Box Pro Contingency Brings Easier Pay in 2019
November 29, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
We all know that there are many sources for pro BMXers to collect a paycheck. These sources are often not as fat as we would like, and not every rider goes after every stream. For example: some do not actively teach clinics, and others mostly rely on sponsor salary and prize money Read more
Box Tech Tip: Fix The Hop in Your Chain
August 7, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
Before you take your race ride out for a spin on the track, give your cranks a quick-spin backwards. If it spins, then stops abruptly, your chainring may be off its axis a bit, causing an unnecessary tight spot in the chain.
In this week’s Box Tech Tip, Tyler Brown hops-to the task of helping you nullify that chain-hop.
It is, afterall, an imperfect world, so most BMXers won’t totally eliminate ALL tightness in the chain (because it can come from any-number of components, in combination). That said, you can use this tip to make every-effort to remedy what is fixable.
Equipment: Tyler is running a Box One M35 Crankset with a Rennen Designs 49t chainring and a KMC Chain.
Links
Box Brake Cables
July 23, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
In this week’s Box Tech Tip, a joint Product Spotlight feature. Tyler Brown upgrades your cable package. No, it’s not the one that slows down your training with reruns of Sponge Bob and Mystery Science Theater 3000. It’s the one that slows you down so you can go faster.
Be afraid of a frayed brake cable that has been crimped, and re-crimped; it will not give you the performance you need, and there’s a chance it could let-loose at the most inopportune time.
That’s why you need to replace your cable every-so-often, especially when you have to uncork the anchor bolt for a new wheel or other maintenance.
Here’s TB with the how-to:
Step One
Step Two
Tyler is using the Box Concentric Linear Brake Cable Kit (MSRP $19.99), which is the Rolls Royce of brake cables–complete with the necessary hardware, a cable housing in one of five colors (black, red, chrome, gold and blue), a cable with special PTFE-coating for super-slick stoppage. What’s PTFE, you ask? It’s a synthetic fluoropolymer of tetrafluoroethylene. Now you know.
Box also has the Nano cable, which is great for younger riders and weight-savers (MSRP: $9.99). Also available is the slightly-more-beefy Box Two Linear Brake Cable (MSRP $11.99), Links provided below to all.
Links
Box Concentric Linear Brake Cable Kit
Tech Tips: Stem Lock Installation
July 17, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
This week in the Box Tech Tips series, Tyler Brown cinches up his stem with a new Box Components stem lock. The process for this install is similar to many other commonly-available stem locks on the market, so what ever you’re running, you can get some installation wisdom from Mr. 316.
Check it out now:
This install vid will be especially helpful to those considering the Box version of the stem lock; Box has redesigned it. So what appears to be the top piece is now the bottom and the bottom piece is now the top. Sometimes, turning a design on its head is just what the doctor ordered to turn that BMX frown upside-down.
Check the link below for more info on the Box Stem Lock, and stay tuned for the next installment in the Box Tech Tips series, next week.
Links
Info: Box One Stem Lock by Box Components
Make a Date With Your Plate
June 4, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
This week, in the Box Tech Tips series, Tyler Brown covers the often-onerous task of applying a new cover decal to your number plate. The techniques demonstrated can also be used for applying numbers or any other decal to the surface.
Box Brand Manager, Phil Maxwell gives us a little backstory Read more
Box Tech Tips: Grip Replacement Finale
May 29, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
Last week, we covered the initial steps to replacing your grips. In this week’s double-feature, Tyler Brown shows us the rest of the job, before heading out to the track. For the non-mechanic, the weekly Box Tech Tips video helps to demystify the various swaps and upgrades you might want to make to your race bike.
Grip Install #2
Grip Install #3
Visit the Box Components website (link below) for more information on the products shown (Box One Lock On Grips and Box Hex Lab Carbon Mid Brake Lever). You can now also purchase directly from the Box website, if you so choose.
Links
Tech Tips: Grip Installation Pt 1
May 21, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
In this first of a three-part tutorial, the Box Tech Tips series gets into changing your grips. The lesson comes complete with which Allen wrenches to use for the initial approach, and techniques for getting those bars bare again.
It should go without saying that running the grippiest of grips Read more
Box Tech Tips: Adjust Brake Lever Reach
May 13, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
We’ve all seen the photos: a lead rider in sharp focus, stylin-it-up, with a little turnbar, and a strategic finger, placed just-right on the brake lever. That brake lever finger MAKES the shot, there’s no denying it.
In this week’s Box Components Tech Tips vid, Tyler Brown shows us the way to dial-in your lever’s reach so it is placed just-right when it’s your turn in the viewfinder; or when you need a little tap to make your move, and a handful of brake is just-too-much. It’s the little things, aferall, that make the big wins possible.
You might be tempted to say “That’s it? A video devoted to tightening a screw?” We have to admit, we said the same thing around the BMX News Global Command Center.
BUT, with this vid, we start to see the true-value of the “Tech Tips” series for BMX News readers–info on the “why” as well as the “how.”
Here’s Box Components BMX Brand Manager, Phil Maxwell, with a little backstory:
Over the years, I have seen many people take this adjustment screw out OR have it tightened all the way down. It’s clear that non-mechanics have no idea what this screw is designed to do. This will explain a little of the mystery (and the function) behind that tiny little screw.
