Is it time to stop thinking of Cadex as a Giant Bicycles component manufacturer?
(Image credit: Cadex)
Today Cadex is expanding the brand's offerings with the introduction of two new integrated handlebar options, a new lightweight and aero wheelsystem, and an updated race tyre. The new products update and further round out a collection of high-end components that has been growing since the Cadex name re-entered the market in 2019. During that time, the brand has always offered a small and highly curated mix of products that consistently find their way into buyers guides such as the best road bike wheels. At the same time, Cadex is often considered through the lens of the brand's history and corporate stablemate, Giant.
With so many recent product additions, there's now a question hanging in the air. The gulf between Cadex and Giant is wide, is it time to stop thinking of Cadex as a moonshot offshoot of Giant bikes? Cadex seems to do little to strengthen the corporate ties between the two brands and even as the brand expands, the offerings remain focused. If you want to go fast, Cadex has a range of products that spare no expense. The latest round of introductions offer even more choice.
Wheel and tyres work as a system (Image credit: Cadex)
Cadex Race GC Tubeless Tyre
Before today, Cadex had a range of tyres available covering both on-road and off-road needs. Drilling down to the road offerings there had been three offerings including a narrow 25mm Aero Race Tyre, a Classics option available in 25-32mm widths, and finally an all-around Race Tyre with options for both 25 and 28mm. It's that third option that gets an update today with the introduction of the Cadex Race GC Tubeless Tyre.
While the previous generation was already well renowned in the tubeless tyre market, the Race GC improves on the design. The update starts by borrowing the RR-S Compound from the existing Aero Race Tyre then applying it to an updated carcass. The new carcass, renamed Lightweight Supple Race Casing, sees an increase of TPI (threads per inch) from 170 up to 240 and a reduction of weight down to 279 grams for a 28mm tyre.
Along with the new casing, this latest tyre also sees an increase in rolling efficiency. Cadex explains that the new 240 TPI casing allows for fewer casing layers which, as already mentioned, reduces weight but also reduces friction. Compared to the previous tyre, Cadex quotes an 18 percent decrease in rolling resistance as well as better absorption of road imperfections.
With the reduction in weight, Cadex takes pains to also emphasise the continued focus on puncture protection and grip. In terms of puncture protection, the Race Shield cut-resistant Kevlar material sticks around to resist punctures. What doesn't stick around is the unusual, for a race tyre, tread that previously featured along each edge. Instead, the slick centre section spreads across most of the tyre leaving only micro-profile shoulders to disrupt the smooth texture.
Race GC Tubeless use a shallower sidewall and protruded shoulders at the edges for best performance with a wide hookless bead (Image credit: Cadex)
As with all other Cadex tyres, the Race GC Tubeless aren't only a standalone product. The wheels and tyres are always an important part of both the aerodynamics and feel of a wheel and tyre combination. To that end, Cadex looked at the tyre and wheel as a unit and, with control of both, the brand considered the effect of a modern wheel with a wide internal spec and a hookless design. To optimise the shape of the tyre in that use case, the Race GC Tubeless use a shallower sidewall and protruded shoulders at the edges. This enhances stability when cornering and sprinting, especially with a wider wheel. The other detail related to this optimisation is that the latest tyres are only available in a 28mm width perfectly optimised to the Max40 Wheelsystem.
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40mm with a 28mm tyre splits the difference between lightweight and aero performance (Image credit: Cadex)
Cadex Max40 Wheelsytem
Cadex wheels are regularly among the lightest wheels available at any given price point. Furthering the point, the Cadex Max40 Wheelsytem hits the scales at a quoted system weight of 1249 grams. That makes them the lightest wheels that Cadex has ever made but also puts them into rare air with names like Obermeyer and Syncros.
Despite that impressive low number, the Max40 Wheelsystem is not the shallowest wheelset that Cadex has ever made. Cadex has always aimed to make the lightest and highest performance parts possible but the brand has also always had a particular focus on aerodynamics. The Max40 continues that focus while also acknowledging our modern understanding that higher tyre volumes lead to a more comfortable ride and that makes the rider faster. With a 22.4 mm internal width, there are no narrow rim tricks to hit an arbitrary weight number.
