait to watch it!
Upgraded my Rock Hopper Expert RD to a GX over the weekend. Shifts much cleaner then the SX 👍
Question. I have a 2021 rockhopper comp that was already 1X. I wanted the 11x50 so I thought I’d go for the box 2. I didn’t realize that I had a direct mount derailleur hanger. So now I have a derailleur that doesn’t align. The box site says it not compatible and I didn’t catch that. Did your rockhopper have the correct b-link derailleur or did you have to find one?
Thanks for this! I've built a 1x9 system with a 500g 11-46 ali express cluster, a 200g XTR 9 speed mech and the little hanger spacer that came with the cluster. Controlled by a Deore shifter that way lying around. . Works really well. Cost me just under $100 USD and a bit of online hunting and learning. I've since scored a 300g XT 10 speed clutched mech for $50 USD and will get an ali express 360g 11-50 10speed cluster for about $90 USD. Got a Deore 10 speed shifter for $30 USD. Its fun scoping cheap stuff online ... people are basically giving away great gear that is considered too old. Never owned any XTR gear before. I'm a nerd who is enjoying learning this stuff. For anyone else, that box-type deal gets the same result with new, heavier parts. Nice.
Nice and concise.
Solid video thank you! I do have a question - at the 1:38 mark you mention the option of only changing the chain ring to a 1x narrow wide. Can you please direct us to a part #? Thank you!!!
Great video. #box #boxprime9 #boxprime #boxcomponents look awesome. I might get a 2/1 kit to replace my sram xo1. Its worn out after 4 years.
Great series of videos and thank you for you insight. I have one question about the compatibility of the Box Components cassette. I have a 2021 Rockhopper Sport and it says the factory rear hub is a Formula SP 2125. Is that not going to work with the Box cassette? I didn't hear you mention anything about swapping your hub.
No need to swap hubs. Box is compatible with shimano HG hubs, which you have
Hello,
Thanks for these videos. They’re really helpful and informative. I have a question for you. I have a 2018 Rockhopper and am looking to upgrade the fork. In your opinion would a 120mm fork pair well?
I'm thinking of turning my old Fuji fitness bike into something a bit more gravel friendly. It currently has a 2X Shimano Sora drivetrain. I want to go with Box Prime 2. But what of the crankset? The Fuji currently has the stock Shimano Sora, 50/34T. Any recommendations on what to switch to that will work nicely with the Box 2 Prime 9? Thanks!
Very cool vid!
Could you ID/link the front crank that you picked up?
Have a 2017 Rockhopper Comp 29er and am eager to upgrade the old war horse.
Thanks very much for this objective review! Box Components may not have achieved Nervana, but they have produced functional options for the common man. I believe refinements will come, and I support them all the way.
Awesome! I have a 1x12 deore and getting the shifting indexed perfectly is a challenge. If I fall and the derailleur gets hit even slightly the shifting goes all out of whack and needs to be adjusted. Feels like more gears is not always better especially on a MTB you intend to throw around. 12 speeds is really nice when it works though
Agreed. I've got GX Eagle on my other bike and it's pretty finicky. There's a larger margin for error on the 9 speed for sure. So far I can't say I miss 12 speeds. Indeed '9 is fine'
Correct. The sweet spot is 1x10 or 1x11. Cheap, reliable and beginner proof.
1x12 gx eagle is easier to dial in than this box junk. I have a prime two on my bike and i cant get it to shift right.
Straighten up your hanger first maybe. You gotta remember the box stuff is less than half the price of GX
@@TheBikeSauce my hanger is straight. I checked it multiple times. Im not the only one who cant get this drivetrain to shift well. The box two derailleur is just bad. Even got the box one shifter thinking it would make a difference.
As a 1x11 speed flat bar gravel rider I have to say that I'd rather have chosen 9 speed for the single reason that there's less shifting required for rapid gradient changes. Especially important as you can't just drop to the small chainring. In fact, I'd say the super cheap Box 4 8 speed setup would be a real contender for me too....
Nice. Love hearing how different everyone’s tastes and preferences are. Just trying out the box prime 9 now on the budget rockhopper build. Great system so far.
You can drop 3 gears in a row with box's shifter.
I think its worth noting you can put this on low spec wheels so its good for budget upgrade. 11 speed you need XD
I just saw your build for Specialized Rockhopper and I like your build more than anyone else! I just got mine ordered yesterday and I can’t wait to pick it up! Also as far as the upgrades, can you leave a link to where you got all your parts from?
