It’s CADEX, not Giant – The new kids in the component market

Written by michael gushulak Jul 09, 2019 11:00 a.m. ET

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All joking aside, it’s not every day that we see a new component brand enter the industry, especially one that aim to make such drastic changes as CADEX. Their mission to create the best-performing cycling components is one that should grab attention. Their lineup consists of road and aero wheelsets, a saddle, and a range of tubeless tires.

Video c. CADEX Cycling

Yes, CADEX is technically part of Giant, but like Trek’s Bontrager or Specialized’ Roval brand, the stand alone brand is meant to allow the parts to stand out on their own merit. CADEX is focused on making a name for itself by developing products around real-world use and not just in labs and wind tunnels. Each product they’ve released has gone through numerous real-world tests to dial in how they perform under pressure.

A closer look at the road wheels

CODAX Road Wheels — photo c. @CADEXCycling Instagram

The road wheelset collection consists of 42 and 65mm carbon rim sets. Each is available in tubeless or tubular options and for rim or disc brakes. They’re built up with hookless carbon rims that are tensioned with CADEX carbon bladed spokes and Dynamic Balanced Lacing (DBL) technology to offer a lightweight, stiff, and aero build.

42mm Disc Brake Details

CODAX 42 Disc Brake Tubeless Wheels — photos c. CADEX Cycling

External Width: 23mm
Internal Width: 19.4mm (tubeless)
Hight: 42mm
Spoke Count & Lacing: 21H DBL [f] 24H DBL [r]
Nipple Material: Alloy
Compatible Freehubs: Shimano 11 speed & Sram XDR 12 speed
Brake Type: Centerlock
Set Weights: 1327g Tubeless | 1242g Tubular

CADEX 42 Rim Brake Details

External Width: 23mm
Internal Width: 19.4mm (tubeless)
Hight: 42mm
Spoke Count & Lacing: 16H Straight Pull [f] 21H DBL [r]
Nipple Material: Alloy
Compatible Freehubs: Shimano 11 speed & Sram XDR 12 speed
Warranty: 2 years
Set Weights: 1265g Tubeless | 1163g Tubular

CADEX 65 Disc Brake Details

External Width: 26mm
Internal Width: 22.4mm (tubeless)
Hight: 65mm
Spoke Count & Lacing: 21H DBL [f] 24H DBL [r]
Nipple Material: Alloy
Compatible Freehubs: Shimano 11 speed & Sram XDR 12 speed
Warranty: 2 years
Set Weights: 1501g Tubeless | 1444g Tubular

CADEX 65 Rim Brake Details

External Width: 26mm
Internal Width: 22.4mm (tubeless)
Hight: 65mm
Spoke Count & Lacing: 16H Straight Pull [f] 21H DBL [r]
Nipple Material: Alloy
Compatible Freehubs: Shimano 11 speed & Sram XDR 12 speed
Warranty: 2 years
Set Weights: 1425g Tubeless | 1367g Tubular

Deep dive into the tri ready Aero wheels

CADEX Aero Race Wheelset — photo c. @CCCTeam Instagram

The Aero wheelset comes in tubeless and tubular options. Full aero is the goal here and they achieve this with a 4 spoke front wheel and a disc rear. Each wheel has 21mm internal widths for a smooth tire to rim transition reducing turbulence and enhanced aerodynamics.

CADEX 4 Spoke Aero Wheels

Build Material: 18k Full Composite
External Width: 27.6mm
Internal Width: 21mm (tubeless)
Axle: Titanium 100×5 QR
Brake Type: Rim
Weights: 840g Tubeless | 760g Tubular

CADEX Disc Aero Wheels

Build Material: 18k Full Composite
External Width: 27.6mm Tubeless – 27.3 Tubular
Internal Width: 21mm Tubeless
Axle: Titanium 130×5 QR
Brake Type: Rim
Freehub Compatability: Shimano 11 speed or Sram XDR 12 speed
Weights: 1180g Tubeless | 1000g Tubular

Boosted saddle comfort

The CADEX Boost saddle has a pressure molded carbon frame which reduces flex and weight. And since the rails are strategically molded in place, they’re able to keep the rails out of the way while gaining more design freedom on top. Up top, there’s a channel stretching from the front to the rear to reduce uncomfortable pressure. Plus, free-flowing ETPU particles add comfort in the contact area. We expect to see pricing by September.

Weight: 138g
Materials: Carbon fiber frame, microfiber cover
Padding: EVA + ETPU Particle Flow
Width: 149mm
Length: 246mm
Stack Height: 44mm
UniClip compatible

Tubeless Tires

The CADEX tubeless tire line includes 23, 25, and 28mm widths. Each is built with their RR-S silica-based compound that claims less rolling resistance and better grip, a single-layer Supple Race Casing for added comfort and less weight, and a lightweight Kevlar casing for added puncture protection.