At the same time, that internal width of 22.4 mm is also a returning number that you'll see echoed in other Cadex wheel options. It's an important number because it's designed to optimise the current preference to run 28mm tyres. It's also part of the equation that leads to the 40mm depth which, again, optimises for a 28mm tyre and makes the latest tyre release - in Cadex's opinion - a perfect companion.
The aero hub is familiar but it's been redesigned with an additional eight points of engagement (Image credit: Cadex)
Width and optimisations aside, there are also other aero plays baked into the Cadex Max40 Wheelsystem. Although it all starts with the hookless design and 40mm depth, there's also a return of the super-deep bladed carbon spokes first seen on the Cadex Ultra50 wheelsystem. The spokes continue to be independently tensionable and they are again laced to an Aero Hub that's seen specific aero optimisation in the wind tunnel.
Although both the Ultra50 and Max40 use an aero hub, they aren't the same. The design is similar, as is the trademark loud buzz, and both use a ratchet design with a wave spring and ceramic bearings. The difference though is that the updated Cadex R3-C48 hub adds an additional eight points of engagement for a total of 48.
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(Image credit: Cadex)
(Image credit: Cadex)
Among all the updates and emphasis on low-weight, Cadex is careful to draw a distinction between climbers' wheels of old. At one point in time the tradeoff for lightweight would have been a reduction in stiffness and with that in mind, Cadex offers some points of reference for the stiffness of the Max40. Specifically the brand calls to attention a claimed 28.4/44.9 percent greater front/rear wheel stiffness compared to the Lightweight Obermayer EVO and 10.3/20.8 percent greater front/rear wheel stiffness compared to the Syncros Capital SL.
The new bar options continue to use a one-piece construction but there's now a stem bonded on and fully internal routing (Image credit: Cadex)
Cadex Race and Aero Integrated handlebar
Cadex previously introduced a range of handlebars for road and gravel all with the "one-piece" tag. The Cadex description of one piece was different than most people. Instead of a combined stem and handlebars, Cadex referred to the construction lacking any bonding in the various pieces. Today's news brings the Cadex definition of one-piece inline with other brands through the release of a choice between a lightweight or aero handlebars, both with an integrated stem.
As with the previous options, the latest offerings use "one-piece, no-bond manufacturing on the drops, hoods and tops" but now there are stems integrated as well. There are two options: the 325g (420mm x 100mm) Aero Integrated bar, which features a flattened top section, longer reach, two-degree backsweep, and three-degree flare; and the 256g (420mm x 100m) Race Integrated bar using an oval top section, no backsweep, and an 11-degree flare. Sizes for both include 16 combinations ranging from 80-140mm stems with 36-44cm width bars.
"The Aero Integrated bar is compatible with 1-1/4” and 1-1/8” and Giant OverDrive Aero steerer tubes (with included carbon shims) while the Race Integrated bar is available in 1-1/8” and Giant OverDrive Aero compatible configurations." Both options offer entirely internal routing as well as 72mm reach with 125mm drops.
For those that prefer every aero advantage, Cadex does give some numbers to work with. The brand shares that at a wind speed of 40km/h, it takes an additional 1.23 watts to push a Giant Contact SLR handlebar and Contact SL AeroLight stem combination on a Giant performance road bike. Keep in mind though, that combination likely means external cable routing. There's also no comparison on hand showing a difference between the Aero Integrated handlebar and the Race Integrated handlebar. It's likely that the difference between the two is even more minimal so perhaps let style and shape preferences be your guide.
Is Cadex making a play at the custom bike market and small builders? (Image credit: Cadex)
Pricing and availability
All four new Cadex performance road products will be available soon in select markets worldwide.
Josh hails from the Pacific Northwest of the United States but would prefer riding through the desert than the rain. He will happily talk for hours about the minutiae of cycling tech but also has an understanding that most people just want things to work. He is a road cyclist at heart and doesn't care much if those roads are paved, dirt, or digital. Although he rarely races, if you ask him to ride from sunrise to sunset the answer will be yes.
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 140 lb.
Rides: Salsa Warbird, Cannondale CAAD9, Enve Melee, Look 795 Blade RS, Priority Continuum Onyx