I'll have the whole build summarized in the wrap-up video. All the links will be there
When you ordered box groupset did you ordered the Box two groupset or the Hybrid Groupset directly from them or from other seller.
Box 2/3 hybrid, direct through Box
why do a 1x drive tarrian? what does it improve and how is it better than 2x?
Curious I have a 2023 Rockhopper and wondered if you had to replace the derailer hanger for the new rear derailer from prime 9?
Wasn’t necessary
Welcome to Prime 9, it seems you got the Box two Hybrid groupset I have gotten the box one hybrid groupset, and it shifts like a dream. Yeah I went from 3x8 to 1x9 with race face parts plus oval chainring to lend me a hand on uphills, and slowly upgraded my bike slowly a lastly gone tubeless.
Yup, Box two / three.
I noticed with 8 speed cassettes don't go to 50t gears...
@@SolarizeYourLife the max it goes is 42t for 8speed, & for 9 speed 46 or 50t.
Subscribed, good review. I love the Floop
🤘
Just upgraded my girlfriend’s Rockhopper Sport with a Box Two drivetrain with a 52mm chainline crankset and the 52mm chainline seems to be a tad too wide. How is this bike doing with the 56.5mm chainline on the Deore crankset? Do you notice any expedited chain or cassette wear so far?
You only need smaller steps in gearing for road bikes... They need a regular cadence in their pedaling... Mtb don't need that...
how does 1x11 compare to a 3x8 for steep hill climbs and top speed? does the 3x8 win both? im looking to change my 3x8 to 1x11 or 2x11
Box Components introduced Gen 2 Prime 9 Drivetrain at Sea Otter Classic this last month.
I am thinking if upgrading the BB to a hollow tech will be useful. I’ve already got to upgrade the worn hubs
Thank you for this. I have a 2004 rockhopper comp that was converted to a single speed for when I was in New York. I want to get it back to MTB status and think this is great value.
Hello new here, what 1x size crank sproket your using 32t or 34t... and why?
I have an old specialized tricross and the cables exit the downtube the same way. So easy
Was just wondering if one can run a new cassette + new front (remove the front deralleur) with the stock derailleur?
Each derailleur has a max cog size and max range of gears it can handle, so it’ll depend on which cassette you choose
I wonder if this 11-50 cassette can be paired with a triple 44/32/22 crank? With a setup like this you'll get a 3x9 drivetrain with an insane 909% gear range...
Haha interesting thought, but the rd can’t handle that kind of range
Looking for some advice, I'm looking go upgrade to a 1x drivetrain on my rockhopper sport. Will any groupset fit or do I need to look for a specific spec? I don't know much about bike parts 😅
Hey Ben. This is a really loaded question, but for your bike, you’d want a cassette that will fit a shimano HG free hub (anything 8-11sp shimano cassette will work). You need a derailleur to satisfy both the max cog size as well as the overall drivetrain capacity. You will also need a new crankset with a single narrow-wide chainring (I believe the stock 2x cranks have riveted chainrings). It’s also a good idea to get a chain spec’d for the number of cogs on your cassette
Awesome upgrades. I have a 2019 Specialized Rockhopper 9 Speed. I'm going to replace the entire drivetrain with Shimano M7100 SLX 1 X 12 Speed group set I'm have a question. Since the rear hub is a 9 Speed. The Shimano SLX is Micro Spline Freehub. How can I convert the 9 Speed to Micro Spline Freehub body to fit the new 10 x 51 cassette? I hope you can be of assistance. Thanks you in advance.
That’s a bit tough. you’ll need a new hub, and unless the rim is really high end, it’ll probably be cheaper to buy a new wheelset. I’d go with a solid 11 speed system that you can mount on your existing freehub body. You’ll still get massive range and for mtb you’ll probably not notice the lack of smaller increments between gears
I got a doubt. Which is your single chain ring measure?
32T
I have the exact same bike, if I was to replace it with a 1x10 or 1x11 would I need to replace the rear hub to be able to fit the 10 or 11 ring casette? Thanks
Nope. You’re good up to 11 speed
What's wrong with two chain rings at the front, surely this brings more versatility in the gears.