700 x 23c Details

Weight: 255g
Max PSI: 85-125
TPI ~~tip~~: 170
Bead: Folding Kevlar/Carbon

700 x 25c Details

Weight: 270g
Max PSI: 85-125
TPI ~~tip~~: 170
Bead: Folding Kevlar/Carbon

700 x 28c Details

Weight: 340g
Max PSI: 85-115
TPI ~~tip~~: 170
Bead: Folding Kevlar/Carbon

We expect to have additional details and pricing around September of this year.

CADEX-Cycling.com

michael gushulak

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TruckNutZ

4 years ago

For the tire spec, should it be TPI (threads per inch) not TIP
asking for a friend…

Morten Reippuert

4 years ago

Reply to TruckNutZ

Those tires are boat anchors.

Also would be interseting if they are cheating Continental style when counting TPI. is 170 per layer or not?

Greg

4 years ago

Reply to Morten Reippuert

For tubeless, the weights are reasonable.
170 is likely per ply, as 170 doesn’t divide by three very nicely. Also Maxxis has been making 170 tpi tires for a while.

dockboy

4 years ago

I had a Cadex mountain bike as a teenager, my brother still uses it. Funny to see the name again.

O. Tan

4 years ago

Hmm, with UST Tubeless standard in the horizon, interesting that Giant would develop the tubeless wheels as hookless

Robin

4 years ago

Reply to O. Tan

That horizon might not be as close as some think. According to James Huang, “My understanding is that we’re still probably two years out from a formal designation” of that standard.

Czechmate

4 years ago

I’m secretly wishing that they’d make a rear 4 spoke aero wheel to match with their front.
I’d buy a pair just to remove the decals, paint the hubs red and put some spinergy stickers on.
With a bright red caad12 frame, canary yellow bartape and saddle.
Mario would be so proud!

Patrick

4 years ago

Those must be stunningly thin rim beads. Wow.

Velo Kitty

4 years ago

Seems like they are off to a bad start. The ETRTO / ISO tubeless standard has a hooked bead, and the article says that these rims are hookless. Therefore these rims aren’t compliant.

Ido Vlaardingerbroek

4 years ago

Reply to Velo Kitty

How is that a bad start? In mountainbiking more and more rims are going hookless as they seem to perform better…

bike man

4 years ago

Reply to Ido Vlaardingerbroek

mountain biking is low pressure, while you run road tubeless tires at up to 110 psi. A tubeless tire suitable for that pressure range is almost impossible to mount, unless you ask you local car tire dealer, and pray never having a flat 20 miles from home…

Robin

4 years ago

Reply to Velo Kitty

When did ETRTO release their new standard?

typevertigo

4 years ago

Only caveat here is alloy spoke nipples. I guess they went for weight savings over everything else though. Brass nipples would be welcome for the disc brake versions I reckon.

roadstain

4 years ago

Reply to typevertigo

No no. If you check another thread (bladed -vs- round spokes w/disk brakes)….there is simply no difference in the forces experienced by a spoke be it disk or rim stoppers (that may be its own tangent – pun intended)

typevertigo

4 years ago

Reply to roadstain

Very off-topic and way off the mark. I was specifically referring to BRASS vs ALLOY spoke nipples. One corrodes, the other is much more resistant to it.

If the thinking behind a disc brake wheelset is to make it more usable and reliable in more conditions more of the time, alloy nipples usually aren’t a wise choice.

Dominic

4 years ago

Reply to typevertigo

I definitely agree.
If they’re your race wheels go alu for sure as the weight is at the rim. But for everyday wheels brass is worth the weight penalty all day long.

Larry Falk

4 years ago

I’d like to know more about the carbon spokes.

roadstain

4 years ago

Cadex is as far back as the early 90’s when the Giant Cadex and Specialized Allez Epic were essentially the same bike but for the wishbone style rear on the Giant…both made at Martec if I recall properly.

Those wheels do however look like nothing more than Alibaba type things (more so the disk and quad). Even with science and wind tunnels – it will be hard to beat the Hed3 (Specialized in a former life) wheel. Back in the day the ad’s were “Designed by NASA” (and they were)….

dockboy

4 years ago

Reply to roadstain

I haven’t seen a Cadex/Epic combo that matches – their lugs are definitely different profiles, and the Cadex models that I’m aware of used a full head tube casting instead of individual lugs top and bottom.

roadstain

4 years ago

Reply to dockboy

Same carbon tube set – a profile on a lug is just that. But, it remains that they were both from the same assembly line (as are bikes today from many brands). Oddly, Giant had an issue with the wishbone rear stay separating where as Specialized had an issue with the BB at the down-tube separating. At that time (1990ish) they were trying to perfect the recipe for glue. Shortly after Monocoque frames such as the Kestrel 4000 were floating around…..but, as was said in the story, it is a rebirth of the “Cadex” name (in name only) akin to Litespeed calling a gravel bike the “Ultimate”.