Stay tuned for upcoming Box Tech Tips videos, every Monday, right here on News.
Links
Box Hex Lab Mini Bars & Stem
April 30, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
Strong, light and ready to do it right is the baked-in performance profile of the Box Hex Lab Mini Carbon Bar and Stem Combo. Box Components has SIX levels of performance in their product lineup (Box 5-1, then Hex Lab, which stands above the rest as “race specific,” see legend below).
Today, we’re taking a look at the Hex Lab carbon bar & stem combo. They are separate components, but one requires the other, so…
Investing in the front end of the bike is money wisely-invested, both for stiffness and for weight savings. Your mini machine will be double-dialed with the carbon bar and Hex Lab stem combo.
The bars are so trick-looking that it’s almost a sin to bury them behind a number plate (but it IS a sin not to run that plate EVERY time you’re at the track).
It’s an oversized 28.6mm clamping area on the bars that gives the stem a bigger bite. Two versions (4.5″ rise and 6″ rise) cover the full range of pint-sized pedal plonkers (up to 100lbs). The bars tip the scales at 7.2oz and 11.4oz, respectively.
On the stem side of things, there are four colors to choose from (Black, Blue, Gold and Red), in 40mm and 45mm reach (for 1-inch forks).
The Box crew gave News some backstory on how this dynamic duo came to be,
When Box first introduced the OS Chromoly handlebars, improved stiffness and performance were the main goals, utilizing Mountain Bike technology as a crossover medium.
As the OS Chromoly handlebars were developed and started to gain traction around the tracks, Mr. Henderson and the design team started to think about whether the oversized technology could cross over to the 22.2mm market? Again, the rationale drew upon MTB for inspiration.
So we started to look at the mini market, specifically Carbon and Alloy bars. In this segment, we noticed with the younger riders having issues with overtightening there stems. This caused bars to slip due to crushing and/or damaging the carbon weave and eventually breaking.
The design team did not see the same issues on MTB Handlebars as they did/do in BMX. Why? We discovered the Oversized clamping area spread the torque load better and made for a cleaner, stiffer fit.
Box is the first to design a kid-specific Oversized Handlebar with all the performance benefits of it Oversized Chromoly Cousin but in Carbon Fiber and slightly smaller clamping area (28.6mm) for weight savings.
The stem was developed around the 28.6mm handlebar to match performance, stiffness and maximum power transfer.
All this beefy bite and scale savings will take a couple grams off your wallet, too*, but performance is always pricey. Still, it ain’t SO bad, with the bars at $129.99 and the stem at $79.99 MSRP.
*$100 bills weigh about a gram, apiece.
Grab some up direct from the Box Components website (links below), or your favorite local dealer. If you are buying from the Box site, you need to create an account first before you can “add to cart.”
While you’re there, check out the rest of the Box Components lineup. Some tasty morsels up there.
Links
Box Hex Lab OS Carbon Handlebar
Box Fork Line All-New For 2018
March 2, 2018 by bmxnews.org Editors · Comments Off
Without question, Box Components has one of the most popular carbon forks in the BMX marketplace. Since the day they first hit the shelves, you have seen them on board with the fastest go-getters in the game.
For 2018, Box head honcho, Toby Henderson, tells us that the fork line is relaunching with new materials, updated engineering and the same go-fast look of the X series we have all grown to know and love.
Here’s what he said:
With the competition growing in the carbon BMX fork market, Box had to respond.
Our new 2018 fork line is a result of hard work, new tooling and a patent pending steer tube interface.
Our new manufacturing capabilities include the use of pre-preg carbon fiber sheets, allowing for a stronger and lighter product.
The new line will also include a newly-engineered stem lock and 20mm-to-10mm adaptors with all 20mm drop out models.
I am pretty proud of our team here at Box, and hope BMX News readers will give the new line of Box Carbon Forks a fresh look.
In addition to an alloy steer tube, Box is also offering a chromoly steer tube in both 20″ and 24″. The alloy steer tube will come in both straight (1″ and 1-1/8″) and 1.5″ tapered. Chromo is 1-1/8 only, with 20mm dropouts.
The full line will come with the aforementioned new stem lock. All 20mm forks are sold with 10mm adapters for thread-in hubs.
With the re-engineered crown-to-steer tube interface, the days of “twist and shout” are over, ensuring a tight and twist-free connection between these two essential pieces of the proverbial puzzle.
Dropouts are cold-forged 6000-series alloy.
Price-wise, they’re in the sweet spot for immediate addition to your new-and-improved 2018 speed machine.
Here are the Suggested Retail Prices
Box XS w/10mm dropouts (Mini size) – $329.99
Box XE w/10mm dropouts (Expert size) – $329.99*
Box XL w/10mm dropouts (Pro size) – $329.99*
Box X2 w/20mm dropouts and chromo steer tube (Pro size) – $349.99*
Box X5 w/20mm dropouts (Pro size) – $379.99*
*Available in 20″ and 24″ sizes.
We know we don’t have to spoon-feed you all the reasons the 2018 Box forks are the way to go for your lead-rider plans this season. Check the Box website (link below) for the full tech specs.
Links