Lots of redundant gears, and the chain is prone to dropping off the chainring through the chunk. Some still prefer 2x
9 is 🎉
Hey there so my wife has the Specialized rockhopper comp 1x 2020.I wanted to upgrade the Drivechain to Sram Gx. Is that possible? I'm hearing that I might need to replace the back wheel
That bike comes with a Microshift drivetrain and the cassette mounts to a shimano HG freehub body. Sram GX eagle uses a 12 speed cassette mounted to a different freehub body called the XD driver. Unfortunately, they aren’t compatible and replacing the hub or rear wheel is the only option if you want GX
@@TheBikeSauce
Thank you so much for your help.
I absolutely love your videos, especially your upgrading videos. Thank you once again. Have Blessed & Safe Day
I have a 2020 rockhopper sport. What would he the compatible 1x for it? Thanks
Would be compatible
Subscribed after the 3rd “such that”
Lol, sorry. Can’t help it
@@TheBikeSauce Nah, I’m good with it. I write contracts for a living. I’m a “whereas” kind of guy
I have the same bike. To clarify, I can convert to 1x11 without changing hubs but if I go 1x12, I need to change hubs or wheelset? Tnx
That’s right
@@TheBikeSauce awesome. Just curious though, can I just change freehub and keep the same hub???
That will depend on the hub. Not sure about the stock wheels
@@TheBikeSauce stock hub we have with the RH sport. Can I just change it???
@@TheBikeSauce thabks a lot
Was there any weight differences from the stock drivetrain?
Sorting it out now, but it's also the BB and cranks that factor into weight reduction.
could you fit 11 speed cassette on this frame? have a 2020 rockhopper and thinking about it
Sure
Check your hub characteristics first, some hubs are not compatible with an 11 speed cassette
Should fit every 2020 Rockhopper
Great video, thanks for sharing. I've spent the last couple of days exploring my options and am totally confused, if you could help me out I would greatly appreciate it.
The SHIMANO DEORE FC-M5100-1 is stated only for 1x10/11-speed but I was wondering if can I use it on my current setup? It's a 3x8 on a stock Cube Aim from 2020.
I'd like to swap it out and make it a 1x on a budget.
Your help would be much appreciated!
If your plan is to just swap cranks from a 3 ring setup to a 1 ring setup, you may not be happy since you'll lose substantial gear range, as the stock cassette isn't as wide ranging as a 1x setup (since it can rely on the front chainrings for range). You can do it however, and you don't even need new cranks most likely. Just look into a 'narrow-wide' chainring with the proper mounting and, if your current cranks allow, remove the 3 rings, and replace with the single narrow-wide ring.
@@TheBikeSauce Thanks for the quick answer, unfortunately the crankset I currently have is the tourney FC-TX801 and since it's mostly integrated I'll have to swap out the crankset, so I thought why not upgrade to a hollowtech II. I don't mind losing the range since I mostly do city commutes with little incline, I was mainly concerned and was wondering why is the above mentioned crankset only compatible with only 10x and 11x and after seeing you made it work with 9x I thought to myself why not 8x.
Why does shimano even mention this compatibility on their websites, couldn't find an answer anywhere. Thanks again for the time
Yea it’s confusing for sure. It has to do with the outer dimension of the chain. Inner dimension is pretty standard, so the chainring itself doesn’t need to be specific to a gear number (8,9,10,11) speed. I do believe some 12 speed chains may use a different inner diameter however
@@TheBikeSauce Amazing thanks so much, can't wait to make the swap, try out the new gear and report back!
Did not find any information for possible 2x9 upgrade.
You can switch from 2x8 to 2x9 pretty easily, but that’s not what this video is about.
@@TheBikeSauce Thanks for the answer. I enjoy this presentation that keeps updated my understanding SRAM products. But my main goal is to keep the drivetrain margins between 0 and 45/55 kmh pedaling. More versatility. More precision. Still don't find the answers.
How does it handle on jumps?
Not a huge jumper, but it does fine
Can I fit a 2.4 tires on this bike
For sure
@@TheBikeSauce thanks
Did you had any issue with the chain line
No issues
I got the same bike and the same drivetrain but i got issues with the chain line
Like what?
Here in Europe Shimano offers a 1x11 Deore upgrade kit: shifter, derailler, chain and cassette for only EUR 179,- for 11-42 or EUR 199,- for 11-51
I assume they noticed the oncoming competition from MicroShift and Box Components and had to do something... :)